Instant Pot Hummus

Instant Pot Hummus is not only incredibly easy to make, but it is also so much better tasting than anything you can purchase at the store! Made with or without tahini, this recipe for pressure cooker hummus is creamy, smooth, and full of flavor.

Hummus has always been one of my favorite snacks. Served with veggies or pita chips, or as a spread on a sandwich, I could eat hummus every day.

And this Instant Pot Hummus is the BEST hummus, for 4 reasons.

• Fresh: If you ever wonder why hummus from restaurants tastes so much better than store-bought hummus, it is because it is made fresh--without preservatives and pure ingredients--like fresh lemon juice and quality olive oil. Fresh hummus always trumps the taste of store-bought hummus.
• Versatile: When making hummus at home, you get to control the ingredients. If you like garlic, add extra. Don't like it? Omit it. If you don't have tahini or have an allergy to tahini, you can leave it out of this recipe with delicious results.
• Affordable: Because this recipe starts with dried chickpeas, it is extremely affordable. Much cheaper than purchasing prepared hummus at home.
• Smooth: While you can prepare hummus using canned chickpeas, the magic of this recipe is that it starts with dried chickpeas. The chickpeas are cooked in the Instant Pot until they are super soft and creamy and the outer skins become so soft, there is no need for the tedious task of removing the outer skin--yet you are still left with the smoothest hummus ever.

Key Ingredients

• Chickpeas: Dried chickpeas are the base of this recipe for hummus. They are cooked a bit longer than they typically need so that the skin breaks down and the chickpeas get ultra-soft, which makes for the creamiest hummus.
• Lemons: I can not stress enough the importance of fresh lemon juice in this recipe. If you used jarred or bottled lemon juice your homemade hummus may taste a bit bitter.
• Tahini: Tahini is traditional in recipes for hummus, but many people do not care for it OR have an allergy to it. To make Tahini-Free Hummus, add sunflower seed butter or add an additional 1- 2 tablespoons of olive oil to replace the tahini.
• Spices: Smoked paprika, garlic, and cumin add to the flavors of this simple hummus recipe. Feel free to omit one or all of those additions based on your preferences.
• Olive oil: Olive oil will help to finish off the hummus, making it smooth and rich. Be sure to use extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.

How to Make Instant Pot Hummus

The best hummus recipes are made by soaking chickpeas for at least 12 hours and then boiling them for hours. THEN skim the skins of the chickpeas off before blending up to make hummus.

The Instant Pot makes making homemade hummus an absolute breeze. The instant pot eliminates the hassle of soaking chickpeas and skimming off their skin, as it breaks down perfectly in the pressure cooker. The instant pot cooking process yields chickpeas that are beyond soft and blend up into an unbelievably creamy texture that rivals any Lebanese or Greek restaurant--just without the hard work.

And yes, I know you can just use canned chickpeas, but the taste of freshly cooked chickpeas is SUBLIME.

Step One: Prepare Chickpeas

• Place chickpeas and water in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Cook for 40 minutes on high pressure. This is enough time to really break down the chickpeas, making them super creamy and smooth.

Step Two: Process Hummus

• Drain the chickpeas, over a large bowl to reserve the cooking liquid. You need to reserve that cooking liquid to make the creamiest, most flavorful hummus.
• Place the chickpeas in a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Add in the lemon juice, salt, spices, tahini if using, and ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and blend until smooth, adding in another ¼ cup of cooking liquid if needed to reach the desired consistency.

• While the food processor is running, open the feeder tube on the lid of the food processor, and drizzle in the olive oil.
• Taste and adjust seasonings, processing again to combine.

Serving Suggestions

Hummus is delicious served as a dip for vegetables, pita bread, and pita chips. However, think outside the box when it comes to serving hummus.

• Slather a tortilla or pita bread with hummus and top with Mediterranean Chickpea salad for a tasty lunch.
• Top homemade pizza dough with hummus, olives, spinach, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, etc, and feta for a delicious spin on homemade pizza.
• Use hummus in place of Homemade Tzatziki Sauce for a dairy-free alternative topping on Chicken Gyros.

When you are craving hummus, prepare this Instant Pot Hummus for a delicious, affordable snack that rivals restaurant versions! It is sure to satisfy!

This post was originally published in 2017 but has been updated in 2020 to include new tips and videos.