Food News and Trends Product Reviews and Buying Guides We Tried 14 Types of Hummus and This Was Our Favorite Hummus is the ultimate appetizer, but which deserves a spot on your table? By Tadhg Hylier Stevens Tadhg Hylier Stevens Tadhg Stevens is an independent journalist and food writer with more than 15 years of experience. In addition to writing food history and home-cooking guides, Tadhg has conducted dozens of taste tests to help consumers find the best for their pantries. They are a writer for Allrecipes. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on June 1, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Allrecipes Illustration There are plenty of delectable dips out there, but few have the potential to bring together a diverse set of eaters like hummus. In addition to being delicious, it's free of meat and dairy, can be served with gluten-free dipping options such as veggies or rice crackers, contains a bit of plant-based protein, and is generally free of sugars. Plus, it's incredibly easy to make, especially if you used canned chickpeas to speed up the process. But while the recipe is simple, it does still require a processor of some sort (and the will to clean the processor afterward). Luckily, plenty of food companies have stepped up to the dip craze, making it easy to bypass homemade hummus in favor of pre-bought. But which hummus brand most deserves to be your go-to for an effortless, delicious chickpea-filled snack? To find out, we tested 14 traditional varieties of hummus, all of which are available online or in stores. So grab your favorite pita chips and follow along as we go through our rankings from best to worst. Best Hummus at a Glance Best Overall: Ithaca Fresh Lemon Garlic HummusRunner-Up: Sabra Classic Hummus, Cedar's Organic Original HommusBest Topped Hummus: Private Selection Traditional Hummus, Private Selection Mediterranean HummusBest Naked Hummus: Lilly's Classic HummusBest Organic Hummus: Boar's Head Simplicity Organic HummusBest Garlicky Hummus: Hope Foods Original HummusBest Citrusy Hummus: CAVA Traditional HummusBest Spicy Hummus: Fresh Nature Jalapeño HummusBest Low-Sodium Hummus: Boar's Head Traditional HummusBest Budget Hummus: Whole Foods Original Hummus What We Looked For When Ranking Hummus: Taste: As always, taste is our primary consideration in these tests. While sampling hummus, we looked for plain varieties that had a good balance of citrus and garlic. We also took note of any brands that had heavier notes of citrus or spice, for those who might prefer their hummus a bit on the stronger side. Lastly, we kept our eyes out for any unusual (or unusually delicious) flavors included in a brand's base variety. Price: Hummus is just made of chickpeas, ground sesame seeds, olive oil, and a few seasonings; it's not exactly expensive to make. We tried to keep our eyes out for brands that offered reasonably priced pre-made hummus and made note of the few selling their hummus at a markup. Texture: While trying out hummus brands, we also kept in mind which varieties had the smoothest consistency, which included toppings, and which were served plain. We made notes of these textures in hopes of helping consumers find the hummus best suited to their tastes. Additional Features: Lastly, we kept an eye on sodium, sugar, and protein content when considering our hummus contenders. All of the brands we tested had at least two grams of protein and a gram or less of sugar. Most had less than 150 milligrams of sodium per serving; one contained only 100 milligrams per serving. How We Tested Each Hummus As the main hummus lover in my house, I had the incomparable privilege of conducting this test solo. First, I tasted each hummus by itself to get a better idea of its flavor. Since I was also testing pita chip varieties at the same time, I then used at least two different brands of pita chips to get an idea of how it would taste as an appetizer. Each of the hummus varieties was chilled before they were sampled. Best Overall: Ithaca Fresh Lemon Garlic Hummus Target Buy Now Ithaca's hummus is definitely not the cheapest variety on the market. For the price of one container, you could buy two of some of our other picks. It's high price aside, however, it might be the best commercially made hummus I've ever tasted. The citrus notes in Ithaca's blend are more present than in any other brand we tested, and the garlic is pleasant without being overpowering. The texture is also remarkably close to homemade. And while the container might look smaller than some of the others on the shelf, it contains the same 10 ounces as most of its competitors. If you're looking to treat yourself, it may be worth splurging a bit on Ithaca. Buy It: $6.09; Publix Runners-Up: Sabra Classic Hummus and Cedar's Organic Original Hommus Buy Now Sabra and Cedar's hummus varieties definitely lack the powerful punch of flavor that Ithaca packs, but that doesn't make them tasteless. Both brands are well balanced and contain discernable notes of garlic and lemon, just a bit more tamed down than our top contender. That feature might make these brands better contenders in some cases, since they will appeal to a wider number of consumers. Their price points, too, are much more reasonable, making them more budget friendly than Ithaca's offering. Buy It: $3.79, Target; $5.49, Instacart Best Topped Hummus: Private Selection Traditional Hummus and Private Selection Mediterranean Hummus Buy Now Plain hummus is fine; topped hummus is better. If you prefer your hummus with plenty of seasonings and toppings, as well as a good extra drizzle of olive oil, then Private Selection is the best brand for your buck. Both Private Selection's traditional and mediterranean flavors contain a healthy heaping of thyme, oregano and parsley. The traditional flavor adds some cooked chickpeas and minced garlic in their topping as well. These spices make for a bolder hummus, and one that's more fun to eat, provided you like your hummus with a bit more texture. Buy It: $3, Fred Meyer; $3, Kroger Best Naked Hummus: Lilly's Classic Hummus Buy Now On the other hand, if topped hummus is not your favorite, you may instead prefer a silky hummus with a perfectly smooth texture. Besides Ithaca's offering, Lilly's Classic Hummus was the only other brand to achieve a consistency that rivaled finely pureed homemade hummus. It's perfect for hummus fans who prefer the popular chickpea dip in its purest form. Buy It: $5.49, Shelhealth Best Organic Hummus: Boar's Head Simplicity Organic Traditional Hummus Buy Now Looking for a delicious organic hummus? Boar's Head's Simplicity variety includes a variety of organic oils besides extra virgin olive, including avocado, sunflower seed. These oils definitely give the hummus a bit of a stronger aftertaste than some of the other varieties we tried, but as long as you like avocado oil, that taste is not unpleasant. The hummus itself is most comparable to our runner-ups—a balanced hummus that is likely to please any who come to the table. And the price, while more than than some of our other picks, is not the most expensive on the market. If organic is important to you, then Boar's Head's Simplicity is not a bad pick. Buy It: $5.53; Instacart Best Garlicky Hummus: Hope Foods Original Hummus Buy Now If you're hoping for more of a garlicky bite with your dip, Hope Foods' hummus is a good choice. It contains a bit more garlic taste than some of the other options we tested without being overwhelming. It also has a touch of cayenne in it, which helps bring out the garlic even more. Hope Foods' offering is definitely not the cheapest hummus we've tried, however, so if it's out of your price range, it might be a better idea to top one of the cheaper hummus variety's we've sampled with a bit of minced garlic. It will make the texture slightly less smooth, but add more of the flavor you're looking for. Buy It: $4.99, Instacart Best Citrusy Hummus: CAVA Traditional Hummus Amazon Buy Now It doesn't quite top Ithaca's offering, but CAVA's hummus packs a ton of citrusy taste into its chickpea dip. And while the lemon notes are sharp, the flavor profile straying too far from a perfectly balanced mix. For those who favor Ithaca's taste, but not its price, CAVA makes for a great citrus-filled substitute. Buy It: $4.99, Amazon Best Spicy Hummus: Fresh Nature Green Chickpea Jalapeno Hummus Instacart Buy Now In fairness to spice-loving readers, we must caution that this hummus isn't truly spicy. The green chickpeas lend an interesting flavor, and jalapeño does add a tiny bit of heat, but Fresh Nature's mix is more or less traditional hummus with a bite. Still, if you always wished that plain hummus had a bit more heat, then reaching for this variety will probably sate your cravings. Buy It: $3.00, Instacart Best Low-Sodium Hummus: Boar's Head Traditional Hummus Albertsons Buy Now If you're looking for a tad less salt to go with your snacking, then Boar's Head has you covered. Their traditional hummus contains only 100 milligrams of salt per serving — almost half of some of the other brands we've featured. That lower sodium content doesn't seem to affect the flavor, either, since the dip still closely resembled our runners up in texture and taste. True, this brand is somewhat more expensive than others we've featured. The nutritional contents, however, might make it worth a buy. Buy It: $4.99, Albertsons Best Budget Hummus: Whole Foods Original Hummus Whole Foods Buy Now Whole Foods' hummus may not stand out when it comes to taste, but it's a solid original hummus at a budget price. If you're trying to keep dip on the menu without breaking the bank, Whole Foods will certainly keep you in stock. Buy It: $3.69, Whole Foods Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit