Store-Bought Hummus, Ranked Worst To Best

Hummus is a dish that's found in Middle Eastern cuisine and is made up of a base of blended chickpeas and tahini with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. You can make hummus at home or find it in the refrigerated section of most grocery store delis. Though most brands offer a wide variety of flavors, the focus of this piece is on classic hummus, and which brand does it best.

In order to decide which hummus tastes the best, several factors need to be taken into consideration. Overall taste and texture are hugely important. The hummus should be creamy, easy to scoop with pita bread or crackers, have a good blend of chickpeas and sesame flavors, and leave you wanting more. You can always upgrade your store-bought hummus or find new uses for leftovers, but you want the base product to shine first. Though many brands like to put their own spin on classic recipes, it's important that you know what you're getting when you purchase something for the first time. After trying all the hummus brands found in various grocers in the DC metro area, I can confidently conclude which hummus tastes the best.

One of the unique features of Ithaca's hummus is its focus on being "cold crafted." Because the process of heating and then re-cooling food can have an impact on flavor, Ithaca ensures that its hummus ingredients are kept cold throughout the entire production process. Though Ithaca started as a farmer's market staple, its ten unique flavors can be found in most of the grocery stores near you.

Ithaca's classic hummus recipe caught me by surprise and made me think I had purchased the wrong product. The first bite, and every bite after, tasted overwhelmingly of lemon and vinegar. Ithaca sells a lemon garlic hummus, and after trying the product, I thought that's what I had mistakenly picked up. But as it turns out, Ithaca's classic hummus has a strong lemon and vinegar flavor. Although I wouldn't say the hummus tasted bad (as I love the lemon and vinegar combination), it didn't taste anything like the classic hummus I was looking for. 

Lemon juice is standard in a traditional hummus recipe, but you really can't taste much besides that and vinegar in this product. The texture was smooth, neither too thick nor runny, but the flavor takes it out of the ballgame entirely. It's good if you like vinegar, but by no means close to what hummus should taste like, which is why I've ranked it last.

Sabra is probably one of the more recognizable names in the world of hummus brands, and its red label can be found in grocery stores all across the United States and Canada. Sabra sells different flavors of hummus, like Supremely Spicy, falafel-style, and spinach artichoke. You can also find snack-size servings of Sabra hummus that come with pretzel chips, perfect to take to work as a mid-afternoon snack. Since Sabra is so well-known for its hummus, it's useful to see where this brand ranks among its competitors.

Despite being a household name, Sabra left me quite disappointed. The first thing I noticed was the texture. Of all the brands tried for this review, Sabra was, by far, the thickest, which also made it slightly dry. As far as taste, I wouldn't necessarily say Sabra is bad if it's the only hummus you've ever tried. But when comparing it to others, it's not particularly good either. There's a distinct taste all Sabra hummus flavors have that lets you know right away what brand it is without even looking at the label. The lemon juice is replaced with citric acid, but it's barely noticeable, leaving the hummus overall bland, thick, and dry. Although the brand is popular and a staple in the world of hummus, it's not something I would purchase again.

The Perfect Pita is actually a chain of eight restaurants that's local to the Washington, D.C. metro area, with roots planted in Springfield, Virginia. The brand is a relatively small, family-owned and operated business that has tubs of hummus in grocery stores in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland. The Kan family, the owners of The Perfect Pita, began selling their hummus wholesale back in the '90s prior to opening their first brick-and-mortar location. 

Right off the bat, The Perfect Pita had an incredibly strong sesame flavor. So much so that I barely even notice the chickpeas. I recognize that some people may prefer a stronger sesame flavor, but I personally was not a fan. That being said, the hummus had a good texture. It was smooth, creamy, and held up well when scooped with pita chips. The reason it ranks above Sabra is purely textural, but I couldn't get past the flavor. As a result, it was not a hummus I would return to again.

You may have seen a Cava restaurant pop up in your town in the last few years, serving bowls, salads, and pita wraps inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. One of Cava's in-store sides is hummus, which can be paired with plain or spicy pita chips or a standard piece of pita bread. If you've been hoping to enjoy this hummus at home without ordering it from the store, thankfully, now you can. Cava's dressings and dips can now be found in stores nationwide, like Whole Foods, Giant, Wegman's, and more. Though Cava's website claims the hummus is a fan favorite, does it really live up to the hype?

Although Cava seems to be a popular restaurant, I'm not entirely sold on its hummus. Overall, I found it to be rather thick, difficult to scoop, and bland. It had a slightly smoother texture than Sabra and did not taste overwhelmingly of sesame like The Perfect Pita. However, it still tasted primarily like chickpeas without the break of sesame, lemon juice, or even salt and olive oil. Even though a classic hummus has a pretty minimal ingredients list, it's something that should still have a depth of flavor, which I found Cava to be lacking in.

Found in stores like Walmart, Safeway, and Harris Teeter, Fresh Cravings is a family-owned business that sells salsas, hummus, dips, and spreads. Some of the more unique hummus flavors you can find stocked on shelves are honey jalapeño, smoky peppercorn, and sweet golden mustard. And according to the website, Fresh Cravings hummus is the only store-bought hummus that's made with Chilean extra virgin olive oil. Whether or not that makes a difference in taste is another story.

As far as store-bought hummus goes, Fresh Cravings fell short for me. Right away, I noticed a strong sesame flavor. Though not as overwhelming as The Perfect Pita, it was still taking over any other flavor profiles you might expect to find. That being said, it had a decently smooth and creamy texture that had an enjoyable mouthfeel and easy scoopability, unlike Cava. Because I found the sesame to be just a bit too strong, but with good texture, it places above Cava.

If you're looking to support a small, family-owned business that's located in Northern Virginia, then look no further than Asmar's. Sold in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Asmar's makes Mediterranean foods reminiscent of what grandma used to make, like hummus, baba ghanoush, salads, and tzatziki. While the brand doesn't have a wide reach geographically, Asmar's provides a flavor experience in its hummus that is top-notch as well as kosher certified, gluten-free, oil-free, and vegan-friendly.

Though I haven't tried Asmar's other products for comparison, I would say its hummus was just okay. It had a good balance of chickpea and tahini, but there wasn't much else to recognize. I felt both the salt content and the lemon juice were low, and I would've preferred to taste some of that acidity. I did enjoy the texture quite a bit. It was very smooth and homogeneous and wasn't at all watery, making it the ideal texture for scooping. It was perfectly middle of the road. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite, which is why it ranks where it does.

Trader Joe's seemingly has everything under the sun, so it's no surprise that it sells its own hummus. In fact, Trader Joe's sells several different varieties of hummus and produces thousands of pounds weekly. Aside from the standard classic hummus, you can also find crunchy chili oil onion hummus, roasted garlic hummus, garlic tapenade hummus, and more. But for this ranking, I stuck with the classic creamy, dreamy hummus to see how it compared to other brands.

After going through all of the hummus brands multiple times, I kept coming back to Trader Joe's. Something about it tasted different, and it took me a few tries to put my finger on it. It was a thinner hummus with a decent balance of chickpeas and tahini. However, it took a few passes for me to recognize the dehydrated garlic that's listed on its ingredients. That being said, it was still good enough to keep eating, just not the classic hummus I was anticipating, which is why it ranks above Asmar's.

Starting as a small pop-up in Washington, D.C. in 2016, Little Sesame expanded to selling its hummus online and in grocery stores around the country. The founders, Nick and Ronen, tested over a dozen different tahinis before deciding what would be used in their signature hummus recipe. Since creating a standard recipe, Little Sesame has varieties like Mexican street corn and pumpkin chili crisp. But whether or not the rigorous tahini testing was worth it is what will truly put Little Sesame's hummus to the test.

Little Sesame's hummus was the definition of a basic, no-frills hummus. It tasted almost exclusively of chickpeas and olive oil, with not much else to give it depth of flavor. If there are no other options stocked on your shelves, Little Sesame's isn't a bad option. It has a nice, homogenous texture, and I appreciate that the product comes in smaller kid sizes that are perfect for a lunchbox. However, it ranks below store brands like Safeway because its only flavor profile was chickpea and olive.

For anyone looking for organic, all-natural, and generally higher-end products, Whole Foods is typically the place to go. From its in-store market filled with freshly made foods like sandwiches, salads, and sushi, it's no wonder you can find store-brand dips too. Despite the expectation that Whole Foods products tend to be on the pricier end, the Whole Foods 365 hummus is actually quite affordable in comparison to other items it sells. For the sake of consistency, I wanted to focus on the traditional hummus sold as opposed to the organic option.

Although Whole Foods is known for its higher-quality products, I was left a touch disappointed in its hummus. The texture was good, not too thin or watery, but there wasn't much to write home about regarding taste. It mostly tasted of blended chickpeas and nothing else. I do enjoy chickpeas and eat them pretty regularly, but when I'm eating hummus, I'm looking for more. I didn't taste the tahini at all, and it was lacking acidity and salt. It was a boring attempt at hummus; however, still edible and with great texture, which is why it ranks above Trader Joe's and Little Sesame.

Safeway is a grocery store chain that primarily operates in the Western part of the United States, with a few locations in the East. Like most grocery stores, Safeway has its own store brand that you can find in every aisle: Signature Select. In the deli not far from the meats and cheeses, you can come across a handful of hummus flavors along with dips and spreads. Store brands tend to be hit or miss, so I was curious to see where it stacked up among the name-brand products.

Upon first taste of the Safeway Signature Select classic hummus, I would say it tasted decent. The flavor was a little heavier on the chickpea, but you could still taste the sesame poking through with notes of lemon and salt. It was also dense (though not as dense as Sabra), making it more difficult to scoop with something softer like pita bread. As for its overall standings, it was very middle-of-the-road. It's pretty good for a store brand, but I'd choose other options before this one. That being said, because it still had some undertones of sesame, salt, and acidity, it ranks higher than Whole Foods, which mostly just tasted of blended chickpeas.

Most people might recognize the brand Boar's Head for its cold cuts in the deli section, but it's a brand that sells more than just meats and cheeses. Also found in the deli section is Boar's Head's wide array of hummus, dips, spreads, olives, pickles, and condiments. The real question is whether or not the Boar's Head traditional hummus is as iconic as the cold cuts it's most known for.

Unlike Ithaca, Boar's Head surprised me, but in a positive way. The texture is smooth and creamy without being too watery or unreasonably dense like Sabra. The flavor profile was also very well-balanced. The chickpea and sesame flavors meshed really well along with the salt and acidity. I did feel that the salt was too heavy-handed, which is why it was placed just below the upcoming hummus. That being said, it was still delicious and left me wanting more. If you're having a hard time finding other brands on this list at your local grocer, then Boar's Head will still provide you with a delicious hummus-eating experience.

Cedar's "hommus," as it's intentionally spelled, is taste-tested after every batch to ensure consumers are getting the highest quality product each time. Aside from hummus, Cedar's sells other kinds of classic Mediterranean foods and spreads like labne and toum, as well as salads, salsa, and stuffed grape leaves. But trying the classic hummus is where you find out if Cedar's really knows its stuff.

Cedar's may not spell hummus like the rest of its competitors, but it's clear the recipe developers know what they're doing. Each bite of Cedar's hummus was rich and creamy with a touch of acidity and salt. It's very well-balanced and earthy, and still holds up when paired with flavored pita crackers. More lemon juice would've made it more punchy and put the flavor over the top. Overall, I liked how the flavors of the chickpeas and tahini married with the salt and olive oil, but I just need a bit more depth to help push this store-bought hummus towards the top rank.

Founded in the early '90s, Tribe Hummus aims to bring high-quality ingredients to simple and easy recipes. Despite only selling five flavors, Tribe makes sure that you have options that range from classic to complex. The website recommends several different recipes to use the hummus in, but the real test is how it holds up on its own. The second the plastic protective cover came off the Tribe hummus container, it was clear it would be a hit. 

The scent of perfectly married chickpeas and tahini wafted through the air and was as enticing as it was smooth and creamy. The citrus and salt are subtle yet present and work with the chickpeas and tahini rather than overpowering them. Tribe hummus not only had the best taste, but the best texture by far. The ingredients on the container don't specify what "natural flavors" or "spice" represent in the hummus; however, they taste delicious. This tasted incredible on its own by the spoonful, but also worked well with pita chips and a bowl with tomatoes, cucumbers, and chicken. If you're looking for a new favorite grocery store hummus, Tribe is the best place to start.

Whether or not the hummus was creamy was a huge factor in deciding the ranking. A creamy, consistent texture is essential for both overall mouthfeel and scoopability. It was also important that the hummus could stand alone. Although most people use chips, bread, or vegetables to dip in it, you never want the vehicle to overpower the dip itself. They should ultimately complement each other and work well together.

Each brand of hummus was tasted multiple times, both on its own and with pita crackers. Notes were taken after each one and then compared to one another in order to place the ranking. The primary focus on flavor was whether or not each ingredient could be recognized and whether or not anything additional was added. In some cases, like Ithaca hummus, the addition of vinegar completely changed the flavor profile and masked the ingredients you expect to taste.