Roasted Garlic Hummus
This garlic hummus recipe never fails to win rave reviews. The roasted garlic and balance of lemon and creamy chickpeas is just perfect! You’ll make it over and over.
I originally shared this Roasted Garlic Hummus on March 11, 2013. I have slightly the text and added new images today.
Table of contents
Why We Love Roasted Garlic Hummus
In my mind, garlic is to hummus as parsley is to tabbouleh! Meaning, it wouldn’t be hummus without the garlic! And this roasted garlic hummus is no exception. This recipe has two whole heads of roasted garlic added to it, so it is a true garlic-lovers hummus.
Recipe Highlights
- Made with only 5 basic ingredients that you can find at any grocery store
- Inexpensive and budget friendly
- Makes a great appetizer for a party or a healthy snack
- Can be made ahead so it is great for meal prep on the weekends
I made this today, and it is delicious! I have added it to my list of “things I will no longer buy at the grocery store. ” I’m going to try your roasted red pepper hummus recipe next. Thank you for keeping this recipe simple to make.
~Mary
Ingredient Notes
- 2 Whole Heads of Garlic: This sounds like a lot, but the roasting process will mellow the flavors.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Use a high quality evoo if you have it because the flavor will really stand out.
- Canned chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas for this recipe, but making chickpeas from dried beans is great too. For canned chickpeas, look for those that are packed in cans that are free from BPA lining. Drain them and rinse them with cold water to remove excess sodium and starchy water.
- Fresh lemon juice: You’ll want the juice from about 1 juicy large lemon.
- Sesame tahini paste: Find this in the international isle with middle eastern ingredients. Make sure to stir it well as the oil may separate. Keep refrigerated once opened.
- Salt: To season. Make sure to use regular granulated table salt. Kosher salt can be subbed, but double the amount if using Diamond Crystal brand.
- Optional garnishes: sumac powder, chopped parsley and more extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
How to Make Roasted Garlic Hummus
Step 1: Roast Garlic
Roasting garlic can be done on the stovetop or in the oven. For this recipe, I opted for roasting the garlic in the oven because there are only two heads.
- To roast the garlic, remove the loose papery outer pieces of garlic skin. They will become soaked with the oil, and can get mixed into the garlic otherwise. Just rub them with your fingertips to remove them.
- Cut the tips of the garlic head to expose the cloves. I like to use a serrated knife to do that which helps if the variety of garlic has a hard inner stem.
- Place the garlic root end down in your baking dish and then drizzle with a little oil. Cover to keep the garlic moist. Roast the garlic until it is browned and softened. To tell if it is soft, just give the heads a little squeeze: They should yield under the pressure. (Use tongs as the garlic will be hot!) Alternatively, you can poke the garlic clove to see if they are soft. They will be falling apart when they’re ready.
- Allow the garlic to cool, then squeeze the garlic out of the skins. (PHOTO 1)
Step 2: Puree The Roasted Garlic and Hummus Ingredients
Combine all of the ingredients in your food processor with the steel blade attachment. (PHOTO 2). Puree the hummus really well for the creamiest texture. I like to scrape the sides a few time to ensure the rough pieces are blended in.
Serving Suggestions
- Traditionally hummus is served sprinkled with sumac and drizzled generously with olive oil. I highly recommend it too though it is optional.
- If you cannot find sumac you can use a little paprika instead.
- You can also top this with crispy roasted chickpeas, everything bagel seasoning or a little ground cumin.
- Serve with fresh raw vegetables like carrots, peppers, celery and cucumbers.
- Serve with pita chips or fresh warm pita bread.
- Offer gluten-free crackers for a gluten-free alternative to pita.
Storage and Make Ahead
Keep in an air-tight container up to 5 days.
Hummus can be frozen, but it can be a little gritty once it is thawed. Once it is thawed, add it back to the food processor and process with a couple tablespoons of warm water to loosen it up and make it creamy again.
Substitutions
Tahini: Instead of tahini, you can use sunflower butter (sunbutter) in a pinch. It has similar texture and a slight bitterness akin to sesame tahini. Cashew butter is another option, but make sure there are no nut allergies if you are serving to guests.
Lemon: Lemon adds acidity to hummus and is essential for creating the perfect balance of salt and acid. If you do not have lemon you can try using lime or a little vinegar (red wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar would be the best option.)
Chickpeas: If using dried chickpeas, measure out 1 2/3 cups cooked chickpeas to make this recipe.
More Homemade Hummus Recipes
- This Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is better than store-bought!
- Believe it or not this Cauliflower Hummus doesn’t have any chickpeas in it, but it tastes just like regular hummus!
- This is totally non-traditional but amazing: Black Bean Hummus.
- This Edamame Hummus is a great snacking dip or spread.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintRoasted Garlic Hummus
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 1/3 cups 1x
Description
This garlic hummus recipe never fails to win rave reviews. The roasted garlic and balance of lemon and creamy chickpeas is just perfect! Readers have reported that they make it over and over.
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 15 1/2–ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 Tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 juicy/large lemon)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- optional garnish: sumac powder, chopped parsley and more extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Rub extra papery skin off of whole heads of garlic. Cut tips off each clove of garlic with serrated knife to exposing a bit of garlic. Lay root side down on a sheet of aluminum foil or in a small baking dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over the cut end of the garlic. Crimp foil closed or cover the baking dish with foil. Roast until the garlic cloves are soft and fragrant, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Open foil and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their papery skin. Discard skin and transfer the cloves to a food processor. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and salt and puree until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with sumac, parsley and drizzled with more olive oil if desired.
Notes
Hummus will keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 95
- Sodium: 176
- Fat: 8
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
I added some Cumin…used my magic bullet and had to add hot water too to get it to blend…
Thanks for dropping by to let us know how it went. I didn’t need water for my Cuisinart, but I am so glad to hear that a little water is all it needed for your food processor.
So I know the recipe is clear but just double checking, it’s two whole heads of garlic right? Not just two large cloves. I’ve compared this recipe to a couple others and they all Call for two or three cloves or two table spoons of roasted garlic but this one just confused me. Sorry if it’s a dilly question but I was just wondering. Thank you
Do it up Cindy! Two heads is right. The roasting really mellows the flavor. But you’re talking to a major flavor hound here:) If you’re not sure, maybe you could roast two heads, and then add one to start. Taste and add the second if you think it needs more.
Excellent recipe. This is my go-to and I make variations on the basic formula. Glad to have a recipe that uses tahini as well, some omit it, and it’s not the same.
Thanks so much Joe!
I’m popping by your site today and see this post on the runner. What a fun read. But it made me sad. We are now so, so far from my fave Middle Eastern restaurant in Chicagoland. Gotta find a new one in St. Louis. Guess that’s not a bad thing…and I can make this hummus in the meantime! (:
Thanks so much for your comment Serena. I am glad you read this post since it is one of my favorites on the site. My parent’s friends have told me how much they loved reading it too. We all agree that we miss the Beirut!
Just made this and I LOVE it! I added a bit more tahini and olive oil to make it creamier, and I also just used crushed garlic that I had on hand. One of my new fav hummus recipes! Cheers!
Raechel. Your tweaks sounds totally great. Thanks for letting me know you liked it.
Thanks for the description of the restaurant. It brought a big smile to my face on a rainy spring day. I love good Lebanese food and hospitality. I dated a Lebanese man for a while. When we dined at home with his friends, the food and conversation was always great. They always thinned the tahini with either water or lemon juice (I don’t remember which one) before adding it to the beans. They said it made it whiter. Did it? I don’t know. They would also get fresh beef, grind it with spices and make the smoothest raw kibbeh. The table was always set with a variety of pickled and fresh veggies, side dishes and piles of fresh bread. Then a while after the coffee and dessert.
That sounds like a really special memory. I love your description. I have only had raw kibbeh once (in London) and it was so delicious. Though I thought it was lamb… I appreciate your comments they bring a smile to MY face:)
I LOVE Roasted Garlic but because of time/ease/laziness usually just use fresh in my hummus. This looks AMAZING and I wish Beirut was still there (we are just north of Allentown) – because I am sure that Aladdin wouldn’t live up to what you built it up to be (although it would not hurt to try, I’ll have to add to to my to-do this)
Thanks so much. I wonder if I would be disappointed if I went back there too. My guess is yes. If you so go please let me know.
Looks delicious. Just made hummus for the first time yesterday. Do you peel the skin off each chickpea? I did yesterday and it was time consuming. Just wondering what would happen if I didn’t? Thanks!
I have read about peeling the chickpeas, but I haven’t tried it myself. The skin has a lot of insoluble fiber, so it is really good for you. I say go ahead and leave the skins on to save time and for better health. It probably won’t be as completely smooth as the variation you made yesterday, but if you let the hummus puree for long enough, it will still be quite creamy.
Great idea using roasted, instead of raw, garlic. However, traditional (Israeli) hummus does not use olive oil at all, instead drizzling in iced water during the puree stage. Creates the smoothest, fluffiest, melt in your mouth taste sensation!! Healthier too!
Wow! That sounds really great. I will try it some time for sure. Thanks for the healthy tip:)
this looks sensational. wow! love garlicky hummus.
We love hummus! We love garlic! This will be my first try at roasting garlic! YUM! I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I don’t think there’s anything better than roasted garlic! Adding it to hummus is pretty much perfect. 🙂
I agree roasted garlic is unbeatable. Thanks Kiersten.
This hummus sounds SO tasty! I love garlic :). I go through so much hummus that I should really start making my own. Thanks for sharing :).
Thanks Hannah. Once you get in the habit, making it from scratch really is easy if you keep the ingredients on hand. I’m glad you stopped by.
Yum, your hummus looks delicious!
Rosie, Thanks so much. And thanks for stopping by.
Looks delicious! One of my favourite and staple foods! Nothing better than home made!! 🙂
I agree home-made does taste a lot better!
Katie I enjoyed your article and would love it if you come to Allentown and Taste our Hummus. My wife and I opened on Jan/6th/2014 small place but have been getting fantastic response from the community. We make everything from scratch from our grandmothers and mothers recipes. My wife Samar is a fantastic cook. It would be a previlage to have you taste what we have to offer.
would like to make this…but what is tahini ??????
Kristol,
Tahini is ground sesame paste. It has a texture similar to peanut butter, but it is more liquid. It has a very smooth finely-ground texture and a slightly bitter taste. You can find it in the international section of large supermarkets. Sometimes it can also be found in the peanut butter section. Or any health food store will carry it. It is also great in salad dressing and I love it in my maple-tahini chicken stir-fry.