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    Home » Recipes » Dips, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

    Oil-Free Hummus

    Published: Apr 1, 2022 . Modified: Dec 30, 2022 by Allie

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    oil free hummus on a plate with chickpeas

    This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    This is an oil-free hummus that’s quick, easy, naturally vegan, and gluten-free.  It’s not a fat-free recipe, it uses tahini which gives hummus its distinct flavor. 

    Oil free hummus on a plate with chickpeas and chopped parsely.

    Since the majority of the flavor comes from tahini, I would recommend using good-quality tahini.  To get smoother hummus without oil, I use aquafaba (chickpea liquid) and ice-cold water.  The aquafaba helps to give the hummus a fluffy and creamy texture. 

    This no-oil hummus recipe is very adaptable.  Don’t like cumin?  Don’t add it.  Prefer more lemon?  Add more lemon.  Hummus works great as a sandwich spread, as well as a dip for veggies, pitas, or crackers.

    To get a smooth hummus, a lot of recipes call for cooking chickpeas from scratch for a little longer than you normally would with a little baking soda and removing the skins for a smoother consistency.  You can even boil canned chickpeas for about 15 minutes with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, which makes the chickpeas so soft they create a smoother consistency.  

    I’m not personally bothered by my oil-free hummus not being perfectly smooth and would rather use my time somewhere else.  Especially when I make it often!  I know if there’s hummus in the fridge my husband and kiddo will snack on more vegetables.

    For more ways to use leftover tahini, try creamy tahini soba noodles, smoky tahini dressing, or lemon herb tahini.  

    What is Aquafaba?

    It’s the starchy liquid leftover from cooked legumes, such as chickpeas.  It’s really from any bean, but I prefer to use chickpeas. There are two methods of obtaining it:
    1. Drain a can of chickpeas and reserve the liquid.
    2. Cook dry chickpeas and reserve the leftover cooking liquid.  In this option, the aquafaba can be too thin and need to be cooked down and reduced.  I find the liquid from can chickpeas to be more reliable.  

    The aquafaba also freezes really well.  Once you reserve the liquid from a can of chickpeas, portion it out into ice cube trays, then freeze.  Once frozen they can be placed into a freezer-safe bag or a freezer-safe container.  When you’re ready to use just thaw and use.

    Aquafaba can sometimes be used as a replacement for oil, like in my oil-free granola.

    How to Make No-Oil Hummus

    To get ice-cold water, place a bowl of water in the freezer for about 10 minutes or add ice cubes to a bowl of water and let it get cold before starting the recipe.

    Ingredients for oil free hummus in a food processor.

    Drain chickpeas and save the liquid (aquafaba). Add garlic to a food processor or high-speed blender and mince until finely chopped.

    Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin to the garlic and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

    Blend chickpeas with tahini and lemon juice in a food processor.

    Once smooth and while the food processor (or high-speed blender) is on, add aquafaba and then the cold water.  Keep adding cold water by the tablespoon until you reach your desired consistency.

    Hummus in a food processor blended.

    Then taste and adjust for personal preference, more lemon, tahini, salt, or garlic.

    Tips for Oil-Free Hummus

    • Drain the chickpeas and save the liquid (aquafaba).  The liquid will help create a fluffier hummus.
    • If you use aquafaba often, the leftovers can be frozen in ice trays.  Once frozen, pop them out of the tray into a freezer-safe container.
    • For cold water, I fill a small bowl with water and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting the recipe.  To keep it cold when you pull it out of the freezer, place a couple of ice cubes in it or wait to pull it out of the freezer right before using it.
    • How much cold water you’ll need will depend on how thin or thick you like your hummus.
    • Stir your tahini before measuring, sometimes there will be oil separation and the bottom of the container will be a little drier than the rest.
    • Fresh garlic can be a bit harsh if you’d like to mellow the flavor slice or dice the garlic and let it sit in the lemon juice for about 15 minutes.  Then add the lemon juice and garlic to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients.
    • If you have a high-speed blender, it creates a smoother hummus than a food processor does.  I did have to stop my high-speed blender frequently for air bubbles, then once the liquid was added I could get a much smoother hummus.
    Hummus in the high speed blender.

    Storing Plant-Based Hummus

    Store oil-free hummus in an air-tight container for about a week in the refrigerator.

    Can you Freeze Hummus?

    Hummus can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for about 3 months.  Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy.

    How to Serve

    • As a dip for crackers, pita, or veggies
    • Use it as a sauce for pasta
    • A dressing for Buddha bowls
    • A spread on sandwiches or wraps
    • On vegan toast or bagels
    • Thin it out with a smidge of water and use it as a salad dressing

    More Oil-Free Vegan Dips

    • Vegan nacho cheese
    • Guacamole
    • Pico de Gallo
    • Curry chickpea salad
    • Peanut dipping sauce
    • Vegan honey mustard
    • Buffalo chickpea dip
    • Lemon herb tahini sauce

    I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan oil-free hummus with tahini!

    Hummus on a plate with chickpeas and parsley.
    Print
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    oil free hummus on a plate with chickpeas

    Oil-Free Hummus


    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    • Author: Allie
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This is an oil-free hummus that’s quick, easy, naturally vegan, and gluten-free.  It’s not a fat-free recipe, it uses tahini which gives hummus its distinct flavor. 


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 can (15 ounces (425 g))chickpeas, drained, reserve liquid, then rinse chickpeas
    • ¼ cup (60 g) tahini
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
    • 1 clove of garlic
    • ½-¾ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ teaspoon cumin
    • 2 tablespoons of aquafaba (liquid from chickpea can)
    • 3-5 tablespoons of cold water

     

    Garnish

    Paprika

    Fresh chopped parsley


    Instructions

    1. Place a bowl of water in the freezer before starting the recipe for ice-cold water (for about 10 minutes), or add ice cubes to a bowl of water and let it get cold before starting the recipe.
    2. Drain chickpeas, saving the liquid (aquafaba).
    3. Add garlic to a food processor or a high-speed blender and mince until finely chopped.
    4. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin to the garlic and blend until smooth.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.
    5. Once smooth and while the food processor (or high-speed blender) is on, add aquafaba then the cold water.  Keep adding cold water by the tablespoon until you reach your desired consistency.
    6. Then taste and adjust for personal preference, more lemon, tahini, salt, or garlic.  I like the hummus with ¾ teaspoon of salt, you might want to try just ½ teaspoon then add more if you prefer.
    7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Notes

    You may need 1 or 2 lemons to get a ¼ cup, it depends on their size and how juicy they are.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Category: dips
    • Method: food processor
    • Cuisine: middle eastern

    Keywords: oil free hummus, hummus without oil

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @threelittlechickpeasblog on Instagram and hashtag it #threelittlechickpeasblog

    More Dips, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

    • Lemon Herb Tahini
    • Vegan Honey Mustard
    • Spicy Peanut Dressing
    • Vegan Nacho Cheese

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. MJ

      April 21, 2022 at 9:17 am

      This was the best hummus, I used a high speed blender and it came out really smooth!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allie

        April 21, 2022 at 9:25 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed the hummus recipe!

        Reply
    2. Emily

      November 03, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      This is definitely the best hummus, so creamy and smooth!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Allie

        November 03, 2022 at 5:49 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Allie! I love cooking and I want to share my simple plant-based meals with you. Eating this way doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Just simply delicious!

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