Healthy Instant Pot Hummus

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With a few simple ingredients, you can easily whip up this delicious Instant Pot Hummus recipe for a gluten-free and vegan appetizer or snack! It is made from scratch using dry chickpeas, but if you are in a rush, canned chickpeas will work, too. It is so much better and healthier than store-bought!

What is hummus?

Hummus is a creamy Middle Eastern dish made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. One of the first reported recipes for hummus comes from 13th-century Cairo, Egypt, where they mashed chickpeas and tahini into a paste.

The word hummus comes from the Arabic word meaning chickpeas, which makes sense as the main ingredient in this dip is chickpeas. This savory dip pairs well with just about everything, from vegetables to meats to pita and more! Serve hummus as an appetizer, main dish, or alongside other dishes.

Why you will love this Instant Pot Hummus

1. This authentic, made-from-scratch recipe yields hummus that is so much better than store-bought (Yes, I know I am biased, but I like this version better than Sabra hummus).
2. A quick and easy recipe makes it perfect for any day of the week.
3. Low-carb and high-protein food!
4. Naturally gluten-free and vegan.

How to Make Instant Pot Hummus

One of my favorite ways to make this creamy, savory dip is with my handy Instant Pot. This multi-cooker allows you to prepare about 2 cups of hummus with canned, soaked, or even dry chickpeas!

Ingredients

• Chickpeas – canned, soaked, or dry chickpeas work well in this recipe. I prefer using dry chickpeas that have been soaked overnight instead of canned ones – it is a personal choice. 1 cup of dry chickpeas yields about 2.5 cups of chickpeas.
• Salt and cumin powder
• Garlic pods – plain or roasted
• Lime juice – you could also use lemon, I used lime because we usually keep that around more than lemon. 
• Extra Virgin olive oil – for flavor and to give this dip a creamy texture
• Tahini gives this dish a nutty flavor. I use store-bought, but you can also make this sauce at home.

Directions

If you use canned chickpeas, skip steps 1 and 2.

1. 1. To begin, rinse the chickpeas. Soak them in 2 cups of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt for at least 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. After soaking, pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups of water on high for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally and cool to room temperature.
3. Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid for blending.
4. Add chickpeas, salt, cumin, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and tahini into a food processor or blender. Use the reserved cooking liquid to blend to a smooth paste. Start with 1 cup reserved liquid and add additional liquid, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s your desired consistency. 
5. Next taste test the hummus and add additional salt or lime juice as needed.
6. Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips, or in a sandwich.
7. Refrigerate homemade hummus for up to 7 days or store in the freezer for up to a month.

Notes:

1. Did you forget to soak the chickpeas? You can pressure cook them for 50 minutes instead of 35 minutes in the Instant Pot. Allow the pressure to release naturally. 
2. You can peel the chickpeas if you want a really smooth paste, but my recommendation is to blend it for a few extra minutes in the food processor. It gives you the same effect without all the effort. 

Variations:

1. Roasted garlic makes the dish even more delicious. To roast the garlic, either air fry it for 5 minutes at 350°F or dry roast it in a pan over medium heat till brown spots appear on the garlic.
2. Peanut butter is a good replacement for tahini – it has the same texture and is pretty close in taste to tahini.
3. You can add roasted red pepper, smoked paprika, or roasted walnuts while blending to switch things up. 

Common questions about Hummus

Can you make hummus without cooking the chickpeas?

Yes, you can make hummus without cooking the chickpeas if you use canned chickpeas. I personally choose to soak and cook my beans with the Instant Pot but you can also skip the cooking and get right to blending with the canned chickpeas.

What is tahini?

Tahini is a spread or dip made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. This toasted spread is used in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.

Can you use sesame oil instead of tahini in hummus?

Some people prefer to skip the tahini in their hummus and instead add sesame oil. Because sesame oil is more concentrated than tahini, start by using a smaller quantity, about half, then add more as needed.

Is homemade hummus healthy?

Homemade hummus tends to be healthier than store-bought hummus. For starters, you control the amount of salt in the hummus, while processed hummus tends to come loaded with salt. Making hummus at home keeps the dip gluten-free as some store-bought varieties add products containing gluten.

What are the health benefits of hummus?

In addition to being vegan and gluten-free, Instant Pot Hummus also contains numerous health benefits thanks to chickpeas! Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, contain high levels of protein, soluble fiber, iron, and phosphorous. 

How do you make hummus from scratch?

Preparing hummus from scratch involves soaking chickpeas overnight and blending them with tahini, salt, lemon or lime juice, and garlic. 

Is making hummus cheaper than buying it?

This depends on how often you plan to make homemade hummus. While dry beans tend to cost less than canned chickpeas buying tahini for the first time might be more expensive than store-bought hummus. That said, you can usually get two or more batches of hummus out of each jar.

While it might cost a little more to make your own hummus, the result greatly outweighs the cost. Homemade hummus has a nuttier and richer flavor than a store-bought option.

What can you put in hummus to make it taste better?

Once you know how to make the base of the hummus adding other flavors is easy. Some additional ingredients you can add to hummus include roasted garlic, sumac, or fresh parsley on top. For less traditional hummus, add pesto or sun-dried tomatoes to your hummus.

Can you freeze hummus?

Hummus tastes great in the refrigerator for about 7 days. If you are making a big batch, it is best to freeze it. Here are a few guidelines to follow – 

1. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container, ideally in a portion size that you would use at a time. 
2. Leave some room in the container for the hummus to expand. 
3. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.

Other easy chickpea recipes

If you enjoyed making this creamy Instant Pot Hummus, try out one of these tasty chickpea recipes next.

1. Instant Pot Chickpeas– Learn how to cook chickpeas using your Instant Pot and never buy canned chickpeas again! It is pretty straightforward to make and soaking is optional. 
2. Kadle Manoli– Kadle Manoli is a vegetarian side dish from Mangalore that combines white or brown chana (chickpeas) and tindora (ivy gourd) and finished with grated coconut mixed with Kundapur masala.
3. Kadle Suran Bhaji– This classic Mangalorean dish combines black chickpeas (kadle) with elephant foot yam to make a mildly spicy side dish with a hint of sweetness.
4. Instant Pot Punjabi Chana Masala—Punjabi Chana Masala (Choley), popularly known as Indian Chickpea Curry, is a crowd-pleaser.