Buckle up kids, we’ve got a recipe from 2012 making its comeback. Besides the original date on this post, you can believe it’s from 2012 because here’s an excerpt from the original:
“I got an iPhone. My life has officially changed… I don’t know if it’s for the better since I’m pretty obsessed…Oh and obviously I now have Instagram. I basically just take photos of food, brown butter, and things that don’t matter. SO COOL, right? Wrong.”
Oh, how times have changed since 10 years ago. I originally made this simple, absolutely delicious garlic basil white bean hummus when I had a basil plant growing tons of huge, beautiful leaves. What better way to use it up than with the perfect appetizer, snack, spread, you name it?
Hummus on sandwiches. Hummus for breakfast. Hummus snacking is totally good. I would know, according to my previous post, I dipped carrots, snowpeas, and every veggie imaginable in it. At one point I contemplated putting it on a granola bar but decided that was taking it too far. I don’t know. It might still happen.
This HUMMUS needs to be made by you. Bonus points if you make homemade pita chips (instructions included below!) and eat them for breakfast because you know that’s what I did. I have to thank the fabulous Giada for the inspiration. I have to thank myself for slathering it over everything in sight.
We’re swapping chickpeas for white beans
That’s right, unlike traditional hummus recipes, there are no chickpeas involved in this recipe! I love the extra creamy texture that white beans (AKA cannellini beans) give this hummus, plus all of the regular benefits of protein and fiber. You’re going to LOVE this version.
You can also use:
- Great Northern beans: a little smaller than cannellini beans, slightly nutty in flavor.
- Navy beans: small white beans that are mild in flavor and easy to puree.
- Butter beans: also smaller than cannellini beans and slightly softer and starchier.
Everything you’ll need to make this easy white bean hummus
You’ll just need 5 simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper, to make this incredible garlic basil white bean hummus. Here they are:
- Cannellini beans: these are the white beans I’m talking about that make up the base of the hummus. They pack fiber, iron, protein, and magnesium and give the hummus the perfect smooth texture. As I mentioned above, there are a few other types of white beans you can use as well, which will give the hummus a slightly different texture and flavor (but still be delicious).
- Garlic: gotta have fresh garlic for that savory flavor. See below for a delicious way to use roasted garlic.
- Lemon juice: for beautiful brightness and a little acidity.
- Basil: we’re blending in plenty of fresh basil for and delicious, herby flavor.
- Olive oil: you’ll also need a little olive oil to get a creamy consistency because we’re not adding tahini.
- Salt & pepper: remember to adequately season your hummus to bring out all of the flavors.
Roasted garlic: the best flavor booster
If you’re in a time crunch, this white bean hummus recipe is perfect because it takes just about 15 minutes to make. However, if you have a bit more time and are looking to add some extra “oomph” to the flavor, I highly recommend adding roasted garlic! You’ll actually roast up a whole head of garlic and use it all in the recipe. Here’s how:
- Preheat the oven to 400º degrees F. Cut off ¼-½” from the top of a garlic bulb (i.e. the stem, not the root) and place it on a piece of tin foil.
- Drizzle the garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil, then close the tin foil around it.
-
Place the foil wrapped garlic bulb on a small sheet tray and roast for 60 minutes or until the garlic cloves are soft and lightly golden in color.
- Squeeze the cooled, roasted garlic cloves out of the skin and into your food processor with the rest of the hummus ingredients & enjoy!
Make homemade pita chips
Making homemade pita chips to serve with this white bean hummus is easier than you think and truly the perfect snack! Here’s how you do it:
- Cut your pita into 8 wedges (or triangles), place them in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, and toss to LIGHTLY coat the pita chips. Alternatively, you can use olive oil cooking spray.
- Toss your pita chips in whatever seasonings you like. I often use garlic salt and cumin, or for a bit of kick, I like chili powder and a drizzle of fresh lime juice. It really just depends on what you’ll be serving them with!
- Add them to a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for about 8-10 minutes or until they are crisp and golden, turning once halfway through baking time.
They turn out a golden brown, crunchy, and unlike any store-bought pita chip! Trust me, you’ll be addicted!
How to make perfect white bean hummus
- Choose your garlic option. You’ll first want to decide if you’re using raw, minced garlic, or a head of roasted garlic. If using roasted garlic, start by roasting it up before proceeding with the recipe.
- Chop up the ingredients. Add the beans, garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the ingredients are somewhat chopped up.
- Blend until smooth. Slowly pour in the olive oil while your food processor is running until the mixture is creamy. If the mixture is still too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it thins out to your liking.
- Season & serve. Add more salt and pepper to taste, then serve the hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil on top if you’d like!
Our fav ways to eat this hummus
- Obviously, as a dip for fresh vegetables, crackers (like these paleo ones), sliced pita bread or pita chips as I mentioned above, naan, pretzels and more.
- Use it as a spread for your favorite sandwiches and wraps! Spread a little on these Grilled Tahini Chicken Caesar Sandwiches, at it to these chickpea salad collard wraps or use it in these greek salad pinwheels.
- Mix it with a little bit of warm water and toss it with warm pasta for an easy, garlicky pasta sauce! Use this method for an easy salad dressing, too.
- Add some to a veggie-packed grain bowl or thin it out a bit and drizzle roasted veggies.
How to store homemade hummus
Store this garlic white bean hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More easy dips you’ll love
- Cilantro Pistachio Pesto Hummus
- Whipped Feta Yogurt Dip with Hot Honey, Basil & Toasted Almonds
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Garlic Olive Oil Dip
- Hot Honey & Basil Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Get all of my dip recipes here, and my hummus recipes here!
I hope you love this garlic white bean basil hummus recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Garlic White Bean Basil Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cloves garlic*, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 large basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on top
- Water to thin, if necessary
Instructions
- Make your hummus: add beans, garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture looks somewhat chopped. Add in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil while the machine is still running. Let process until the mixture is creamy.
- If the mixture appears to be too thick, add in a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out. Add more salt and pepper to taste, as necessary. Drizzle the top with a tiny bit of olive oil. Serve with extra basil on top and pita chips.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 12th, 2012, republished with new photos on April 9th, 2023, and republished on March 18th, 2024.
I am looking forward to trying but have to ask- why no Tahiti? Thanks
This is more of a white bean dip than actual hummus (no chickpeas, no tahini needed) 🙂
Fun fact: The word “hummus,” pronounced HOOM-oos, is actually Hebrew for chickpeas/garbanzos. Spreads with any other type of beans or actually dips, not hummus, but I think English has adopted the term more generically.
Made this today and it was absolutely delicious! Brightened up this horrible, wet winter day! But one clove of garlic was plenty.
So glad this brightened up your day! It’s a fun dip for any time of year especially the gloomy winter.
Love this hummus. I have made it 3 times already. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear that!
Hello,
Is this supposed to be 2 cans of beans? It did not seem like enough for 8 people and the nutrition information doesn’t correlate to 8 servings with one can of beans.
Thank you
Hi! It’s just one can of beans. A “traditional” serving of hummus is only about 2 tablespoons, which is why this serves 8.
Fabulous!
Fast, easy, and super delicious!!!
So glad you enjoyed!
This is really delicious! I think I prefer this over regular hummus! Mine was not as green as yours!
So glad you enjoyed!!
I’ve made traditional chickpea/tahini hummus for years so I was interested but slightly skeptical about whether I’d enjoy this recipe. So glad I tried it because it is delicious, light and just as good as my old faithful recipes. I found the two large garlic cloves just right and wasn’t shy about adding lemon juice or water to encourage the blending. Recommend.
This has become my go-to hummus. I love that it doesn’t need tahini,and I love that beans can work as well as chickpeas. I didn’t have any fresh basil, so I used the frozen pesto that I keep on hand, and it was delicious—thank you!
So easy and delicious! Great idea to add pesto 🙂
So simple, SO good!! I added a little extra basil–2 more leaves. Great midday snack.
Love that!
Hi, I love your recipes so delicious & healthy! I am saving up to purchase your cookbook. Thank you.
Hi! So happy to hear that – thank you for your support!
I made this in like 5 minutes—it was so easy and delicious—and the seed crackers I had were perfect with it. Thank you!
The best!!
What an absolutely easy and delicious hummus. All I did was add some fresh parsley with the basil. This will definitely be my go to hummus to make.
Love it! Perfect snack 🙂
I made this tonight as written, used garden basil and lemon tree lemon. It was absolutely delicious. After it was made, I was tempted to add a little more salt, but no. Instead I pulsed in a small amount of Maldon finishing salt. WOW! That sent it to another dimension! I will be making this again and again.
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed!
I made this today and it turned out pretty well, although I was hoping it would look a little greener. It’s still quite beige. I even added 2 extra basil leaves! The consistency is also not as smooth as I’d like, but that may be because of my food processor. Overall, a nice alternative to hummus!
This will be a pretty subtle green but might depend on how fresh the basil is (you can see the color I always get from watching the video). Glad you enjoyed regardless!
This hummus is absolutely delicious!! 10/10 recommend! Made it to take to Thanksgiving for an appetizer and already made it again today. I’m not a big tahini fan and I love it when I find a recipe without it!
Ahh this is so great, Kristin. Glad you’re loving this recipe and its a hit for you!
This was delicious! I bet parsley would be great in it. Added some lemon zest for a little more freshness!
Love it! Great idea to add some extra fresh herbs 🙂
Can I make this with chickpeas or will it taste too different from the white bean?
I would recommend my hummus recipe if you want to use chickpeas.
Can’t wait to make this!!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
This is so incredibly tasty! Just whipped it up along with homemade pita chips. Tasted it while room temp and so good. Now getting chilled and cannot wait or have more!
You made white beans dip! You should not be calling it hummus bc there is no hummus (chickpeas) in it!!!
You are misleading the people with your recipe
Hi Joan – The name of the recipe clearly states the type of bean that is used in this hummus recipe. There are lots of different varieties of beans that can be used to make hummus! Hope you give this recipe a try!
Delicious & so easy! Whipped this up and served with Simple Mills gluten free pita crackers, mini bell peppers & carrots cut into ruffle chip shapes. My friends that came for a visit loved this 💕
YUM! Sounds absolutely delicious, glad this recipe turned out great and is a hit ❤️
The list of ingredients lists 3 TBS (plus more to drizzle) of olive oil and the instructions refer to 2 (plus more to drizzle). Is it 3 or 2? 😊
Hi Sue! We’ve updated the recipe — thank you for the catch!
Got this tasty recipe from a friend after she brought this dip to a get together and it was instantly gone. Delicious, simple, and a nice change from hummus – a new staple for a healthy snack in our fridge that’s great with veggies or in wraps. Love it!
I accidentally opened a can of white navy beans instead of corn! Now, what to do with the beans? I searched and came upon your recipe; and I must say, this is the best hummus! I like it even more than the chickpea and tahini versions sold. The garlic is very potent, but that said, it’s still delicious!
Perfect! So glad you and enjoying this recipe.
i made the hummus and will say how easy and delicious it was! I freeze leftover basil in Olive oil in ice cube trays and used two ice cube tray servings for this recipe. Everything turned out perfect ! This is now my go to hummus recipe!
I am not sure if I used the right beans (could only get butter beans) but it was delicious! Even better, it was super easy to whip up and is a great snack. Looking forward to bringing it in my lunch tomorrow as my afternoon snack!
Glad this was just as delicious! Such a great snack 🙂
crazy good!!
Can I use dry basil instead of fresh? If so,how much would I use? This sounds amazing. I’ve been wanting to make a hummus without chickpeas. I ate so many chickpeas that I can no longer tolerate them. They give me a bad stomachache.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the flavor would quite be the same. I’d recommend fresh!
2293 365328great post, very informative. 828583
How long does this last in the fridge?
i just made this. Although it was delicious and I will make it again, four cloves of garlic is way too much. You’re only using one can of beans. Two cloves of garlic would be plenty. Otherwise, it was smooth and creamy.
Yes, that’s a great idea. I think it also depends on how big your cloves are. Glad it was smooth and creamy!
Maybe a matter of how much you LOVE garlic, haha. I used 4 tsp garlic powder cause didn’t have fresh.
Thought it might be too much garlic too UNTIL I tried it! I’ve been searching for years to match how much I love Sabra’s roasted garlic hummus and this is finally It! Thanks Monique! No more Sabra recall scares for me. Homemade from now on, thanks to you!
I do love garlic! Glad you found this one Mary 🙂 So easy!
Do You not use tahini?
Nope!
I am so glad you don’t use tahini. I am so allergic to it!!!!!! Just newly figured this out. So glad to have this recipe to try!!!!!
Hi, new to your site. GOing to be on a strict diet regimen, any way you can post the Calories, Fat, Protein, Sugar grams with your recipes? I see you have them on some, but not all. That would be amazing!
yum
making some today. Mmmm
Oh my! This is so delicious that I licked the spoon! This is one recipe that will be made over and over in our home! Thanks so much for posting it!
This looks divine – love it!
love the sound of this!
I love garlic bread and hummus. The basil version looks mouth watering,so well made and perfect.Wish I was living somewhere near you so that I could invite myself over to your place and have this yummies.
Awesome snack! Such a good recipe to share…
I love that you used basil. I bet it adds so much! And I agree that homemade pita chips are the best.
That looks delicious!