The best homemade oil-free hummus that’s ready in 5 minutes, heavenly creamy and lower in fat! Featuring traditional spices from your pantry, this healthy vegan dip is protein- and fiber-rich and super easy to make.
What goes well with everything from roasted veggie bowls to pasta, sandwich, chips, falafel and even fruit? The answer is: homemade oil-free hummus.
No matter if you want to snack it by the spoonful (no judging, we’ve all been there), are looking for something creamy to go with your main dish or are in need of a quick dressing, homemade oil-free hummus is every health foodie and vegan’s best friend.
We’ve recently shared a green goddess hummus, pink beetroot dip and over 50 ways to eat hummus — but a basic chickpea-based oil-free hummus is always good to have on hand.
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But wait a second, did I say oil-free hummus? Yup, you can just simply omit the heavy olive oil to create a low-fat and lower-calorie version of this traditional dip.
It doesn’t really taste much different if you use a whole bunch of garlic and delicious spices, anyway!
So, let’s go over a few basics first before we head to the super simple recipe, then let the dipping and spreading begin!
Recipe overview
- Affordable & meal prep-friendly
- Creamy, low fat & rich in taste
- Customizable and perfectly dippable
- Great travel food and finger food
- Ready in 5 minutes & made from staple foods
- Finger-licking good
- Completes many plant-based dishes
- Kid-friendly and nutrient-rich
Although we’re not super strict on the “oil-free thing”, there are a couple of reasons why you might want to keep oils low!
And for those who haven’t had a great experience consuming legumes and get bloated once they do, easing your way into eating more fiber by making whole food plant-based hummus without added oil is a great idea! The fiber is broken down which makes it easier for your digestion.
Ingredients needed
- Chickpeas — the protein- and fiber-rich base for our oil-free hummus.
- Chickpea liquid — this is our easy oil replacement that comes with your can of chickpeas!
- Tahini — sesame butter gives any hummus its traditional flavor and adds creaminess sans the oil.
- Garlic — feel free to either use a little or a little more but please don’t skip on that one.
- Lemon juice — zesty, healthy and delicious! Adjust the quantity to your taste preference.
- Spices — for a basic yet traditional hummus flavor, we like to add salt, cumin and chili powder to our oil-free hummus base.
We’ll share more flavor ideas further below in a second, but first let’s see how ridiculously simple it is to make your own batch of oil-free hummus at home.
How to make oil-free hummus
Get your food processor, high-speed blender or a simple immersion blender and whip up your own flavorful and creamy oil-free hummus in a matter of 5 minutes!
Start by creating a smooth base with your chickpeas plus the chickpea liquid, the latter of which is needed to make your oil-free hummus nice and fluffy.
Add all of the other ingredients and process or blend again at a higher speed to incorporate everything. Should it not come together nicely, you can add some water to the chickpea mixture.
Adjust to taste preferences, then start preparing your sandwich or wrap! If you want to arrange your homemade oil-free hummus in a somewhat pretty way, place it in a bowl and add some seeds, fresh herbs or chickpeas on top.
Storage tips
Oil-free hummus is destined to be prepared in batches. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days so you always have a healthy snack or salad dressing base on hand!
Take the “airtight container” part seriously if you don’t want to have your whole fridge smell like garlic!
For longer storage, put your hummus in the freezer for up to 3 months and let it defrost at room temperature.
Serving suggestions
Oh boy, what not to eat with hummus? Our favorite ways to enjoy this tasty dip are on a piece of homemade bread, with raw veggies, salty crackers or baked chips, as hummus pasta, or spread on pizza crust.
From pretzels to bean patties or balls, flatbread, simple Buddha bowls, to vegetable stuffing or simply putting hummus in your burger, the possibilities are endless. This oil-free hummus is also a great appetizer and must-add to any platter!
We published a whole article on vegan recipes for and with hummus, feel free to check it out below.
Tips & FAQs
Flavor ideas
We like to create different flavored oil-free hummus varieties when preparing a batch at home! Some delicious add-ins you can try are:
- Beetroot
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Roasted red peppers
- Balsamic vinegar
- Jalapeno peppers
- Roasted garlic
- Caramelized onion
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
Is hummus vegan?
Traditional hummus is most likely always vegan and we have personally never come across a non-vegan hummus unless it was a really fancy flavor.
Since the main ingredient is garbanzo beans, a delicious member of the legume family that we should all be eating more of, hummus is decently high in plant-based protein, fiber, and important minerals.
More easy vegan condiments
If delicious plant-based recipes are your jam, feel free to browse our blog for more goodness or try the following homemade condiments next!
- Dairy-Free Tofu Ranch
- Sugar-Free Mango Chutney
- High Protein Pesto
- Cashew Sour Cream
- Easy Buffalo Sauce
Did you make our oil-free hummus recipe and like it? Share with us in the comments below and rate our recipe! You can also Pin it here or tag us on Instagram if you’ve made it — we’d love to see your creations.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas cooked (330 g)
- ½ cup chickpea liquid 120 ml
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
Toppings
- Cilantro
- Black sesame or coriander seeds
- Chili powder
- Whole chickpeas
Instructions
- Add the chickpeas with their cooking liquid in a food processor jar and blend to obtain a puree.
- Next, add tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt and chili powder. Process at high speed until the hummus becomes smooth and creamy. If needed, add a spritz of water.
- Get a spoon and taste test your oil-free hummus to see if you want to make any adjustments.
- Once done, put your homemade hummus into a bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and seeds to make it look pretty — or start making a delicious sandwich immediately.
- Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
Notes
- You can also make this oil-free hummus in a high-speed blender or with an immersion blender.
- If you don’t want to miss out on olive oil in your hummus but keep it lower in fat, add about one tablespoon to this recipe.
- Other delicious spices you can try are smoked paprika, coriander, chipotle powder or parsley. Find lots of more suggestions in the article above!
Delicious :) I made it without the tahini as we didn’t have any and I used smoked paprika and Italian seasoning as well, thanks so much for the recipe!
Wow! You hit this one out of the ballpark! I only changed the amount of cumin, because I like it in tiny increments and I am glad I went with my hunch. This is delicious and creamy, just as I had hoped!
I just made the hummus exactly as outlined (no oil) and it came out so great my wife likes it better than the hummus we frequently buy at the store. I’ll make my own from now on, or at least until my jar of tahini is used up.
This hummus is perfection. I’ve tried many recipes and always come back to this one. Thank you!
Whats the point of leaving out good oil?
just to make the hummus lower in calories :) feel free to add olive oil to this recipe!
I am beginning my journey as vegan, and this recipe is very very good! Easy to make, full of variations. Together with Chia pudding, great additions to my table! Thank you for the recipe and comments.
Very good! Second time I’ve made it. This time I used Vindaloo instead of cumim. Thank you for the recipe! ;)
delicious, great flavour and texture, thanks!