Hummus Without Tahini is easy to make at home. A food processor and a handful of ingredients are all you need to make this thick and creamy chickpea dip. And you can skip the prepared tahini since it's made with toasted sesame seeds instead. Enjoy this traditional Mediterranean spread with your favorite vegetables and toasted pita bread.
If you're like me, you probably consume your fair share of hummus.
Whether you eat it at home or when attending parties, hummus is everywhere these days.
And while I've found a few store-bought versions I enjoy, it's really easy to make your own garbanzo bean dip at home.
I love eating it with some toasted pita and Pickled Vegetables, Mediterranean Cucumber Salad or Grilled Vegetable Kabobs.
It's also delicious on top of Roasted Vegetable Pasta or Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.
And don't forget about enjoying it as a spread for bagels or toast.
How to make hummus without tahini
The only special equipment you'll need to make hummus is a food processor.
While technically you can use a blender instead, I prefer using a food processor.
Not only will you end up with a luxuriously creamy texture, the appliance won't add heat to the chickpea spread the way a high-speed blender will.
What is a good substitute for tahini in hummus?
First of all, you may be wondering why this is recipe is "hummus without tahini."
To be honest, I haven't found a commercially made tahini I like.
The ones I've tried taste too bitter to me. And I find them hard to work with since the oil from the sesame seeds separates out.
But since tahini is simply ground toasted sesame seeds, I figured why not skip it altogether and just use the seeds!
I find this more convenient anyway since I always have some sesame seeds on hand in my pantry.
Hummus ingredients
For this recipe you will need to following pantry staples:
- Sesame seeds (Buy them already toasted or toast them yourself in a dry skillet.)
- Olive oil
- Fresh garlic
- Canned chickpeas (Be sure to save the liquid from the can after you drain them. There's no need to rinse them off. We'll use the "aquafaba" to thin out the hummus while processing it.)
- Lemon juice
- Ground cumin (This fragrant spice gives the hummus a little earthiness.)
- Salt (I wait and add in the salt at the end after tasting it.)
And for garnish, I like to sprinkle on a little paprika or sumac for color and subtle flavor.
Then an optional drizzle of olive oil makes it look like the fancy hummus you order in a restaurant.
Making the hummus
Once you have gathered your ingredients, add them to the bowl of the food processor.
Allow the dip to whirl for several minutes until it's as smooth as possible.
You'll want to stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times.
And if the hummus is too thick, add a little of the reserved chickpea juice.
I generally use about 4 tablespoons, but I like to add it a little at a time as I go.
Through trail and error, I've found that using the aquafaba instead of water results in a better hummus texture.
How long does homemade hummus last?
In my house, this no tahini hummus doesn't last long!
We tend to gobble it up as soon as I make it.
However, if you don't eat it right away, it will last for several days covered and refrigerated.
How to freeze hummus
But when I'm planning ahead, I'll make a double batch and freeze half of it for later.
Simply place the garbanzo bean dip in a glass container, leaving a little room at the top.
Secure the lid, then lay it flat in the freezer.
When you're ready to consume it, let the container thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, give it a stir, and you'll have a delicious container of homemade hummus that's just as creamy as the day you made it.
Optional add ins
Starting with this easy hummus recipe, you can customize it to suit your tastes.
These are some of my favorite flavor variations:
- Use roasted garlic instead of raw.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or Kalamata olives.
- Add toppings such as caramelized onions or toasted pine nuts.
Should you peel chickpeas?
If you want an extra light and creamy texture, you can remove the outer peel of the garbanzo beans before adding them to the food processor.
The easiest way to do this is by rubbing them in a clean kitchen towel.
However, in my opinion, this step is optional.
Hummus Without Tahini Recipe
This recipe makes about 2 cups.
For nutritional purposes, I allowed ½ cup per person, making the entire recipe 4 servings.
Enjoy it with veggies, salads, grains, or by the spoonful.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!
Hummus Without Tahini
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, See notes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can chickpeas, (15 ounces) 1 ½ cups, drained, liquid reserved
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- salt, to taste
- 1` pinch paprika , for garnish (optional)
- 1 pinch sumac, for garnish (optional)
- 1 drizzle olive oil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the toasted sesame seeds, olive oil, garlic, drained chickpeas, lemon juice, and cumin.
- Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, and adding reserved chickpea liquid a tablespoon at a time to thin out the hummus.
- Taste and add salt, as needed. Process again.
- Transfer the hummus to a container and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Before serving, add a pinch of paprika and/or sumac and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Enjoy with vegetables and toasted pita.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Heather
Your recipe had me when I read No tahini! For the amount I would need in a recipe , and if it didn’t turn out! Nadda!
So I followed your recipe to a “T”! All I can say is Yummy!
Look forward to trying out some of your other recipes.
Thank you
Amy Katz
So glad you enjoyed it, Heather!
Salome
I made (and tasted) hummus for the first time. It was super ease to make and tastes delicious! Thank you! <3
Amy Katz
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Salome!
June
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Not all the time I want to use tahini
Amy Katz
I hope you enjoy it, June!
Jillian O'Keefe
In the past whenever you've made hummus have you taken the skin off of each chick pea? I've heard that doing this makes it smoother. I've never done it, but I'm curious if it really makes a difference.
Your recipe sounds delicious & I can't wait to try it.
Amy Katz
Thanks Jillian! Yes, taking the skin off the chickpeas does make for a smoother hummus. For a short cut, you can place the chickpeas in a clean cloth kitchen towel and then roll it around a little on your counter so that the skins come off easier.
Sil
Tasty! I doubled the garlic because, well....we really like garlic 😋 whuch gave it a little heat. Will definitely make it again.
Amy Katz
You can never have too much garlic in my book!
Marge Teilhaber
I love Soom tahini and also their chocolate tahini and their Silan (date syrup).
Amy Katz
Thanks for the recommendations, Marge. I'll be sure to look for them.
JoAnn Bush
This is delicious! Thank you so much.
Amy Katz
Thank you, JoAnn! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
David
I love your comment about not being able to find a commercially made tahini that's not bitter! I'm so not a fan of tahini - or sesame oil, which I (personally) find a bit overpowering - but I have been known to add waaaaay more than the recommended amount of toasted sesame seeds to things, because I love *that* particular taste.
So can't *wait* to try this recipe... except it also got me thinking: can I do similar in other recipes calling for tahini?
Do you have an approximate (and very happy with massive ballpark figure!) measurement of exchange for amount of tahini to replace with just toasted sesame seeds? Is it approximate measurements, eg: 1 teaspoon tahini to 1 teaspoon seeds? Or more seeds?
Thank you! 🙂
Amy Katz
Hi David! If you want to make your own tahini from sesame seeds, generally 1 cup of seeds will make about 1/2 cup of tahini. You can also process the seeds with a few tablespoons of olive oil to make it even smoother. With 1 cup of seeds and 2 Tablespoons of oil, you'll end up with closer to 1 cup of tahini. I hope you enjoy the hummus!
Jennifer
It was very to easy to make and delicious!
Amy Katz
Thank you, Jennifer!
Carol
If you cook your own chickpeas is the cooking liquid aquafab?
Amy Katz
Hi Carol! Yes, that's correct.