Best hummus taste test

How is hummus made?

Hummus is cooked chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and sometimes a little ground cumin.

How we tested

We tasted 11 different brands of plain hummus, first on their own, then with cucumber batons, carrot sticks and toasted pittas. We looked for smooth, well-seasoned hummus with a balanced hit of tahini, lemon juice and garlic.

The results of the best hummus taste test

Winner: Sabra Houmous Classic, £2/250g

Score: 8/10

This is by far the smoothest hummus on test, so it feels luxurious. It has a deep chickpea flavour with a real undercurrent of toasted sesame from the tahini. Made with extra-virgin olive oil, it’s rich, nicely seasoned and has noticeable flavours of lemon and garlic without them being overpowering. This feels decadent but is reasonably priced and widely available.

Ramona’s Heavenly Houmous, £2.69/500g

Score: 7/10

A big, family-sized pot that’s ideal for sharing. The hummus itself has a whipped, mousse-like texture that makes it feel extra-light. Made using good-quality chickpeas, it has an interesting background note of cumin and is nicely balanced.

Natoora Italian Chickpea Houmous, £3.49/200g

Score: 7/10

The deep yellow colour of this hummus is a clue to how much good-quality olive oil it contains (27%). It’s really smooth and slightly thinner than the others on test but still perfectly scoopable. Probably the most ‘homemade’ in feel, it’s silky smooth and nicely seasoned but lacking a bit of garlic and tahini oomph. One for the oil lovers.

Chic P Velvet Hummus, £1.99/170g

Score: 7/10

It’s absolutely packed full of flavour: fully seasoned, with a punchy garlic hum and a real zing of lemon – but this hummus divided our panel somewhat. It’s certainly not bland, and it will definitely stand up to crisps at a party, but it may be too much for your carrot sticks at lunchtime.

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