5 Ingredients or Fewer

Garlic Butter Hummus

by:
April 26, 2019
4.4
8 Ratings
Garlic Butter Hummus
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 5 minutes
  • Makes 1 1/2 cups
Author Notes

Inspired by Zahav's Turkish hummus, which was inspired by Ana Sortun's warm buttered hummus at Oleana in Cambridge, MA. Instead of tahini, there's butter—and almost a stick of it. First, you melt the butter with a clove of garlic (use a larger one if you really like garlic, a smaller if you don’t), then blend that into chickpeas and lemon juice. Like any hummus, this is wonderful with pita chips and raw vegetables (especially sassy ones, like radicchio and radishes). But it’s also A+ as a creamy base for meatballs, a topping for a grain bowl, or a smear for a sandwich. Heads up: Because butter solidifies as it cools, this hummus changes in consistency more than its tahini counterpart. It’s best right out of the food processor, while still a touch warm and fairly loose. But it keeps well in the fridge, too—just give it some time to temp up on the counter before you dig in. —Emma Laperruque

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
Directions
  1. Add the chickpeas to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the bowl with a bendy spatula as needed. Add the lemon juice, water, and salt. Run the machine until the mixture is as smooth as possible, again scraping down the bowl as needed.
  2. Add the butter and garlic to a very small saucepan or pot. Set on the stove over low heat and cook until the butter is completely melted. Cut the heat. Use a fork to transfer the garlic to the food processor. Run the machine for a few seconds to incorporate. With the machine still running, slowly stream in the warm butter through the top of the machine.
  3. Taste the hummus for seasoning. More lemon juice? More salt? You tell me.
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Emma Laperruque
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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5 Reviews

k
k December 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this. I don't keep tahini on hand so having another option to use butter instead is great. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
 
LadyR
LadyR December 22, 2020
If you can't eat garbanzo beans or others, I grilled marinated thick egg plant slices with skins on, on the bbq. Let cool a bit to room temperature and process as with the chickpeas. I added sweet paprika. The garlic I often use is natural purée from my sterilized glass jar (to prevent toxin spores) of golden oven-roasted garlic cloves. Either combo is great as garlic baguette sliced on the diagonal crostini topping tapas. ENJOY!
 
eluu
eluu April 25, 2020
A stupendously easy hummus recipe, though more of a garlic spread than hummus-y to me. A tasty, buttery spread, nonetheless, but not quite what I imagined. Upon first incorporating it in the machine, the result was quite loose but a little pop into the fridge firmed the spread delicately appropriate. An easy hummus to make when the pantry is bare!
 
judy
judy June 5, 2019
Allergic to chickpeas. Hummus is readily made with any canned beans, I have found. Our local Fred Meyer has an organic store brand that is a combined pinto, pink and black bean that is really good. Another favorite for me is/are Maya Coba beans, whicare are particularly smooth and creamy. I use a hand food processor instead of electric, and mine come out a bit rustic, but that is ok. Still taste great. And so many add in options, depending what is in the fridge. happy Hummus,, my friends.
 
Lynn D.
Lynn D. May 5, 2019
This is intriguing. I know butter and garbanzos go well together because I often make whipped garbanzos with melted butter and other seasonings in place of masked potatoes. Good with lamb chops.