Virtually nonfat, this tasty, oil-free hummus recipe is the healthy antidote to your hummus cravings. You can find a store-bought variation of this no-cook recipe in almost any grocery store, but 95 percent of them are made with added olive oil and tahini (sesame paste), which pushes up the fat content. Your best bet is to take three minutes to whip up a batch of homemade, oil-free hummus on Sunday that will last you through the week. Enjoy it with crudités, on toast, in wraps, bowls, and more.
Check out our full roundup of healthy hummus recipes here!
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Rip Esselstyn, son of Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, was a firefighter in the Austin Fire Department when he discovered dangerously high cholesterol levels among his firefighter comrades. He led a stationwide revolution of dietary change that resulted in markedly better health, which he detailed in his bestselling book, The Engine 2 Diet. Visit PlantStrong.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
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Comments (115)
I thought this was a very good recipe! I did use a bit of chick pea water and that gave it a good texture. Also, I put more braggs and more cumin in . I added a bit of lemon juice too . When I had some for lunch, I cut up some dill pickles and mixed in with the hummus. Delish with mini peppers and carrots!
Just made this. Easy to make but not my favorite. I miss the tahini.
Try adding a teaspoon of white miso instead of salt
I was happy with the texture on this, I’ve tried other oil-free recipes where the texture was really unappealing, so that was nice, but the raw garlic is very intense and unpleasant. Also, besides the bite of the garlic, the flavor is a bit bland.
what about using the liquid from the canned chickpeas? Is that ok in place of water? Or is it not healthy?
Yes, I use 1/4 cup to half a cup of the liquid from the Chickpeas…called Aquafaba, which makes the Humus much creamier. If you want no salt buy no salt chickpeas or cook up your own and save liquid.
I wouldn’t use it… I like to Rinse them and drain them first
Really yummy! Don’t miss the oil and refined salt at all. Made it with the sesame seeds and 1/2 of a jalapeño. Here’s another alternative ~ add flesh of a ripe avocado to make avocado hummus ~ devine!
The best recipe because it’s tasty and takes less than 5 minutes from ingredients to storage container (if not using all at once)
I made it for first time and taste as good as any whole foods oil free hummus. So happy and it was sooooooo easy. look forward to adding extra ingredents in future. Thank you David Beauchemin
Where is nutritional info? Can’t find
You can easily input the recipe into Myfitnesspal and it will give you the breakdown.
When a diet is 80% carbs, if a wee bit is refined, it makes little difference. A person like this eats so much fiber that it mitigates the refined carb.
Hi Suky,
We hear your feedback about nutritional info, and this is something that we’re discussing adding for the future. Please stay tuned for updates!
Thank you,
Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives
Can’t wait to try this
Wow, am I in the minority, here: This will be the third hummus recipe I have tried in about 25 years–and still haven’t found something that satisfied. I absolutely love lemon (and lime) but found this to be too lemony/acidic . . . and honestly, bland. I think a jalepeno would help but wouldn’t serve this for others. I just feel like there must be an oil-free recipe out there that makes for amazing hummus–but I have not found it. (I’ve been a vegan for close to 30 years–and largely oil free for at least 5.
I have found that if you take the time ( a LOT of it!!!) to peel the skins off the chickpeas, it makes all the difference. The olive oil is there to mitigate the skins and make a smooth, creamy hummus. If not using oil, you MUST remove the excessively fibrous skin to achieve similar results. Also, try making your own chick peas from dried — so much creamier. Another trick is to use the aquafaba instead of water. I have done these steps to rave reviews. Good luck in YOUR quest for the perfect hummus! Dave
I so hear you Elizabeth – one change that worked so much better for me is using cannelli beans. I don’t know why it works for me, but I discovered a while ago that I couldn’t make a satisfying hummus (even with oil) using chick peas. Someone told me that many recipes actually use chick pea flour, which I haven’t tried, especially since I love most recipes now with cannellis. Also, most recipes calling for lemon are too lemony for me, so I start with half or a quarter of the amount called for of rice vinegar. It gives some acidity without overwhelming the other flavors.
Elizabeth,
I haven’t tried this yet, but maybe try scaling back on the lemon and then add your jalepeno, maybe a few of your favorite spices and a pinch of himalayan pink salt. One of my favorite hummus is unfortunately made with oil by a store called Wegman’s but it was a carmalized onion and OMG, it was good. The sky is the limit with how you can season it.
Thiago… Oils have been proven to cause inflammation thus the reason for all the oil free recipes… Olive oil was thought to be ok because of Mediterranean diet but has also been proven to cause inflammation and not have any real nutritional benefits (I used to waste hundreds of dollars on first cut bottles of snake oil). The Mediterranean diet is healthy in spite of the oil, not because of it.
Hello
What is the problem with olive oil or tahini? If a person wants to reduce weight, I understand that oil can increase their calories, but besides that, some oils are not bad if we check the literature available at PubMed.
On the other side, I frequently see unsweetened plant-based milk and then some kind of syrup, which is contradictory and not health based in studies.
I like FOK, but some fundamentals are not very aligned with science. I have zero intention to offend anyone and I am very open-minded to change too
I always use some of my broth from cooking my beans in lieu of any oil. It’s perfect.
Plant based low fat diet helps with Insulin resistant. Therefore, managing blood glucose and many other issues.
I just made some and I love it!
Had to add an additional 1/2 cup of veggie broth to make a *smooth* paste-like texture. This is by far the best homemade hummus I’ve tried to date. Cant wait to play with different add-ins
FOK, you’ve done it again! This is a gem! Besides being way healthier than traditional recipes, it’s cheaper than what you can get in the store, too. Especially if you start with dry beans. I’ll try the roasted red bell pepper next time. Thanks for sharing this!
So good and so simple! We don’t like cumin so left it out.
This is the best hummus we have ever made. And oil-free!
Wow! I was very impressed!
These really do taste like hotdogs
🙂 Thanks for the unexpected smile!
Lol
Wrong recipe! This was supposed to be for the carrot dogs!
Perfect! Vitamix sure helps with this one!
How much is a can? I live in Spain where the chickpeas come in jars. Grams, ounces or cup measurements would be helpful.
15.5 ounces, soup can size. ☺️
The kind I usually buy have 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas in a can. Two cans would be 3 cups. I like to cook big batches of chickpeas and freeze them in 3-cup packages – perfect for hummus or some other recipes that use ‘canned’ chickpeas.
SWilson
Ce este brad liquid aminos?
Like soy sauce. Are Mai Putin sodium
In the U.S. they are usually 15oz cans
Instead of brags you can use coconut aminos to lower sodium or merely use things like home roasted veggies like colored peppers or any other veggie.
I used Tamari as I was out of aminos. Worked great. 🙂
I made mine with capers, and it was wonderful. I also added a bit more lemon juice, simply because I like more lemony hummus.
Hi, did you add the capers in whole after you made the hummus or blend them in?
Best oil free hummus ever! I added the jalapeno. Yum!
Your response is not nice. I’m completely vegan, but if people want to incorporate vegan foods with an animal based diet, that is their choice. Anything that encourages clean eating should be the mantra. If someone wants to use beef stock in their dish, then of course it isn’t vegan but there’s no need to be judgmental.
That’s not acceptable. Them “choosing” to use animal products is not their right or place to choose whether those animals live or die. End of story.
This recipe is awesome, but I think making your own chickpeas is best. 18 minutes in an instapot after soaking overnight makes for a creamy, oil free hummus.
No doubt i’m cooking up some beans now for the recipe.
What’s macro on this dish? Trying watch sodium intake
I just tried this recipe and it is amazing! I think as long as you have 2 cans of chickpeas, a lemon, and some liquid, then this recipe allows you to create around it per your tastes! I used 4 teaspoons of hatch chilies (no oils ) and minced garlic from a jar, I reduced cumin to 1 teaspoon and I did have the liquid aminos on hand…whirled it around til smooth…thank you so much for this hearty recipe…it is awesome!
Great recipe. I have been doing something similar for years. Tips: I agree, Goya chickpeas, soft and flavorful. Use the liquid from the can, go easy. I buy Braggs on line by the gallon or just seasalt. I prefer less garlic. Never tried cumin, will, but a little fresh basil is good. Try different herbs,, spices..I NEVER use salad dressing, often use this instead. I blend in my food processor, slowly add liquid, let it rip. Delicious.
Delicious just as it is. Yum
I just made it, and added jalapeno peppers for zest. It is wonderful. Never will I buy premade hummus again.
I made the hummus with the eggplant it was very good
“Eden” Brand chickpeas use a very clean way of cooking. ( all their products are clean) Very high quality & a great trustworthy company with no hidden ingredients
This is the best hummus I’ve ever made. Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to eliminate oils and decrease sodium in my diet.
I did use low sodium tamari because I didn’t have Bragg’s liquid aminos.
The first time I made this, I used chick peas. The second time, I used cannelini beans because I ran out of the other.
This is an awesome recipe. I’m so sorry that I had to comment with an ingredient NOT in the recipe (tamarini). I am traveling and used what I had available.
Thank you again. 5+ stars!!
Trying to switch over
Just curious, I don’t see any nutritional info. Unless I missed it, the absence of nutritional information makes it harder to evaluate the healthiness of each FOK recipe. Comments?
You can look up nutritional information online.
Google a site where you can put in the recipe and ingredients. It will give you the nutritional info.
I completely understand why people want nutrition information. Sometimes as someone with an eating disorder it’s nice not to see it. Just a different perspective
I agree, there should be nutritional info. I am older and calories do count when you need to lose or maintain weight. Also I have a type one diabetic granddaughter and she loves this kind of food but if I don’t have the carbohydrate count I cannot give her these recipes without calculating it myself and that is a royal pain.
The FOK lifestyle does not require (or expect) calorie counting. If you eat a balanced diet of whole, plant foods, to satisfaction, you will naturally consume a reasonable number of healthy calories. This is one of the great advantages of the lifestyle…its simplicity.
I like to add the juice of two lemons or limes, more garlic, and two tablespoons of Trader Joe’s hot pepper sauce — although any hot sauce will do.
I don’t get it…you use tahini, or nut butter pretty much in every recipe to give creaminess..but the only recipe who is basically mix bean+ seed butter since the dawn of time, its a big no-no?
I agree. I really wish the nutritional info would be included.
I found the two hummus recipe attempts I made to be creamy and more tasty (without using any tahini). I don’t think I’ll ever make hummus with oil or tahini ever again. This was a wonderful recipe and I think it can be adapted easily with other flavors/veggies/herbs.
It’s not a big no-no in general, there are other hummus recipes here using nuts/seed butters, this is just an option for people who have to watch their fats… like me. Obesity is the biggest driver of disease, and fats are very calorically dense and contribute to obesity. T2 diabetes/insulin resistance is not caused by carbs or sugar… high glucose is just a symptom… the cause is intramyocellular lipids (too much FAT clogging muscle cells) so keeping fats low has actually reversed it. There are no hummus police telling you what to eat, it is just an option.
I’m confused by this too. What’s the deal?
Who would have thought that I would enjoy an oil free version of one of my favorite foods? This was delicious. I didn’t have liquid aminos in the house nor soy sauce so I added a pinch of salt instead. I added some red peeper flakes and black pepper too. Very good. This will be an easy staple in my kitchen.
Can this be frozen to use later, how long will it keep in the fridge?
The coconut aminos made this super salty and gave it a weird taste. Had to toss it. Start with 1/4-1/2 amount and taste before upping the amount.
I think Goya beans are the best!
What is Bragg liquid aminos. Ty
It’s basically soy sauce but better for you and lower sodium content! At least that’s how I view it.
I am ready to start eating vegan. I already eat roasted or steamed vegetables every day. Sometimes I have cod fish baked or salmon baked with only salt and pepper. No oil in anything. I use spray cooking pol with no calories. I have lost 32 pounds. But I would like to add vegan recipes to my vegetables. I hardly ever eat bread unless it is naan or other breads without a lot of calories. I am enjoying my veggies very much and hope to enjoy the vegan foods.
Hi Annie, Eat what is best for you. If you feel a flexitarian diet is best with emphasis on vegan eating, you’ll be fine. There’s a lot of judgement in a few of these responses. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.
Hello, Annie, please watch the documentary “Seaspiracy.” You’ll be giving up eating all fish after watching that.
I make my chick peas in the pressure cooker – use the water in the hummus and left over water for broth in veggie soup. Thanks for this great recipe, it tastes so wonderful.
I think that using higher quality improves the texture and taste quite a bit. At first I was using generic beans and found them to be hard and I did not care for them at all. Now I use Goya beans and like them much better. Hope this helps.
You realize that adding chicken or beef broth defeats the purpose of this recipe right? And canned chickpeas are already cooked.
The recipe calls for canned chickpeas. Those are already cooked.
I love the ease and taste of this hummus.
Very versatile! I added a little garlic vinaigrette which made it a little runny, so I added a whole white potato. I needed something to crunch so I used some of my pickled zucchini slices. Used it to make a delicious summer pasta salad.
Use stock to cook chickpeas and add some liquid aminos directly to cooking liquid. Then use some of the stock (now aqua faba) to blender. Sub roasted garlic for a richer less “bighty” garlic flavor. Also, if you want extra smooth hummus, Yotam Ottolenghi trick of adding baking soda to the cooking liquid and then removing the chickpea skins (which come off easily after cooking with baking soda) is an extra step but very worth while for those who like hummus extra smooth. (But be mindful of the saltiness if you use both baking soda and liquid aminos)
Ottolenghi neglects to mention or does not know that the old French trick of adding baking soda to blanching/boiling water to retain the green color of vegetables such as green beans or to loosen chickpea skins–such as here–also almost completely destroys B-complex vitamins and degrades several other nutrients. Don’t ever add baking soda to blanching or cooking water.
This is a really good base recipe. I like to add lemon juice in place of broth and Mrs. Dash Chipotle plus 1/2 tsp onion powder. There is no “right” way to go … yum to any variation!!
I made this in my Vitamix, tried it first in my food processor, but it wasn’t smooth enough. Came out great in the Vitamix. I added 1 T. tahini, left out the Bragg’s aminos and used salt to taste, plus added about 1 T of green olive juice. We all loved it.
It’s very nice, but dry and to be very honest, I added x2 those of tahini. Think is still a while food fat, so unless you want to lose weight it’s not an iss ue. I’m afraid as nice as it is, I wanted it to taste a bit more authentic.
I’m sorry….what? Your post is a bit confusing
OMG, who would have thought that oil free hummus could be soooooooooo good! As per other comments I used aquafaba in place of water, boiled the chickpeas for 10 minutes and added some baby spinach before blending all together. This recipe is a keeper!!!!