This Chipotle Hummus is the spicy hummus recipe you've been waiting for! Perfect for healthy snacks, dips, veggies, sandwiches, and wraps, this vegan hummus recipe is made with tahini, garlic, and spicy chipotle peppers. A few minutes in your food processor is all it takes to mix this oil free hummus together!
Question: do you buy hummus or make your own hummus at home?
If you're a sucker for the convenience of pre-packaged hummus, I'm hoping to convert you into a hummus maker. Consider this post to be conversion therapy for hummus lovers, but alllll types of hummus are welcome here.
Don't get me wrong, I buy hummus from time to time, but usually when I'm travelling and don't have access to a kitchen and need a picnic snack or something like that. If you prefer to just pick up a tub, then you do you. No judgement here.
Why make your own hummus? First of all, because it's the most simple, stupidly easy thing you can make at home. It's literally a matter of dumping a handful of ingredients into your food processor and spending perhaps three minutes of your life blending them together.
Okay, maaaaaaayybe five minutes.
Secondly, when you make your own hummus, you get to choose what's in it. Take this Chipotle Hummus recipe for example. What we've got here is:
- A healthy hummus recipe
- Vegan hummus
- Oil free hummus
- Spicy hummus
- Damn delicious hummus
How do you know that? Because YOU made it. YOU chose the ingredients and YOU put them into the food processor and YOU blended it up. Not some machine at the Sabra hummus factory that you've never seen the inside of.
So, will you come with me? Will you make some damn delicious Chipotle Hummus with me? Let's do this!
What's in Chipotle Hummus?
Great question! You're going to need to gather up some:
- Chickpeas --> I prefer to cook my own (here's how to cook dried beans) but canned is totes fine as well.
- Tahini --> Go for unsalted, runny tahini if you can find it.
- Chipotle peppers --> Start with one, add another if you want it even hotter.
- Lemon --> We're going with the juice of one nice big lemon.
- Garlic --> Yes please!
- Salt --> Mmmhmm. I like this flaky sea salt.
This is an oil free hummus recipe, because the fat is coming from the tahini paste (and lots of it!) rather than from added oil. We'll also be using some water to thin and smooth the hummus out.
What are chipotle peppers?
Chipotle peppers are one of my favourite ingredients! They're dried and smoked jalapeno peppers packed in adobo sauce. Do NOT be tempted to lick that sauce off of your fingers, it's hot AF. I make that mistake Every. Damn. Time.
If you crack open a jar of chipotles just to make this spicy hummus recipe, not to worry; transfer them into a glass jar with a lid and they'll last forever in your fridge.
You can use 'em up in these Chipotle Black Bean Burgers, or the Chipotle Lime Cashew Creme that goes with these Vegan Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls. I also love throwing a chipotle pepper into this Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili, and I'd never be mad about tossing one into this Vegan Corn Chowder.
How do you make chipotle hummus?
Like I said up top, making your own hummus is stupid easy. It's literally a matter of tossing some ingredients into your food processor (I have this one, and it's a freaking beast) and blending it up.
My friend Sarah makes her Buffalo Hummus in her Vitamix instead of the food processor, and swears that's the trick to silky smooth hummus. I haven't tried this recipe in my Vitamix yet, but when I do I'll be sure to update you with how it turns out.
You *do* need some sort of blending machine to make hummus at home, whether it's a food processor, blender, Ninja, or whatever the kids are blending things with these days.
Ready to make some spicy hummus?!
Step 1: Put your chickpeas, garlic, tahini, chipotle pepper(s), and salt into your food processor.
Step 2: Pulse until the chickpeas are broken up, and then let the food processor run until you've got a thick paste.
Stop and scrape down the sides.
Step 3: With your food processor running, pour a steady stream of water in.
Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom, and then run the food processor again until the hummus is very smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Note! Chipotle peppers are VERY spicy! You can always add more heat if you want it, but you can't take it away. I recommend always starting with just one pepper, and seeing how that goes.
Also note that both the garlic and the spice tend to "bloom" a little bit as the hummus rests. So you may taste it and think it's not all that spicy and then come back 30 minutes later to a burning inferno in a bowl of hummus.
Please proceed with caution.
Can I make this vegan hummus in advance?
You sure can! If you keep it in an airtight container in the fridge it'll keep well for about a week.
Also, did you know that you can freeze hummus? Kare from Kitchen Treaty makes Big Batch Hummus and freezes it in smaller portions. Hallelujah! You could also try this Mung Bean Hummus for a deliciously different take.
Is Hummus Healthy?
You better darn tootin' believe it's healthy!
First of all, hummus is made with an actual butt-load of beans. Chickpeas are a super food, with about 12.5 grams of fiber per cup. That's 50% of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber!
About two-thirds of the fiber in chickpeas is insoluble, which is great for digestive health, particularly in the colon. The remaining third is soluble fiber, which can help lower our LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides; important for cardiovascular health.
The protein-fiber combination in chickpeas is key for stabilizing blood sugar levels, as both protein and fiber move through our digestive systems at a moderate pace. This protein-fiber combination is also beneficial for improving our sense of satiety.
Chickpeas provide antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, but also contain concentrated supplies of antioxidant phytonutrients such as flavonoids and polyphenols. They also contain valuable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
This Chipotle Hummus Recipe also contains a good amount of tahini paste. Tahini, made from sesame seeds, is a good source of cholesterol lowering lignans (they are second to flax in lignan content).
Sesame seeds are also a source of manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Bowls
Open-Faced Hummus Sandwich
Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas
Chickpea Fries
Chipotle Hummus
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or two 14-oz cans
- ½ cup tahini paste
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large lemon, juiced about 4 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold water
Instructions
- Place 3 cups chickpeas, ½ cup tahini, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 4 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 chipotle pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt into the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse a few times to combine, then run the processor while adding ½ cup water, one tablespoon at a time, until the hummus reaches a desired consistency.
- You may need to stop the processor and scrape the sides from time to time.
- Taste the hummus, and add a bit more salt if needed, and an extra chipotle pepper (or just a spoonful of adobo saucif you’d like more heat. Remember that the flavours tend to develop over time, so tread carefully.
- Transfer your hummus to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only and are calculated based on a serving size of ¼ cup.
Nutrition




As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Xavy
I really love this chipotle hummus! Sometimes just have a plate of veggies and this hummus as a meal. However, I find it a challenge to find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that are not loaded with oils or sugars. In fact, the link you have to the chipotles in adobo in the recipe has both sugar and oils and possibly even high fructose corn syrup. Fortunately, where I live, the store brand from Hannaford supermarkets has no oils and just a tiny bit of sugar in the ingredients. Good enough.
Jennifer Hayes
Wow, this is the best hummus I have ever made, and it make a TON! Tastes similar to my favorite store-bought hummus but definitely healthier. I plan to use it with veggies and whole wheat crackers as a snack, but just used it as a spread for my black bean burger. OMG, so good!
PS - after seeing your related post for Roasted cauliflower hummus bowls...I now plan to go buy some cauliflower. You're creating a monster!
Katie Trant
It's my favourite hummus too! And those cauliflower bowls are soooooo good. They'd be great with the chipotle hummus too!
Chelsea
Hi! Sorry if I missed it but do I drain the cans of chickpeas?
Katie Trant
Yes! They should be drained and rinsed.
Claire
This hummus is DA BOMB. Are people still saying da bomb? Or is it just me?
Regardless, this is my new favorite hummus. I don't usually make my own, but I need to bring something to a dip-themed birthday party this weekend and have been running trials of various dips. I think this one is party worthy! I used 2 chipotle peppers after tasting it initially. It's not overly spicy for me, but it does kind of creep up on you in a pleasant warmth kind of way. I also used aquafaba instead of water; I prefer the texture better with the aquafaba and it comes free in the can of chickpeas! I will say I find the flavor to be pretty tahini-forward, but I personally find that delicious.
Katie Trant
There are so many awesome things about this comment! First of all, I AM WITH YOU on da bomb! We're saying it! Secondly, a dip-themed birthday party that was so serious you needed to trial run dips?! Whose birthday party is this and how can I get an invite to dip fest 2019?! I'm so pleased you found this hummus to be party-worthy! It's definitely my favourite, so I'm glad you like it as well!