This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!
We could eat hummus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over here. (So could our children!) But sometimes you need a little variation to keep things interesting. Introducing…spicy hummus! Adding a little hot sauce to hummus makes it truly sparkle.
Use your favorite hot sauce to add the heat here: we like Cholula, but Sriracha or Franks are also nice. If you’d like, top with oil from a jar of Calabrian chilis or even chili crisp: the added pop of heat really takes it over the top! Use it for dipping veggies, pita chips, and more.
Tips for this spicy hummus recipe
If you’ve got 5 minutes and a food processor, you can make spicy hummus! It’s fun to whip up this dip at home, knowing that you made it with your bare hands. The best part about spicy hummus is that you can customize the heat level to taste. Here are a few tricks:
- Use a food processor. This tool makes the best hummus because the mixture is too thick to make in a blender.
- Use aquafaba to make a creamy texture. The liquid from a can of chickpeas is called aquafaba—you can also use it as a vegan replacement for eggs in some recipes. It gives the hummus a creamy, smooth body.
- Blend the garlic with the lemon juice first. This helps to mellow the garlic flavor a bit before blending.
Hot sauce ideas
This recipe is a spin on our classic hummus recipe, made with chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt. All you have to do is add hot sauce to taste! Each hot sauce adds a different flavor and heat level, since not all hot sauces are created equal. We like using Cholula, but here are a few other choices:
- Mexican-style hot sauce: Cholula is our favorite; it has a medium heat and tangy flavor. Or try Valentina, which has smoky notes.
- Tabasco: This popular sauce has a sharp, vinegary flavor.
- Frank’s hot sauce: This American style hot sauce is known for its use in Buffalo wings, so you could call this Buffalo Hummus if you use Frank’s.
- Sriracha: This iconic Thai sauce with a rooster logo has a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor.
- Chili garlic sauce: It’s similar to Sriracha but tastes brighter, with a thicker and chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic.
- Sambal oelek: This Indonesian chili sauce is made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunkier texture than Sriracha and little to no sugar.
- Gochujang: This Korean fermented chili paste makes a nuanced, funky spicy hummus.
More ways to make spicy hummus
There are a few other ways to make a spicy hummus that are more true to its Mediterranean roots. Here are a few ideas:
- Chili peppers: You can add slices of fresh hot pepper to this hummus before blending to make it spicy. Or, you can add jarred Calabrian chilis by the spoonful.
- Hot paprika: Sprinkle in hot paprika to taste.
- Harissa: This spicy North African chili paste can add a bold body to spicy hummus.
Ways to serve it
This spicy hummus is such a fun party food idea and easy appetizer recipe! You can also use it in other ways for meals, like in bowl meals and sandwiches. Here are a few ideas:
- Veggie dip with carrots, celery, cucumber slices, bell pepper, or broccoli, or part of a veggie tray.
- Dip for bread or chips like pita bread, pita chips, flatbread, pretzel chips, bagel chips, crackers, or crostini.
- Layered dip like a loaded hummus dip meets taco dip situation.
- Bowl meals like this quick hummus bowl, served with veggies, olives, and rice, orzo or couscous.
- Sandwiches or wraps like this hummus sandwich, spread on bread and layered with vegetables.
Storing leftovers
This spicy hummus recipe lasts 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze hummus: place it in an freezer-safe container and drizzle a little olive oil on top before sealing. Here’s How to Freeze Hummus.
Dietary notes
This spicy hummus recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Description
This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, plus aquafaba (can liquid)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Cholula or your favorite hot sauce (see Notes), or more to taste
- Optional topping: oil from a jar of Calabrian chilis (see Notes)
- Drain the chickpeas into a liquid measuring cup, saving the aquafaba from the can.
- To the bowl of a large food processor, blend the garlic with the lemon juice until fully chopped. Add the tahini and ¼ cup of the aquafaba and blend again.
- Add the chickpeas, cumin, salt, and hot sauce and blend. Add a few more tablespoons aquafaba if desired to come to a creamy consistency. Serve immediately or store for up to 5 days refrigerated.
Notes
Ways to make hummus spicy:
- Chili peppers: You can add slices of fresh hot pepper to this hummus before blending to make it spicy. Or, you can add jarred Calabrian chilis by the spoonful.
- Hot paprika: Sprinkle in hot paprika to taste.
- Harissa: This spicy North African chili paste can add a bold body to spicy hummus.
- Mexican-style hot sauce: Cholula is our favorite; it has a medium heat and tangy flavor. Or try Valentina, which has smoky notes.
- Tabasco: This popular sauce has a sharp, vinegary flavor.
- Frank’s hot sauce: This American style hot sauce is known for its use in Buffalo wings, so you could call this Buffalo Hummus if you use Frank’s.
- Sriracha: This iconic Thai sauce with a rooster logo has a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor.
- Chili garlic sauce: It’s similar to Sriracha but tastes brighter, with a thicker and chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic.
- Sambal oelek: This Indonesian chili sauce is made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunkier texture than Sriracha and little to no sugar.
- Gochujang: This Korean fermented chili paste makes a nuanced, funky spicy hummus.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
A few more hummus recipes
Try our classic hummus recipe, then branch out to beet hummus, green hummus, pumpkin hummus, and the ever popular chocolate hummus!