Oil-Free Vegan Hummus Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

This easy Vegan Hummus takes only about 10-minutes to make and requires absolutely no cooking. It also happens to be completely gluten-free.

hummus in scalloped white bowl on wooden table background

This basic garlic hummus is a great dip and can also be used as a flavorful spread on wraps and bean burgers.

We love this chickpea dip because it’s…

  • Super simple to make
  • Packed with healthy ingredients
  • Amazingly flavorful
  • Versatile
  • Crowd-pleasing
  • Perfect with veggie sticks or sandwiches

What is hummus anyway?

Hummus is a flavorful Middle Eastern bean dip made from chickpeas, lemon juice, and garlic. You can make all kinds of variations from this homemade basic hummus recipe. Almost all varieties of hummus are completely vegan and used for everything from dips to sandwich spreads.

So many people ask about easy go-to snacks, and this hummus is one of my favorites. In the summer, we go boating at the lake a lot. That means picnic-friendly foods, and this hummus is a great option. It’s usually accompanied by Smashed Chickpea Avocado Sandwiches.

What is hummus made of?

There are so many different varieties of hummus, and most often it is made with a base of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) and a handful of other ingredients that are just blended together in a food processor or blender. Ingredients include:

  • chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)
  • garlic cloves
  • tahini (crushed sesame seeds) OPTIONAL
  • vegetable broth
  • lemon juice
  • salt
ingredients for hummus on white background

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

How to make this delicious healthy dip

Begin by draining all liquid from the chickpeas whether they are freshly cooked in an Instantpot or from a can. To do this, I pour them into a colander and rinse them under warm water.

chickpeas being drained white background

Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process for 1-2 minutes. Blend well to allow the chickpeas to become smooth.

chickpea hummus ingredients in vitamix blender

If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you’ll need to stop and scrape down sides and stir a few times in between processing. One thing I love about having a Vitamix blender is that it has a tamper to push ingredients down to the blades, so stopping is not necessary.

I personally like my hummus left just a little chunky, but many people like theirs completely smooth. Process until reaching your preferred consistency.

vegan hummus in metal bowl with pita bread in background

This healthy vegan dip is delicious on carrot and celery sticks, sandwiches and wraps, baked potatoes, veggie/grain bowls, and even on toast.

One of my favorite things to dip in this healthy hummus is crackers, and my favorite oil-free brand is Mary’s Gone Crackers. They are simply delicious!

Other chickpea dip variations

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is one of my personal favorite varieties of all time and we take it in a cooler regularly when we travel.

Sometimes I add 1/2 of chili in adobo sauce and 3 Tbsp fire-roasted tomatoes to this basic hummus recipe to mix it up a bit.

Other variations include: spinach, red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes, the possibilities are endless.

These are all no-cooking-required recipes, and only a blender is needed to make them. So simple!

Hummus you can freeze

This dip lasts approximately 7-10 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Hummus even freezes well in an airtight container for up to 6-8 months. The day before you want to eat it, move the hummus container from the freezer to the refrigerator. It takes at least a few hours to thaw until it’s ready to eat. Thawing can take longer depending on how much is in your container.

It’s best to freeze in small portions to make defrosting quicker and to have handy small amounts to eat in one sitting. 

hummus in white bowl with veggies in background

Tips for making this vegan dip

  • Make sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas before using them to remove any excess salt and preservatives.
  • ALWAYS turn your blender off before removing the lid to scrape down the sides and/or push ingredients down to the blades.
  • If the ingredients are having a really hard time blending, add another tablespoon of veggie broth.
  • Adjust the salt and lemon juice to your taste preferences.

Your Questions Answered

  • Q: Do I have to use fresh lemon juice? No, bottled lemon juice works fine in this recipe. I’ve even used lime juice with great success.
  • Q: Can I use canned chickpeas to make this? Absolutely! This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas which happens to be the amount in a standard can of chickpeas.
  • Q: Can I freeze hummus? Yes, you can freeze hummus for up to 6-8 months in an airtight freezer-safe container.

Originally published October 10, 2014

Other terrific chickpea dip recipes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

hummus in scalloped white bowl on wooden table background
4.78 from 22 votes

10-Minute Basic Hummus

This easy, oil-free, vegan hummus takes only about 10-minutes to make and requires absolutely no cooking. It also happens to be gluten-free.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas. This is same as 1 15 oz can beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
  • 3 tablespoons veggie broth or water more if needed to blend
  • 1 tablespoon Tahini optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Begin by draining all liquid from the chickpeas whether they are freshly cooked in an Instantpot or from a can.
  • Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process for 1-2 minutes. Blend well to allow the chickpeas to become smooth.
  • If you don’t have a high powered blender, you’ll need to stop and scrape down sides and stir a few times in between processing. One thing I love about having a Vitamix blender is that it has a tamper to push ingredients down to the blades, so stopping is not necessary.
  • I personally like my hummus left just a little chunky, but many people like theirs completely smooth. Process until reaching your preferred consistency.
  • This hummus is delicious on carrot and celery sticks, sandwiches and wraps, baked potatoes, veggie/grain bowls, and even on toast.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Tips for making this vegan dip
  1. Make sure to drain and rinse canned chickpeas before using them to remove any excess salt and preservatives.
  2. ALWAYS turn your blender off before removing the lid to scrape down the sides and/or push ingredients down to the blades.
  3. If the ingredients are having a really hard time blending, add another tablespoon of veggie broth.
  4. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to your taste preferences.

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 1.9g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Please rate & share if you like this!Leave a comment or share on Pinterest or Instagram

About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

Similar Posts

11 Comments

  1. Hummus Basic Recipe–
    Ingredients:

    1 clove garlic
    juice from 1 lemon
    1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly
    1 tbsp. Tahini (this is sesame paste, and can be found in the peanut butter section of most grocery stores)
    1 tsp. sea salt
    a little bit of water or veggie broth to blend
    Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor in just enough water or veggie broth to achieve your desired texture. Try a number of the variations listed above.

  2. I made this hummus today ! Very delicious ! My daughter told me the hummus was better than the oasis brand I usually buy! I may decrease the salt next time. Thanks for a great recipe Terri!?

  3. I’m making this later today. I just got a VITAmix and am tip-toeing into using it, as I’m not an experienced blender/food processor user. But I ran out of my stor-bought hummus, which I have almost daily on a pita loaded with greens, for lunch. How long does the homemade hummus keep, in the fridge?

    1. Barbara, this hummus last 7-10 days in the refrigerator. I’ll add that information to the recipe. Thanks!

  4. I’ve never made my own hummus before, but I used your recipe today, and oh my, it’s good! I’ll never have to buy ready made again.

    1. Isn’t it amazing how easy hummus is to make? I just made a batch for a trip that we’re leaving on in a couple of hours. It’ll be great for a snack this evening. Very inexpensive and simple So glad you found the recipe! 🙂

  5. I tried this hummus recipe today for our lunch wraps. It was so tasty! I added a couple of pieces of jalepenos to mine. I left ours on the chunky side. It paired well with veggies on Ezekiel Wraps. Thank you for this wonderful recipe Terri!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating