8 Varieties Of Hummus At Trader Joe's, Ranked

Any hummus fans in the house? Maybe you're a super fan who knows it's really not hard to make your own perfect version of the spread, but for those of us who don't own a food processor, store-bought hummus brands are abundant. And if you (like yours truly) shop almost exclusively at Trader Joe's, you've undoubtedly seen the retailer's robust collection of its own hummus varieties. Seriously, TJ's — how do you not have Worcestershire sauce, but carry at least eight types of hummus?

Listen, I'm not complaining. Hummus aficionados know the spread's versatility begs for as many iterations as a store shelf can hold, and even hummus purists will be converted by the end of this piece. The bottom line is, Trader Joe's has a hummus for everyone, and if you're one who usually sticks to the plain stuff, it's time to broaden your horizons. I was in that camp once, too — TJ's Creamy Dreamy Hummus was the only container I'd ever tried before working on this piece, a decision I now sorely regret. So, without further ado, here's my official ranking of eight of the store's hummus dips, based on the cohesiveness of their various flavor profiles as well as their versatility. 

I already know I'll have some hating on me for this hot take, but still, I had to put Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in the last spot on my list. Now, I'm not at all saying it's a bad dip. It was, however, the dip I liked the least, and the one I found to be the least versatile. If you want a robust, punchy dip to pair with plain crackers (or even a little cream cheese spread), you won't go wrong with this one; otherwise, I struggle to come up with ways to use it. 

My biggest beef with this hummus was that it leaned a little sweet. Now, I could have accepted this had it tasted like the natural, slight caramelized sweetness that's a byproduct of the roasting process, but that wasn't the case here. Instead, it just tasted like sugar. However, the roasted red pepper flavor does come through, and I can understand why this dip may have a loyal following. The sweetness turned me off to it entirely, though, making it a pretty easy choice for last place here — and it would appear that Sabra's version doesn't fare too well, either. 

I so badly wanted to rank Trader Joe's Three Layer Hummus higher than the second-to-last spot on this list. Ultimately, my decision to give it seventh place came down not to its flavor, or even the flavor combinations here — all three layers are quite good — but the construction of the dip itself, which I don't understand in the slightest. If Neapolitan ice cream is layered side-by-side in its container, why on earth isn't this dip?

It's impossible to get all three dip flavors at once unless you find a chip big enough to reach all the way down to the bottom, and even then, you'll end up with a massive helping on your vehicle of choice. Or, you could treat this as a three-in-one situation and just eat each flavor one at a time until the container is empty. Beyond that, this was a good dip, but other than the top layer, it didn't really read as hummus — the other two layers had the texture of hummus but different flavors entirely. As a dip, it's poorly constructed but boasts good flavors; as a hummus, it falls a little short. 

I was shocked to give Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus anything higher than last place, simply because I tend to loathe anything with olives. Now, it only got sixth place because of my own prejudice against the food, but I couldn't deny that this will be a particularly appealing dip to those with an affinity for briny Mediterranean flavor profiles. And I have to admit, I didn't dislike it as much as I thought I would. 

I have one warning to issue to whoever picks up this container: The olive tapenade is very salty, so keep that in mind when deciding what you'll pair it with. Other than that, go to town. This hummus is very flavorful and has that ample briny quality that olive lovers adore, and it also boasts a bright tang as well, almost akin to lemon juice. Objectively, it's a good dip — I just couldn't give it a higher place here because I found the following to be more appealing. 

Trader Joe's Organic Hummus and the following selection were pretty much tied in this ranking, and are fairly interchangeable with one another. And before you ask, no, price wasn't really a factor — despite boasting an "organic" label, this selection is only 50 cents more than the following. That price difference didn't sway me in one direction or the other as far as this ranking is concerned. 

Really the only thing differentiating this one from the next (at least, in my opinion) is the texture. This hummus is slightly more granulated. Taste-wise, they're nearly identical, but I did prefer the texture of the following; however, I was looking for differences, and I'd bet the average consumer wouldn't notice a huge disparity here. I thought both were quite good, and either would be a great choice if you prefer plain hummus. 

Trader Joe's Creamy Dreamy Hummus certainly lives up to its name. Again, pick your poison as far as this and the previous are concerned — if your store has both, maybe you'll buy the one that's 50 cents cheaper, or maybe your die-hard organic lifestyle will sway you to the former. One thing's for sure: You won't go wrong with either. 

This hummus is indeed very creamy, and it's quite a bit thicker than I was expecting, which made it a little hard to scoop up with my pita chip. But that's really the only negative thing I have to say about it; otherwise, it has a pleasant, neutral flavor, and would make a nice spread for whatever you'd choose to accompany it. Personally, I've been known to use this spread on homemade lamb meatball wraps, and I find it really delightful. 

The final "plain" hummus flavor to make this lineup is Trader Joe's Hummus Dip, and I think I may have found a new go-to spread (sorry, Creamy Dreamy). The biggest difference between this one and the former two can be found in its texture, but that made all the difference in the world to me. If you want a light hummus that's easy to scoop and spread, this should be your first choice. 

I also found this hummus to be a bit more flavorful than either of the previous ones. It had a very subtle tang to it that only added to its appeal without detracting from its versatility in the least, and you could even further boost its flavor by mixing in some seasoning. If you want a plain hummus specifically for dipping purposes, this would be a good choice; I'd even venture a guess that more delicate chips wouldn't have a huge problem with this one. Still, at the end of the day, it couldn't beat either of my top two picks. 

It's probably not surprising to anyone who's had Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Hummus that it made the second-place spot on my list. It was vying for first, but at the end of the day, I had to give the honor to the following selection. Garlic lovers will be as enamored with this dip as I was, and its versatility is only secondary to the plain hummus choices on this list — as far as I'm concerned, garlic goes with pretty much anything, and it won't be hard to find uses for this hummus. 

You can smell garlic from the instant you peel back the lid on this container, which only endeared me to it more. I can't say the garlic flavor is "mellow," as is claimed on the lid of the product — rather, it's pretty sharp, and definitely doesn't shy away from making itself known. If you have a vampiric aversion to garlic, this may make the product a no-go for you. For everyone else, I'd just recommend being in the vicinity of a toothbrush before chowing down on this dip. It could only be further elevated by the addition of actual roasted garlic pieces, but I won't knock it for lacking that.

Finally, the crème de la crème of Trader Joe's vast hummus selection: Crunchy Chili Onion Hummus. Whoever makes Trader Joe's hummus deserves a raise for this flavor, which takes all the enviable qualities of the store's Crunchy Chili Onion topping and melds it seamlessly with creamy, nutty hummus. The result is an outstanding, flavor-packed condiment that holds up remarkably well on its own, yet still manages to be versatile enough that you'll go through it in no time. 

In case it wasn't already apparent, I absolutely adored this selection, and if you're already a fan of Crunchy Chili Onion, this will be a winner in your book, too. The topping brings an ample amount of spice into the equation, which I quite enjoyed and which will help the hummus hold its own even on a wrap with loads of other ingredients. Heat lingers at the end, and the texture the topping lends to the hummus is also exquisite. This is a no-brainer choice when you want a hummus that'll impress friends and family, and I honestly can't recommend it enough. 

I can't say this is an exclusive list of every hummus available at Trader Joe's (especially given the store's ever-changing inventory), but it's the full lineup that was available at my store at the time of this tasting. To test the various types of hummus, I tried each paired with Trader Joe's Sea Salt Pita Bite Crackers, a neutral vehicle for the dips. When ranking them, texture and flavor obviously played a large role, but I also put heavy weight on the versatility of each spread — after all, it's rare that you'll eat one purely on its own. Hummuses that had more possible applications and boasted enough flavor in their own right got higher spots on this list.