Can you freeze hummus? Yes, you can! And this homemade big-batch make-ahead-and-freeze hummus recipe is going to show you how.
Show of hands, please. Who here loves hummus? (Raising my hand). Who here would eat homemade hummus every single day if they could? (Raising my hand again). Who here has seriously toyed with the idea, perhaps even several times, of starting a new food blog called “Hummus is My Buttercream?” (Yeah … raising my hand.)
Here’s the thing though. I am far from a hummus snob. Yes, a sublime whipped hummus is a glorious thing, but no-muss no-fuss hummus? Also absolutely delicious! So I skip peeling the chickpeas (yeah, no) and, for that matter, often skip cooking my own chickpeas. Isn’t it enough that I’m making my own hummus? I really shouldn’t have to spend 6 hours on it, right?!
Speaking of time wasted (and time saved), recently, I started making huge batches of hummus, saving a bit out to use, and freezing the rest.
But wait!
Yes, you can! Hummus freezes gloriously. It’s true! Here’s how I make one batch of hummus in one swoop, freeze it in portions, and enjoy my life that much more. Because now I can have hummus in it all. the. time. And what is life without hummus?
Okay, so here we have my classic hummus recipe, but the batch is tripled. I make it in my 14-cup food processor because my Vitamix? Well, let’s just say it doesn’t like the extra work (I thought I broke it, to be honest, but apparently it just went into thermal override mode – a safety feature that helps prevent the motor from overheating).
Point being: Break out your food processors for this one.
We have all of the usual suspects here: Chickpeas, tahini, fresh garlic, lemon juice, salt, and chickpea brine or water. Super simple.
Blend it all up and divide between freezer-friendly containers.
Label if you’re like me and would otherwise look in the freezer a week later and wonder what that stuff is. Or worse, two years later. Um, not that I’ve ever done that.
When you’re ready for your next batch of hummus, pull it out and put it in the fridge. It’ll thaw after about 24 hours, and you’re in the hummus zone again!
Here’s the downside of freezing your hummus: I do find that once it’s frozen and thawed, it does tend to be a bit grainier. I don’t mind this because it still tastes delicious, but if you want gloriously smooth hummus again, throw it in the food processor or high-speed blender (it doesn’t mind smaller batches) and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Puree for a minute or so and it’ll smooth right out.
Mmmm. Hummus is totally my buttercream.
Especially when I am able to make a month’s worth of the stuff at a time!