White Bean Hummus
White bean hummus is a velvety, dip made by blending canned cannellini beans with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin. It comes together in one blender in about ten minutes, and I actually prefer it to classic chickpea hummus because the texture turns out so much smoother. Skip the tedious bean-peeling and you still get that rich, nutty, garlicky flavor you love.
If you’ve never tried using white cannellini beans for hummus, you have no idea what you’re missing. I actually prefer using white beans instead of chickpeas for hummus because the texture is so much better. The taste is pretty much the same, since all the condiments and other ingredients stay unchanged, but the texture comes out velvety smooth without the whole peeling process you need for chickpea hummus. Just look at the photos and notice that extra-smooth texture. It was like eating clouds made of hummus.
Why cannellini beans make a smoother hummus
Cannellini beans have a soft, creamy interior and a thin, tender skin, so they break down into a silky purée far more easily than chickpeas. With chickpeas, those firmer skins are what leave a slightly grainy texture unless you peel each one, which is fussy work. White beans give you that cloud-like smoothness with zero peeling, and because the seasonings do all the flavor work, you barely notice you swapped the legume at all.
Ingredient notes and smart swaps
- White cannellini beans: Two 14oz (400g) cans, drained. Canned beans are already soft, which is what makes this so fast. A quick rinse mellows any tinny canning liquid.
- Tahini: Use a good, runny sesame paste and stir it well before measuring, since it separates in the jar. Add it near the end and blend only briefly, because over-processing tahini turns it bitter.
- Garlic: Three cloves raw give a real kick. Start with less if you prefer a mellower dip, then taste and add more.
- Lemon juice: Fresh juice from half a lemon brightens everything. Bottled works in a pinch but fresh is worth it.
- Olive oil and cumin: The oil adds richness and a glossy finish, and a half teaspoon of ground cumin brings that warm, earthy Middle Eastern note.
- Mixed seeds: Pine nuts, chia, sunflower, pepitas, sesame, and flax, lightly toasted for the topping. Use whatever mix you have on hand.
Tips for the silkiest result
The order matters here. Blend the beans, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cumin first until they are completely smooth, adding one or two tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick to move. Only once the base is extra-smooth do you add the tahini, then process for just a couple of seconds to fold it in. I learned this the hard way and ruined a whole batch of hummus by blending the tahini too long, which made it bitter, so trust me and keep that final step short. Taste as you go and adjust the garlic, lemon, or salt to your liking before you top it.
How to serve it
I didn’t have any pita bread on hand, so I served this white bean hummus on whole-grain bread slices that I baked in the oven for a couple of minutes until crispy, then rubbed with a half-cut garlic clove for extra flavor. It also works as a dip for raw veggies, a spread for wraps, or a creamy base under roasted vegetables. If you love this style of dip, you might enjoy my light and lemony hummus or the herby wild garlic hummus, and it fits right into a spread of Middle Eastern dishes. For another cozy white-bean idea, try the comforting butter beans stew.
Storing and making it ahead
This hummus keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four or five days, and the flavor actually deepens after a day as the garlic mellows. Store it without the toasted seeds and add them fresh right before serving so they stay crunchy. If the surface dries out, a quick stir and a fresh drizzle of olive oil brings it right back. You can also freeze it for up to a month, then thaw in the fridge and give it a good stir before topping.
If you’re looking for more Middle Eastern recipes, check back on the blog this month, as I’m hosting a Middle Eastern cuisine challenge. If you make this white bean hummus, I’d love to know how it turned out for you, so please rate the recipe and drop a comment below with your favorite seed topping or any tweaks you tried.
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White Bean Hummus
Ingredients
- 2 cans white cannellini beans I used 2x 14oz (400g) cans
- ½ lemon juiced
- 4 Tbsps tahini paste
- 3 clove garlic
- 3 Tbsps olive oil
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 Tbsps mixed seeds pine nuts, chia, sunflower, pepitas, sesame, and flax seeds
Instructions
- Drain the beans and add them to the blender or food processor. Add the garlic, lemon juice, a little bit of salt and cumin. Blend until smooth.
- Add some water – 1-2 tablespoons, if needed, to make it smoother. Taste and see if it needs more garlic, lemon juice or salt.
- Only when the beans are extra-smooth, add the tahini paste. You don’t want to blend the tahini paste too much because it will turn bitter.
- Process for a couple more seconds to incorporate the tahini.
- Lightly toast the seeds in a small pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Add seeds on top of the white bean hummus.
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes down to texture. White cannellini beans have a soft interior and thin skins, so they blend into a silkier, smoother purée than chickpeas without any peeling. The flavor is nearly identical because the tahini, garlic, lemon, and cumin do the seasoning work, so if you want a creamier dip with less effort, white bean hummus wins.
Yes. Great Northern beans, navy beans, or butter beans all work well and give a similarly creamy result. Just drain and rinse them the same way. Cannellini are my favorite for their especially smooth, buttery texture.
The most common cause is over-blending the tahini. Sesame paste turns bitter when it is processed too long, so add it only after the beans are already smooth and pulse for just a couple of seconds to incorporate it. Blending the base first and the tahini last keeps the flavor clean.
Blend the beans, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and cumin thoroughly before adding anything else, and add one or two tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick to move in the blender. Canned beans are already soft, so with enough blending time and a splash of water you get that cloud-like, velvety texture.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for about four to five days in the refrigerator, and the flavor deepens after the first day as the garlic mellows. Add the toasted seeds fresh before serving so they stay crunchy, and stir in a drizzle of olive oil if the surface dries out.
It is delicious with warm pita, crispy garlic-rubbed toast, or raw vegetables for dipping. It also makes a great spread for wraps and sandwiches or a creamy base under roasted vegetables. I served mine on toasted whole-grain bread slices rubbed with a cut garlic clove.
I live on my homemade traditional hummus and blend the tahini in from the start and have never found it to be bitter, hmmm?…looking forward to trying it with white beans.
Velvety indeed! Made this today for a house party and all my friends loved it!
So happy to hear this! 😀