Quick Olive Hummus (Plus Easy Super Creamy Hummus Tips)

March 15, 2024

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This Olive Hummus Recipe makes all hummus and olive lovers smile. It’s the perfect blending of the fantastic flavors of olives and creamy hummus, with just the right “kick” of spice.

Believe me, you’re going to want this creamy deliciousness at all your gatherings, plus you’ll want it on hand for easy healthy snacks and sides anytime.

olive hummus in white bowl with baked pita bread wedges

Homemade dips of all kinds are fun to eat and super healthy because they’re a great way to get extra fruits and veggies into your family’s diet.

You can dip fruit into fruit dips (like this Healthy Chocolate Dip and Almond Butter Dip) and veggies into things like this Vegan Ranch Dressing or Vegan Avocado Dressing

—and of course into hummus.

ingredients for olive hummus in food processor

Hummus is well, amazing.

And if you eat a lot of it like we do, then making it homemade is the ONLY way to go.

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What You’ll LOVE About This Recipe

Super Frugal

There are so many reasons to make your own hummus–not the least of which is to SAVE money. Store bought hummus costs a small fortune–and hummus is a breeze to make.

Why not save money where you can on easy recipes like this one! It’s a total no brainer.

You Can Avoid Toxic Glyphosate

Did you know that garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) are often sprayed with glyphosate? And just because that store-bought hummus label says “non-GMO” – that does NOT mean that they haven’t been sprayed.

Glyphosate’s been tied many terrible health conditions. But organic hummus is hard to come by and when you can find it–it’s PRICEY! And it’s REALLY pricey if you eat as much hummus as we do.

Where to Buy Organic Chickpeas

This way you can buy organic chickpeas and make your own inexpensive and deliciously simple olive hummus–glyphosate-free!

Here’s one option for buying organic chickpeas at a reasonable cost, and here’s another less costly bulk option.

I also love Country Life Natural Foods and Azure Standard for great prices and great service on healthy foods.

Adaptable

You can easily make this a sesame-free hummus, PLUS you can make this as mild or as spicy as you like–omit the cayenne for a totally mild version, use the amount noted for “in between” and increase for a version with more of a kick.

You can also use any olive type you like–just get your favorite olives alone or mix a few, and go for it.

How to Make the CREAMIEST Hummus Ever

There are all kinds of posts out there about peeling chickpeas to get the smoothest hummus out there, but WHO has time for that? Even the easiest methods are a bit of a pain in the you know.

Instead, here’s what to do. For years, we just used a super duper heavy duty food processor and added some extra water or olive oil (or both) and our hummus was really creamy, but if you don’t have a monster food processor, then here’s the best option.

Cook your garbanzos with BAKING SODA. Easy peasy.

If you’re soaking and pressure cooking your beans (like we do), just add some baking soda to the pot. Even a small amount like 1 teaspoon per large pot (we cook 10 cups at a time in our 12 quart pressure cooker) will do the trick.

If using canned beans (I’m not a fan of canned food since some are saying that the BPA-free lining is worse than the BPA lining. Ugh.), then cook your canned beans for about 20 minutes with some baking soda added to the water. About 1 1/2 teaspoons per can of chickpeas should do it.

Serving Ideas

Serve your new favorite hummus recipe with….

veggie strips – bell peppers, cucumbers, carrot sticks, etc.
fresh vegetables – cauliflower and broccoli florets, cucumber slices, celery sticks, radish slices, cherry tomatoes
tortilla chips
potato chips (choose kettle or ripple chips so they’ll hold up to the weight of the hummus
pita chips
pita bread
these crispy green bean chips make great dippers!
flatbread like this focaccia bread,
or eat it by the spoon. So yummy–ask me how I know!

It also makes a great spread for sandwiches, burgers, wraps–you get the picture.

Recipe Notes

Olive Varieties: Use whatever kind of olives you like, or even a mix! 6 oz canned black olives or salty green olives can be substituted for the kalamata olives. Whether you use kalamata olives or regular olives, you can use a few more and chop them to use for topping if desired.
Sesame-free Option: You can leave the tahini out but you will probably want to add a bit more liquid (olive oil, lemon juice, or even a bit of water).
De-gassing Beans: The beans should be preferably home cooked and de gassed.
Oil Options: While olive oil works great for that traditional hummus flavor, avocado oil is another good option.
Soak / De-Toot Those Beans: To improve digestion and boost nutrition, you definitely want to de-gas your beans,

How to Store

I really don’t think you’ll have any left unless you make a HUGE batch, BUT– if you do, you can store any leftover hummus in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Putting a layer of olive oil on top might help to extend the life a bit.

You can freeze hummus too, but the texture might turn out to be a bit dry. Blend in a little olive oil after thawing and before serving to help with that.

Recipe Notes

Olive Varieties: Use whatever kind of olives you like, or even a mix! 6 oz canned black olives or salty green olives can be substituted for the kalamata olives. Whether you use kalamata olives or regular olives, you can use a few more and chop them to use for topping if desired.
Sesame-free Option: You can leave the tahini out but you’ll want to add a bit more liquid (olive oil and water are the best things to add in the tahini’s place).
Oil Options: While olive oil works great for that traditional hummus flavor, avocado oil is another good option.
Soak and De-Toot Those Beans: To improve digestion and boost nutrition, you definitely want to de-gas your beans.
Salt Tips: Be careful to not over blend the salt in so as to keep the olive oil sweet. Salt levels will depend on taste, olives, if you are using tahini (more bulk) and if you use canned chickpeas (that already have salt).

2 cups chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
20 kalamata olives (or other olive variety)
1/4 cup tahini (optional. See notes for alternatives.)
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 good size lemons)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (omit for mild, increase for spicier)
1 teaspoon salt (plus more if needed, omit if using canned or salted chickpeas)
1/2 cup olive oil (extra-virgin recommended. More for topping as desired.)
chopped cilantro or parsley (optional for garnish)
baking soda (optional for super creamy hummus)

If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain.
Peel chickpeas if desired.
Blend all ingredients except olive oil and salt.
Blend in the olive oil, being careful not to over blend. Olive oil will go from fruity to bitter if over blended.
Taste and add salt as needed. If using the kalamata olives and canned chickpeas you might not need to add any. If not using canned olives, start with about 1 teaspoon and increase from there.
Put the hummus in a bowl and if desired top with chopped cilantro or parsley, chopped olives, and a drizzle of additional olive oil if desired.

- Olive Varieties: Use whateverkind of olives you like, or even a mix! 6 oz canned black olives or salty green olives can be substituted for the kalamata olives. Whatever type you use, you can chop a few extra as a topping if desired.

- Sesame-free Option: If omitting the tahini, you’ll want to add a liquid (olive oil or water are the best alternatives.) We do this all the time and it works very well.

- Oil Options: While olive oil works great for traditional hummus flavor, avocado oil is another good option.
- Salt Tips: Be careful to not over blend the salt in so as to keep the olive oil sweet. Salt levels will depend on taste, olives, if you are using tahini (more bulk) and if you use canned chickpeas (that will likely contain some salt already).
- Soak and De-Toot Those Beans: To improve digestion and boost nutrition, you definitely want to de-gas your beans.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.