Please meet hummus’ richer, nuttier, and more intensely flavored cousin, aka black tahini hummus.
Hummus is a spread made from ground chickpeas, ground sesame seeds (tahini), olive oil, lemon, garlic and cumin, originating in the Middle East.
Tahini is a sesame seed paste. It’s generally made from hull-removed white seeds but can also be made from black ones. Black sesame seeds are simply white sesame seeds whose hulls have not yet been removed – that’s what makes them black.
This quick and easy hummus falls in that magic intersection of low maintenance to make and highly impressive to look at and very delicious to eat. The dish is as perfect for an entertaining appetizer as it is for healthy weekday snacking.
Why this Black Hummus Recipe Works?
- Quick & easy. Simply blend all ingredients together in a blender
- Ultra-smooth and creamy hummus. From using almost equal parts tahini to garbanzo beans.
- Fun black twist to the classic hummus! Thanks to using black tahini, made from black sesame seeds.
What is Black Tahini?
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Generally, it’s made from hull-removed white sesame seeds but can be made from black ones too. Black sesame seeds are simply white sesame seeds who hulls have not yet been removed – that’s what makes them black.
Their flavor is darker, nuttier and toastier. They’re white sesame seeds more pungent, slightly bitter, and more intense black cousin.
How to Make Black Hummus
- Place all ingredients, aside from the olive oil, in a blender and puree.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil in.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. That’s it! All done.
Topping Ideas
Topping suggestions include: pomegranate seeds, parsley or other herbs, nuts and seeds, za’atar, sumac, flakey sea salt, other spices, and olive oil.
Notes: Usually I make my hummus in a food processor, but the thickness and stickiness of the black tahini pureed much better in my high-powered blender, a Vitamix. Depending on how strong your machine is, you may need to finish whisking in olive oil and water by hand, 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
I used the same exact ingredients as I do for my hummus, except I added a touch of honey to offset any bitterness from the black tahini.
Black tahini can be homemade or bought at the store/online.
Full disclosure: haven’t yet made my own but surely will someday!
Stoked on hummus?!?! Check out all my hummus-licious varieties: beet hummus, carrot hummus, butternut squash hummus, easy 7 layer hummus dip, hummus with spiced lamb and plain (aka original) hummus.
Cooks Tips
- If you have a blender, now is the time to use it! If you don’t, a food processor or whole lot of elbow grease works too.
- Using dried chickpeas creates a better flavor than canned but takes much more time.
- Hummus will thicken in the fridge. Dilute with 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until you get your perfect consistency again.
- Leftover hummus will keep in the fridge a week.
- Get playful with toppings options.
Have ya tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with @DanielaGerson.You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and awesome adventures!
Let’s make waves in the kitchen!
Black Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 2/3 cups black tahini
- Zest and Juice of 2 Lemons or 3 ~ you want about 1/3 cup of lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon cumin or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 handful of chopped parsley or other herbs za’atar, sumac, pomegranate arils, nuts or seeds as topping + a swirl of EVOO
Instructions
- Combine the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, honey, cumin, and salt in the high-powered blender.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin or salt as needed. I like mine extra garlicky and lemony!
- Serve in a bowl and sprinkle with desired toppings and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil, alongside pita chips or crudites for dipping.
Notes
- If you have a blender, now is the time to use it! If you don’t, a food processor or whole lot of elbow grease works too.
- Using dried chickpeas creates a better flavor than canned but takes much more time.
- Hummus will thicken in the fridge. Dilute with 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until you get your perfect consistency again.
- Leftover hummus will keep in the fridge a week.
- Get playful with toppings options.
This is so elegant looking, easy to make and delicious to taste.
Love it, love it , love it 👍👍👍
Thank you so much Jacqueline!!! I think you've had pretty much every other kind of hummus I make and I'm so excited to make this one for ya soon too!
If you want darker colors use desi chick peas.
Thanks for the feedback Tim! Yes I'm def planning on making this with desi chick peas sometime :).
Honey in hummus?! So excited to try this!
Thank ya so much Carrie! Yes the black tahini can be a touch bitter so the touch of honey is to offset the bitterness :). What did ya think of it? Would love to hear :)!
Was soo intriged when I saw cans of black chickpeas at my local health food store I bought a can. With a search I found a few recipes for black tahini, and was impressed by yours. Ta da! Bosh bong.. delicious. Thank you for this. My niece will love it also.
Awesome so stoked to hear that!!! And I'm a bit envious that ya found black chickpeas! Did you use black tahini too or regular? What brand were the chickpeas? I wanna find them too :). And stoked to hear your niece is a black hummus fan too! I'm all about hummus variations... prob why I have 7 hummus recipes on my blog... ;-).
I wanted to try making hummus and was looking for sesame seeds, couldn't find the white, so bought the black instead. Having made hummus with blackish small dots all over it, I decided to call it Black Hummus! Then having googled Black Hummus afterwards, I ended up on your site to realize it's actually a thing! For a second I even thought Black Hummus was my own invention! 😀
Hehehe love this! Thanks so much for sharing Ruchira! And yes black hummus is a thang :). Did ya grind the black sesame seeds into tahini?
Hahahaha.. this so so lit a happy time!
Hehehe Ron... super stoked to hear that! Am a big time hummus lover and appreciate the feedback :).
Rancho Gordo (out of Cali) sells Black Garbanzos online and black hummus is what I searched first - will try!
I ADORE rancho gordo! Used to live near the SF Ferry building and would check their shop out all the time. Amazing beans! So stoked to hear you're gonna try this Conor + lemme know how it goes :).
Have you ever used black sesame paste in lieu of black tahini? I’m gonna experiment with it tomorrow.
Think black sesame paste is the same as black tahini. Or how are they different? Let me know how it goes :).
Dear Daniela,
I just found out that black tahini exists and bought a jar the other day in an organic shop around the corner. Being a big fan of tahini, hummus and moutabal (and anything middle eastern), I googled for the black hummus recipes and stumbled upon your beautiful web page.
So, if you be so kind to be more precise about the measures, because "a can of chickpeas" usually is a 400g can, but can also be a 800g can. 😀
Yes, I'm from EU, and we are strict on metric system. I'm not very secure about the cup measures, too.
Luckily, hummus can very easily be prepared with no measures at all, depending on experience.
I'm actually making a variation of black hummus with black beans and beluga lentils, so it should turn out even darker.
So stoked to hear you're making this and yes absolutely Tihana! A standard can of chickpeas is 425 grams. Let me know how it goes & enjoy!
Made it with black beans. God, it’s delicious
Thanks so much for the sweet feedback Ana! Love and appreciate it and love it with black beans too :)!!