Oil-Free Hummus Recipes

It’s so easy to make silky smooth and delicious oil-free hummus, you might be wondering why you ever included it at all. Check out our favourites below!

Hummus is a fantastic choice for after-school snacks, potlucks, picnics, cookouts, appetizer trays and gatherings of any kind.

It pairs perfectly with veggies, crackers, and homemade pita or tortilla chips.

Jump to:

• What is hummus?
• What to serve it with
• Why make your own?
• Savoury Oil-Free Hummus Recipes
• Sweet Oil-Free Hummus Recipes
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• More delicious oil-free dips

What is hummus?

Hummus is a gluten-free, fiber-filled, smooth and creamy dip made using cooked or canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame paste), garlic, salt, and lemon juice.

Sometimes other spices are added to amp up the flavour, such as cumin, and/or paprika.

While olive oil is often added, I’m sharing recipes with you that are lower in fat and use no olive oil, or other oils.

What to serve it with

Common ways to use this delicious snack include:

• Dunking raw veggies like celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, snow peas, and more.
• Dipping with pita bread, pita chips, socca, pretzels, crackers, and tortilla chips.
• Use it as a spread in sandwiches like chickpea salad sandwiches, or spread it on bread and layer it with cucumber and tomato slices.
• Thin it out with some vinegar and make it a protein-dense salad dressing.
• Use it as a base for pasta sauce!
• Or, if making a sweet hummus, use strawberries, pineapple, pretzels, marshmallows, apple slices, or other fresh fruit for dipping.

Why make your own?

Homemade is BEST made. That really goes for any meal or snack.

Store-bought hummus often contains a high amount of added fat, unhealthy oils, and oftentimes, artificial preservatives and ingredients.

So making your own homemade hummus is truly the best way to keep it wholesome, and to know exactly what’s in your food.

Want to take it up a notch? Cook your own beans from dried for the ultimate flavour and creaminess.

In a hurry? Just drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, and voila!

Savoury Oil-Free Hummus Recipes

Here you’ll find some of my FAV ways to make savoury hummus. I’m including a classic recipe with a can of chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. But also, some super fun and exciting twists!

Substitutions

Here are some common ingredients used in hummus that you may find yourself needing subs for, whether it’s for allergies, or what you have on hand.

• Tahini which is made from ground sesame seeds is a common allergen but can be replaced with almond butter, cashew butter, or another nut butter. (Only if there are no nut allergies, of course.)
• Soy sauce is often used in hummus recipes to add salty umami flavour. However, it is not gluten-free, so if you require no gluten, you may use Tamari in its place. OR, for soy free, you may also try coconut aminos with similar results.
• Lemon juice: No fresh lemons on hand when your recipe calls for it? Try apple cider vinegar with similar results.

Equipment

You may use a high-speed blender or a food processor to make oil-free hummus.

A blender will yield the smoothest results and will be the quickest to blend, but can be tedious to transfer the hummus to a bowl.

If using a food processor, make sure to stop and scrape down the sides as needed. Run it a little extra to get the hummus silky smooth. You may need a touch more liquid, like aquafaba, lemon juice, or water if you’re not getting the desired results.

Storage

In general, hummus can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator for 3-5 days.

It typically freezes well too. Just use a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving a touch of room at the top for expansion.

More delicious oil-free dips