This hummus recipe was handed down to me by my Syrian grandmother. I took it and tweaked it just a touch, adding roasted garlic, making it my most-requested recipe. I finally made it for my grandma a few months ago and she said it was incredible. That was my Oscar moment :) Even people who don't like hummus love this recipe. And I'm modest too!

Authentic Kicked-Up Syrian Hummus

garlic cloves

olive oil

(15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

tahini

lemon juice

cumin

salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).


Place unpeeled garlic cloves in the middle of a large square of aluminum foil. Drizzle cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; wrap in foil.  Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, and allow to cool. When slightly cooled, squeeze roasted garlic out of peels.


Combine roasted garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor.  Process until very creamy.


WOW!!! I have had good hummus before but this recipe is without a doubt the best hummus I have ever tasted! Truly heavenly! The cumin and the roasted garlic really make the dish :) 

This was my first real attempt at hummus, using tahini, so I wanted a solid, "authentic" recipe. I saw "Syrian grandmother" and was sold! My garlic weighed 1/4oz (~5 small). I ate the rest of the roasted garlic, now my boyfriend is sitting on the other side of the couch. Oh well. It is quite thick; I used some of the liquid I saved from the garbanzo bean can instead of oil to thin it out. You could probably use a wee bit less than 1/2 cup tahini, but then again it tasted so nice I don't think I would.

Excellent flavor - I love raw garlic in hummus, but the roasted adds a nice, milder garlic flavor.  I used about 5 small cloves.  The hummus is a bit thicker and pastier than I like, so I added a little extra olive oil and lemon juice.  

I make this hummus every week, my family is addicted to it. Once I make it, I remove half of it from the processor and then add some roasted red peppers in the half that still remains in the processor, then mix again. I have plain &amp; roasted red pepper hummus at the same time. It is a bit thick as per the recipe, I add a bit of water instead of more oil, does the trick without the extra calories.

My dad said "it tasted like the real thing", lol. It came out great!!  I followed the recipe exactly as the author wrote it, then slowly added some of the reserved liquid from the can to thin it out some. I also rinsed the beans very well before blending them- something I recently learned from weight watchers, helps you add less salt.   I removed 2/3 of the hummus, and then added some fresh mint per the author's suggestion- and it was really good! Went great with sliced up cucumber.

When I served this recipe earlier in the week, it was declared my best hummus yet!  I agree with other posters that it's a bit thick and added a couple of drizzles of olive oil to the food processor while it puréed.

Like other reviewers, very good, but a bit thick, and tart! Adding more oil and water fixed the thickness. And I don't know what Syrian-style means, but I'd put a bit less lemon juice in next time. Or maybe add a touch of sugar to offset the tartness.  Thanks for sharing!

I made four batches of hummus yesterday, this one, the Easy hummus, and the Authentic Middle Eastern Hummus. 

Of the recipes with Tahini and lemon juice, this was definitely the best. Most of my taste testers liked it way more that the Authentic Middle Eastern Hummus. 

However, I also called my Jordanian/Palestinian friend who said their recipe is just 1 TBSP of Lemon juice and 1 TBSP Tahini per cup of chickpeas, plus salt to taste. I made that and it was less overpowering than this Syrian Hummus but still have the tahini and lemon juice flavor. 

By the way, if tahini and lemon juice hummus hasn't been your favorite the easy one from allrecipes is really good.

this is the first time i've made hummus and it is good! this recipe is so creeeeamy and such a nice texture. it would be 5 stars but it was so thick as written my blender wouldn't blend it (i have a Magic Bullet); my tahini was liquidy and mixed, all as written. i added olive oil and some water to get it to blend. can't wait to have the rest tomorrow after flavors have blended. i'd add more garlic and cumin next time.

This is divine!! I will never buy store hummus again!! Thanks!   P.S. I did end up having to add a bit more olive oil because it was very thick!

This was perfect and exactly what I was hoping for so I could stop buying the $8 tubs at SAMS of it...lol. Only thing I altered was instead of going through the trouble of roasting the garlic, I just used store bought minced roasted garlic and used 3 hepping tablespoons..also I added 1 large red bell pepper that I roasted and peeled to get it like the brand I am use to buying and according to my husband I am spot on better *thumbs up* Thanks for sharing!

I've made a bunch of hummus recipes from this site, but this one is absolutely delish!  It tastes like my hummus has been left to flavour in a smoke house!  I love garlic, but when I make hummus and add extra garlic it always burns (and I smell for days!).  What a great way to make garlicky hummus without all of that raw garlic.  I don't know why this method never crossed my mind.  Anyways as for the lemon and tahini, I never measure it out, I just taste as I go along.  Perfect and I will make again and again!!!

I tried this twice and the second time followed the directions exactly and it still came out far too dry and thick. I added some hot water and extra olive oil, and it didn't help much. Hummus is supposed to be soft and creamy. The taste is ok, not amazing.

Some of how I did this was my fault but with the amounts used in this recipe, it was way way too thick. I mean it would be like a mashed baked potato without any butter or milk. So I added a good half cup of water. I wanted to use raw garlic and did but didn't compensate and I used 5 cloves which was too much. If you want it raw, use like 2 cloves. But you definitely need more liquid. I also added one more TB of Olive oil to the mix. Maybe a little less tahini too like some have said since it's bitter.

This was very, very good! Next time, I'll use a little bit more of the juices from the garbanzo beans. I like my hummus a little thinner, it's easier to spread and to dip!

Really good but too much salt for my taste.  Next time I'll use half the amount.

i've made so many different hummus recipes, and this is definitely one of, if not the, best. it turned out beautifully creamy, not remotely too thick. delicious!

Great recipe for hummus.  I always roast my garlic for hummus since I don't care for raw garlic.  I ended up using the equivalent of two cans of beans and not as much lemon juice since I didn't want it to be too tart.  I added black pepper, extra olive oil and water to puree.  It turned out great.

My husband and I make this all the time. We started making our own tahini from scratch too, as it is super easy, tastes better, and is cheaper than most store-bought tahini. Excellent!

Having a Syrian grandfather I was so excited to find this recipe! I'm allergic to sesame/tehinah so I added a tbs of mayo and extra evoo. Also I think I need to reduce the garlic next time (probably too strong b/c no tahinah)

I am wolfing this right now with carrots as I write.  I LOVE hummus but hate the $$. I made this exactly as wrote and actually doubled the recipe (I heart hummus that much). I made this exactly as wrote and about broke my blender. So instead of adding more oil - I added about 4 splashes of worcestershire sauce and a bit of water to make it creamier.  I LOVE the roasted garlic flavor of this and I truly wish I had some red pepper flakes as that would make is SPICY (which I love). I have a bowl I just killed off with carrots and another for tomorrow on my pita with some tobasco! I will never buy hummus again.

Even though I found this a bit tart, my VERY picky boyfriend loved this hummus so I have to give it 5 stars because that man doesn't like ANYTHING.  I think the tartness is a matter of taste.  It certainly didn't stop me from wolfing it down but I will probably add a tad less lemon juice next time.  Also some found it too thick but I blended mine in a food processor, so the consistency was fluffy and creamy enough in my opinion.

I had to change the recipe a bit to make it work for me.  I ended up using about 1/4 cup of olive oil and a little water to make it the right consistency.  My husband loves garlic so I roasted and added a whole small head of garlic. The roasted garlic gives it a sweet flavor so its not too overpowering.  I did find this tasted better the next day once all of the flavors melded together.  I served it with home made pita chips.  Overall with a few tweeks it's really good and I've made it 2 times so far.

This recipe is great! I didn't have Cumin on hand so I replaced it with Chilli powder... still tasted yummy and it added an extra "kick" to the dip.

Easy and delicious. Added roasted red peppers and the oil from that jar, instead of all the olive oil. Fantastic. Very versatile recipe. I'm about to make it again, this time with sun-dried tomatoes. Mmmm!!! Might not roast all the garlic, since I like a lot of kick in my hummus and roasting really mellows the flavor. 

Good!  I added cumin and cayenne pepper to spice it up.  And a little extra olive oil while it was in the food processor as I noticed it needed a little extra moisture. 

I hate to knock this down a star, but I had issues with the consistency. I added olive oil to get it to an acceptable level, but next time I don't think I'll drain the garbanzo beans and maybe add a little more lemon juice. I'll also double the recipe because I want leftovers!  Flavor is fantastic! An explosion of cumin. Love it with sweet bell peppers--great contrast with the sweet and salty/cumin of the hummus.

After trying many recipes this month..(I'm on a Hummus kick!), this one was the best.  As others have mentioned, it was a bit thicker than I prefer so the addition of some water and olive oil fixed that issue!  I also added a teeny-tiny amount of sugar to finish it off. Next time, I can't wait to add maybe some roasted red peppers or cilantro or whatever..this recipe really inspired me.

Lovely and a cinch to make! This is one of the best hummus recipes I've tried.

This Hummus recipe is the best I've tried..
I don't have time to roast garlic so I just 
shred it into a pan with a little oil and 
brown it on the stove top.. gives the same 
affect.. also we like it with a little
smoked paprika and a little cayenne..

This is THE perfect hummus recipe! It lends itself to tweaking for personal taste, so I suggest starting with a bit less of the tahini and lemon juice than called for, and add from there to your taste preference. Personally, I don't like too much tahini in my hummus, so I cut back by several tablespoons. I peeled about half of the chick peas, but this isn't too important. The cumin makes the flavor, IMO. Don't skip it! CAUTION: There is no need to add extra calories by adding oil to thin out this dip! Just reserve some of the chick pea juice from the can and add it in to thin the dip. or use plain water.

As is this was only okay. WAY too much tahini! I scaled back the tahini to a couple tablespoons, and only used 2-3 roasted garlic cloves.

Best hummus ever.  I added more oil while processing to make extra smooth and creamy.

I make this once a week for my daughter who said this is the best hummus she's ever had.

Outstanding! What a hoot that your grandmother gave it a thumbs up!  Congratulations!  This is going to be a favorite snack recipe.  Thanks so much for sharing it!

Very good! I made my own tahini in the food processor by blending 2 T sesame seeds until smooth, then adding in salt, oil and water (don't remember the exact measurements, sorry!). Turned out great! I served it with pita triangles that were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Greek seasoning and baked at 325F for 3min. I'll definitely be making this again!

Added olive oil per other commentators but otherwise followed it exactly, and got rave reviews!

Thank you, Mary! Hummus was one of my snack "staples" and carry-alongs in the States for the gluten-free, dairy-free, candida-free diet that I have had to follow. Since we moved back to Spain last fall, I haven't been able to find hummus that is gluten and dairy free. Just this week I finally found a gluten free Tahini and was finally able to try your recipe. One of my favorite snacks has been resurrected!

Mine was not too thick. It's a fine recipe as it is. Recipes that call for tahini assume you're using canned tahini, which separates into a thick layer of sesame butter and a layer of oil. Just like natural peanut butter, you have to mix it back together before you add it to recipes. This recipe assumes you did that before measuring out the tahini, so you would then have a very liquidy tahini, providing the correct amount of moisture for texture :) I think this tastes good, but not outstanding. If I get another verdict on it tonight, I'll change my stars. Thanks for the recipe!

Fantastic. Everyone that tried it asked me for the recipe!

Amazing! Made this so many times I have the recipe memorized. Friends love it! thanks so much for posting

Wonderful! So easy and tastes as good as any of the store-bought hummus I've tried!

This was dynamite! I used freshly ground cumin and followed the recipe exactly, except now I see I was supposed to use the food processor. I used my blender, but next time I'm using the food processor because I think another minute in there would have killed my blender.

This was delicious. Will make again. Roasted garlic made it perfect.

I used half a head of roasted garlic since it's milder and we are garlic freaks.  Love the larger amt of tahini.  Used only curry as I was out of cumin.  Have also added chipotle peppers in sauce for some heat.

GREAT recipe... as with others a little on the dry side, I've made it SEVERAL times now, and either add more lemon juice, olive oil, or water as some have suggested.. just to get the right consistency.  SOOOO good!  Also added some roasted red peppers this last time.......... LOVE IT! :-)

I love Hummus, but raw garlic doesn't agree with me.  This recipe is awesome.  I make it exactly as written with the exception of not draining the beans.  Everyone loves it!

I love hummus and this is a great recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe and it tasted lovely.

Perfect hummus recipe! Everyone wanted the recipe after I served it at my New Year's Eve party. The roasted garlic makes this outstanding!

I like the concept of roasting your own garlic, but it didn't change the taste that much.  I also didn't feel that this was kicked-up, so maybe would triple the spices, as I'd already about doubled them.

This recipe is great! I'd never eaten hummus before, but after getting a new food processor, I wanted to try it. This recipe looked promising since it has roasted garlic instead of raw. I followed directions (almost) exactly, but ended up having to drizzle about 1/4 cup additional olive oil in at the end to make a better consistency. I also used a bit less lemon juice. The final product was delicious - even better after chilling for about 6 hours in the fridge. Will be making this again!

This recipe is excellent!  I love that it's easy to double for parties - I just make sure that I make 1 batch at a time - otherwise, my blender doesn't blend too well.  Many people have asked me for this recipe.  Thanks for sharing!

Best hummus I have ever tasted let alone made!  Excellent as is but for a little variation I add chipotle chili peppers and roasted red peppers... really takes this to the next level.  I also increase the amount of garlic as roasting the garlic first really tames the flavour.  This has become a staple food item in my home, easy to make and so delicious! 

My husband and I love hummus. We live in the near east so we are quite familiar with hummus of various kinds. I've had it in several countries, each with subtle differences. However, my husband said this particular hummus is the BEST he's EVER had. I think it was the addition of cumin. I start with dried chick peas since they are hard to find canned in this country. I must say that I also roasted red bell peppers and added some fresh parsley to this recipe. Other than that, kept everything the same. 

Seriously -- the BEST hummus recipe I have ever tried.  Better than any I have tasted at restaurants, too.  I did add extra olive oil.  Can't recommend this highly enough.  My husband and kids agree.

Simple, authentic, and not hidden under any heavy flavor.  Follow this exactly &amp; you will not be dissappointed.  I did not change a thing.  I used dried and cooked beans because I prefer to stay away from cans.

Thanks for this recipe.

My family is Egyptian and I have tried a lot of hummas.  This is one of the best I have ever tried.  So easy and delicious.  Great Recipe.  I left out roasting the garlic, just to save time...

This was awesome! The only thing I did different...I didn't add any salt and it turned out perfect!

Delicious. A personal choice: Reduce salt, especially if serving with salted pita chips or bread. (We have  a salt -sensitive family member.) We also reduced cumin to 1/2 teaspoon. Let it sit and add more seasoning if needed.

Outstanding and incredibly flavorful! We made it using dried chickpeas that we soaked in water overnight and boiled for an hour.  We also added the 3 TBSP of parsley and 1 tsp of paprika. We may have used a tad too many garbanzo beans....so we added extra virgin olive oil over what it called for. This is amazing!

This was a very creamy hummus, which is what I wanted.  Previously I always found that my hummus had a bit of a grainy texture that I found off putting, and tried everything to fix. (Skinning the chickpeas, adding extra oil etc.)  I think it is the extra tahini that makes the difference here.  My only complaint is that while I love roasted garlic, I could not really taste it here.  Next time I make it I am going to roast a whole head and put that in. That will create a perfect hummus!  I drizzled it with toasted pine nuts and olive oil to serve.

This was really good! I followed the original recipe (with the exception of using minced garlic from a jar instead of fresh) and thought it needed a little more flavor. So, I added extra cumin, some curry, another tablespoon of garlic, and 3/4 of a roasted red pepper. I also left most of the juice in the beans to avoid it being too thick. The consistency was perfect and the taste was great. It was very similar to the red pepper hummus at one of my favorite local places. I've tried to replicate it several times with no luck, so I am very pleased with this recipe! My main advice is to not lessen the amount of tahini. It's a strong flavor, but tahini makes hummus! Thanks for sharing. This is a keeper.

Never made humus before, loved this recipe! I doubled the roasted garlic. First time I made it it was good but a little thick, but certainly wonderful to eat. Second time I made it I added an extra tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of water and it made it a little bit creamier. It's enough for me. I will be keeping this recipe!

This hummus has a fantastic taste! I used 7 cloves of garlic instead of 5 and I had to add about 1.5 tbsps more oil than stated. The only reason why I didn't give it a 5/5 was that it was so thick it broke my brand new $100 blender. So, please be careful and add oil if you need to. But again, this is a truly delicious recipe.

Really easy to make and so good. I'll never buy hummus again.

This recipe is on par with the hummus shops in Jerusalem. If the hummus is too thick for your taste, just add a bit more olive oil with the food processor on, until it reaches desired consistency.

Very very good.  I really enjoyed the taste.  I do not think I let my garlic cook long enough because it did not come out as creamy nor sweet as usual.  But even the taste of this one before adding the garlic which I did last was exceptionally good.  

I made this exactly as written and it is phenomenal. I love the creamy texture and delicious flavor. I won't be buying hummus anymore, I'll be making this recipe regularly.

This was absolutely fantastic! I got so excited when I first tasted it, I ran outside and gave my husband a sample. He said, "that's real hummus" (he is Greek, and has eaten a lot of Mediterranean food). I disagree with some of the other reviews in terms of the thick consistency. I thought it was perfect, thick and smooth. It was much like hummus I had at a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant years ago, and haven't had anything nearly as good since. Perfect! Well done, Mary! Your Syrian grandma was right!

The lemon taste was way too stong for my husband and I. I may try this again later and modify the recipe.

This, by far, is the best hummus recipe I have found!  I did follow a review stating to use only 1 TB each of lemon juice and tahini per cup of garbanzo beans, though.  The flavor is wonderful and creamy.  I used some of the liquid from the beans instead of the remaining olive oil and omitted the salt.  Upon tasting the base recipe, which as I stated, is the best I’ve had, I also blended in roasted red pepper and a roasted jalapeño pepper.  Sometimes I can’t believe how easy hummus is to make!

I don't know what I did wrong but it was so awful  I had to throw it away.  I never bought Tahini before and had to look it up.  I thought the recipe called for way too much vs. the amount of beans etc... so I even dropped it to a quarter cup.  I think that is the part that made it taste so bad because that was all I could taste!  When I look at other recipes they only call for maybe a few tablespoons.   Sorry, total fail in my book.

This is delicious!  I will make it over and over again.  It is great as a dip with pita chips, and also spread on a tortilla with green sweet peppers, chopped, shredded cheese, and spinach.  Adds so much flavor! 
I did not use Tahini in this recipe.  I have not used it in any hummus recipe.  It's quite pricey, and I do just fine using a few drops of sesame oil instead.

Fantastic recipe!!! I've made it according to the instructions several times and have also made it with less garlic or tahini because I ran out. It was incredible either way. It's a generous portion, perfect for a mezze dinner for four or to keep in the fridge for a couple days for a quick dinner/lunch supplement!

Very good hummus recipe. The roasted garlic gives a depth of flavor.

This is absolutely phenomenal! I did add a few things to kick it up and make it more to my preference. I like it a little creamier so I added a few extra drizzles of extra virgin olive oil. I also love olive tampenade, so I bought some whole kalamata olives from the Mediterranean olive bar at Wegmans. I put approximately 1/2 cup  in the food processor with the hummus and then coarsely chopped another 1/2 cup for the tampenade. I can't believe how delicious it is. So much better than store bought, and EASY. I'll be making a lot more of this hummus and plan to try other tampenades soon.

If I could give 6 stars I would... yum yum YUM!  I will never buy hummus in the grocery store again -- this is simple, delicious, inexpensive, and quick.  Just a great recipe -- thank you!

Definately worth the 5 stars I just gave it! I got such rave reviews from my family on this recipe when I made it for a family gathering! My test was when I brought some in for the egyptian doctor I work for. He said I did a very good job! Thank you for such a fantastic recipe! I will make this over and over again!

I added ground coriander, smoked paprika and finely grated parisian cheese.  My husband says it was one of the best he's ever tasted (and I turned him on to middle eastern food 25 years ago.  This is a very easy recipe to make, but it was a little thick, so I added back some of the water from my organic chick peas, then adjusted the amount of salt at the end.  I will definitely make this again.

Great recipe - the best home-made hummus that I've ever made!  Thanks so much for sharing!

I love hummus and this recipe turned out very well but, oh man was it garlicky!  The longer it sat the more garlicky it became.  We happily ate it all but the garlic aftertaste, yuk, I don't know if I can do it again!

Delicious and easy to make. I wont be buying hummus from the store ever again!

Thank you Syrian grandmother and granddaughter!  I have spent most of my adult life going from one bad hummus recipe to another; always searching for that holy hummus Grail.  And now my search is (finally) over.  Thank you!  Your hummus is wonderful!

I loved it, but there was too much tahini, I will love it even more the next time when I cut it back. 

This was very good but needs some slight changes. It was slightly salty, so I would use less next time. It also needed a little more liquid. I added a tiny bit of milk to it to thin it out.

The garlic was a little bit too strong for my taste, but it was still very good.  My husband loved it, and it was very easy to make.  

This was awesome.  One of few best hummus I've ever made.

Best hummus recipe yet.  Holding on to this one.

This hummus is perfect!  It is better than anything you get in a restaurant.

This took more time than I thought it would, but it was worth it.  My husband, who does not like hummus, said it was delicious and the beat he had ever tasted.  I agree, it was delicious and tasted great right out of the processor.

authentic kicked-up syrian hummus

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Author : Mary

Ingredients

Instructions

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