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Hummus Spices: Garlic, Cumin, Sumac, Aleppo Pepper and the Tahini Base

By · Reviewed · 7 sources

Hummus spices

Hummus barely needs spices. At heart it’s chickpeas mashed with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt, and plenty of cooks stop right there. When spices do go in, it’s usually ground cumin in the dip and something red or tart on top. Sumac is the clever one: it brings tartness and a deep red color without adding liquid. Two named recipes show how much of each to use.

At a glance

SeasoningWhere it goesJobSource
TahiniIn the dipSesame flavor, bodyBritannica; both recipes123
GarlicIn the dipPungent backboneBritannica; both recipes123
Lemon juiceIn the dipAcidityBritannica; both recipes123
SaltIn the dipSeasoningBritannica; both recipes123
CuminIn the dip, sometimes on topWarm, earthy depthBoth recipes (optional in one)23
SumacOn topTart, fruity finishGrinshpan3
Aleppo pepper or cayenneOn top (cayenne also in the dip)Mild to moderate heat, colorGoldstein2
Black pepper, parsley, olive oilIn the dip or on topFinishingGoldstein2

The base: what hummus is

Hummus is a Middle Eastern paste, traditionally cooked chickpeas, pureed or mashed, mixed with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt.1 It’s a popular mezze in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. So garlic and lemon are part of the standard recipe. They aren’t optional extras.

Tahini

Tahini is sesame seed ground into a paste. It’s the biggest flavoring by volume in both recipes here: 1 cup of tahini to one 15-ounce can of chickpeas in Goldstein’s, and 1 cup to two cans in Grinshpan’s.23 See sesame seeds.

Garlic and lemon

Goldstein uses 2 finely minced garlic cloves and ½ cup of fresh lemon juice for one can of chickpeas. Grinshpan uses 2 cloves and the juice of one large lemon for two cans.23 Raw garlic is the loudest flavor in the bowl and easy to overdo. If that happens, see too much garlic.

Spices in the dip

Cumin

Cumin is the spice that most often goes into the dip itself. Goldstein lists ½ teaspoon ground cumin as optional; Grinshpan uses 1 teaspoon.23 PROSEA describes cumin’s flavor as strong, warm, pungent and persistent.4 In a dip that’s mostly chickpeas and sesame, a little goes a long way. For more, see cumin uses and too much cumin.

Cayenne and black pepper

Goldstein also seasons the dip with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and an optional ¼ teaspoon of cayenne.2

Spices on top

Sumac

Katzer describes sumac as tart and sour with slightly astringent overtones.5 Grinshpan finishes her hummus and salad topping with olive oil and a pinch of sumac.3 It brings tartness and a deep red color without adding liquid, which lemon juice can’t do. See cooking with sumac and sumac uses.

Aleppo pepper and cayenne

Goldstein’s garnish options include ½ teaspoon of cayenne or Aleppo pepper.2 The Spice House, which sells it, says its Aleppo pepper is chiles, vegetable oil and salt, and suggests using it anywhere you’d use crushed red pepper flakes.6 Cayenne brings more heat for the same amount. See red pepper flakes.

Herbs and oil

Goldstein suggests finishing the hummus with olive oil, chopped flat-leaf parsley or other garnishes.2 See parsley.

Two recipes side by side

RecipeChickpeasTahiniGarlicAcidSpices
Joyce Goldstein, via Harvard Nutrition Source21 can (15 oz)1 cup2 cloves½ cup lemon juice½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, optional ¼ tsp cayenne and ½ tsp cumin; garnish of cayenne or Aleppo pepper, parsley, olive oil
Eden Grinshpan, Tahini Baby, via House & Home32 cans (15 oz)1 cup2 clovesJuice of 1 large lemon1½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground cumin; sumac on the topping

These are the named cooks’ recipes, not a house standard.

Footnotes

  1. Hummus, Encyclopaedia Britannica. britannica.com · Reference work ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. Hummus, recipe courtesy of Chef Joyce Goldstein, The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu · Publication ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  3. Hummus with Chopped Salad, Tahini, Lemon and Sumac, Lauren Medeiros (recipe by Eden Grinshpan), House & Home, 2025. houseandhome.com · Publication ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  4. Cuminum cyminum (PROSEA), P.C.M. Jansen, via Pl@ntUse. uses.plantnet-project.org · Reference work ↩

  5. Sumac, Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages. gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com · Reference work ↩

  6. Aleppo Pepper, product page, The Spice House. thespicehouse.com · Merchant ↩

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