Sesame-Free Hummus (No Tahini Recipe)
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This sesame-free hummus is smooth, creamy, and made without tahini. If you need a hummus recipe without sesame—whether for allergies or preference—this version delivers all the flavor of traditional hummus with simple ingredients and no sesame seeds.
Get ready for one of our favorite recipes of all time–homemade sesame-free hummus. This homemade hummus is anything but ordinary. It's savory hummus, perfectly spiced, with a flavor-punch of spices that will make keep you coming back for more. And more.
I am always on the hunt for quick, easy, frugal, healthy (and tasty) meals and snack ideas and this homemade hummus fits the bill.
We've always loved hummus, but the price tag, especially for organic hummus, is something I don't love.
Years ago I saw a recipe in a Cooking Light Magazine that looked interesting to me. I changed it up and now it's a family staple. In fact, it's so good that we make at least 2 batches every time we make it and never lasts long!
Why Sesame-free Hummus?
Sesame is now a more common allergen. Our oldest has multiple life-threatening food allergies, and one of them is sesame.
So you can choose a sesame-free hummus due to having an allergy to sesame, but also hummus is so light when it's sesame-free. I personally prefer hummus without tahini now, but it does need to be made right with extra oil to make up for the loss of fat from the sesame seeds.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This hummus recipe is:
- Easy to make: comes together in just minutes
- Flavorful: the addition of spices is just perfect
- Light: using olive oil instead of tahini makes for a lighter feel and taste
- Frugal: like most homemade hummus recipes, it's so much cheaper than buying store-bought hummus.
Helpful Tips
- Make extra batches! Hummus may be frozen for a future quick and easy meal. The smooth texture can be restored by adding and stirring in some extra olive oil before serving. We always at least double this recipe and eat it over several days, especially when there is a potluck or other gathering where we will be sharing a dish to pass. One cup of dried beans equals approximately 3 cups of cooked, so you can judge how many cups of beans to start with.
- Keep extra soaked and cooked beans stored in your freezer so that you can whip this up at a moment's notice without needing to depend upon canned beans.
How to Serve
This hummus can of course be used in the traditional way as a dip, but you can also use it as:
- a spread on sandwiches, burgers, and wraps.
- as a topping for entrees or sides. Just add more oil and water to make it thinner.
- add to pizza or pasta sauce.
- add to or top soups and stews.
Recipe Notes
- For Easier Digestion: If you’re sensitive to beans, see my tips for how to de-gas beans before cooking.
- Oil Balance: Since this recipe doesn’t use tahini, olive oil helps create a smooth, creamy texture. You can adjust the amount slightly to suit your preference.
- Spice Options: Aleppo pepper is a great alternative to crushed red pepper and adds a slightly milder, more complex flavor.
Other Great Hummus Recipes to Try:
If you enjoy this sesame-free hummus, here are some more fantastic hummus recipes to try:
- Olive Hummus – rich and savory with briny olives
- Pumpkin Hummus – a nourishing and seasonal twist
- Pizza Hummus – a fun, flavorful option that happens to be dairy-free
Savory Sesame-Free Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups garbanzo beans (soaked, cooked, and drained)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed, if possible)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a heavy duty blender (aka Vitamix) and/ or food processor.
- Blend until of desired consistency. A typical food processor will need approximately 4 minutes to get it really smooth.
- Serve with chips, vegetables, Focaccia Flax Bread, or use as a spread.
Notes
- I highly recommend de-gassing the beans for this and all recipes using beans.
- You can use Aleppo peppers instead of the crushed red pepper, or use a combination of both.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Have you ever made your own hummus?
I made it today, and wow! It’s a keeper for sure! This is the first time I’ve made hummus, and it was a perfect compliment to my veggies for lunch.
Thank you so much! I am a newbie at making hummus, so this will be fun. 🙂 I appreciate your help!
What kind of beans do you use? I have never made hummus before. I know! I would like to try it with your recipe.
Living So Abundantly: New meme this coming Thursday, July 7, 2011, Give Back Thursday–join the fun!
Thanks for stopping by! I recently updated the recipe and must have deleted the bean type by accident :-(. You actually could use any kind you like, as I have seen split pea hummus and white bean hummus recipes. However, traditional hummus is made with garbanzos. Try it an let me know what you think! We just love this recipe. It is one of my family’s favorites!
Thanks! I just printed it! Thanks for making it so easy to print as well. 🙂
Oh, thank you, Adrienne! This info is more than I had hoped for. I usually soak my beans, but there are occasions when I want pinto beans for dinner and haven’t soaked any. Maybe this will help.
As for garbanzos, I have been not only soaking them, but then draining and sprouting them until there is just a 1/16″ or so of sprout, then cooking them. I don’t know whether that makes them more nutritious, but they are super delicious! They get huge and soft. I don’t soak them with salt or anything acidic, just filtered water. I love to make hummus, but these beans are so good I couldn’t stop eating them whole!
I’m glad to have this information about digestion of the beans; thanks for replying!
You’re welcome, Naomi!
I will add that from what I understand, sprouting the beans will change and improve their nutrition. That is something that I have just started reading about and hope to learn more. From what I understand, it decreases the amount of carbohydrates – so that is a good thing.
Also, I have trouble remembering to soak beans as well. However, I wouldn’t recommend just using the ajwain and not soaking. One thing that has really helped me is my pressure cooker. I know it’s a lot of money up front, but you can speed soak in them in 2 minutes! It is really amazing. Here is a post that I wrote on pressure cooking. Take care!
Neither have I; I just googled it and found it that way, so was wondering what I should look for. I make hummus often, but am not familiar with ajwain. What does this add to the dish?
It helps with the digestibility of beans. Here is my post on Ajwain. Hope it helps!
Do you cook it with ajwain seed or powder?
I have never seen the powder available already ground. I use the seed.
Thank you for posting to the Frugal Tuesday Tip. Everyone thinks I’m odd because I make my own hummus, so I like seeing hummus-making people like myself.
Well, I think it’s strange to buy hummus when you can make it so easily – and without preservative too (I assume you’ve noticed that a lot of them contain preservatives :-). I hope others can see how easy it is.
You’re absolutely right about most hummus having preservatives. Carrots and hummus have been my daughter’s favorite snack since she was about 15 months old and at some point, we realized that hummus with preservatives causes her to break out in a rash on her face. Just one more reason to avoid preservatives (and make it yourself!).
Wow – thanks for sharing about the preservatives. I never really like the store-bought hummus anyway. In my opinion mine is much better. I hope you think so too.
Thanks for sharing your recipe with
Simply Delish. Hope to see you again this weekend.
Looks delish. We’d love you to share this recipe with us at
Simply Delish.