This recipe for homemade hummus for babies contains all the ingredients you'd expect to see in the traditional chickpea and tahini dip - minus the salt. Perfect for baby led weaning, toddler snacks and baby lunches.
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There aren't many things that all five of us in the Sneaky Veg household will eat and true to form hummus isn't one of them.
When R started nursery at the age of two and a half he did like it, but it went the way of so many other things and he will no longer eat it.
The rest of us however are dedicated hummus lovers. Not many a day goes by when Miss R asks whether she can have hummus and pitta bread for lunch. I'm glad to say that Baby S is following in our footsteps and is shaping up to be a hummus lover too.
Can babies eat hummus?
Shop bought hummus isn't suitable for babies due to its high salt content.
If you want to give hummus to your baby your best bet is to make your own. This recipe is surprisingly easy to make and tastes delicious, even without the salt.
You can always keep a grown-ups portion separate and add salt to that if you prefer.
Hummus is perfect for baby led weaning
Hummus is one of my favourite chickpea recipes for babies. It works really well if you're following baby led weaning. It can be spread on bread or rice cakes for younger babies or used as a dip for older babies.
At the moment Baby S picks up and tries to eat any kind of bowl or plate I give him so we're still in the spreading on rice cakes zone!
Some very young babies might struggle to digest the chickpeas so start with a small portion. If you wish you can remove the skins from the chickpeas - by rubbing them between your hands - to make the hummus even smoother.
From what age can babies eat hummus?
This recipe is suitable from six months.
You should be aware that tahini, one of the main ingredients in hummus, contains sesame seeds, which are one of the top 14 allergens. If you're concerned about allergies see the NHS site for more information.
Storing hummus
In the fridge
Store this hummus in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
In the freezer
Homemade hummus can be frozen safely for up to three months.
Be sure to label and date your container as hummus is hard to identify once frozen if you've forgotten what it is!
It's also worth considering freezing in ice cube trays or small pots so you have a baby-sized portion to defrost.
Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Other homemade dips recipes
- Roasted beetroot hummus
- Carrot hummus
- Butternut squash dip
- Peanut butter hummus
- Healthy garlic tahini sauce
- Fava bean dip
- Pea and mint dip
- Butternut hummus
- Cannellini bean dip
Ingredients in homemade hummus
For full recipe, ingredients and quantities go to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
The ingredients that you need to make homemade hummus for your baby are very simple. You need:
- chickpeas
- lemon juice
- garlic (optional)
- tahini (sesame paste)
- olive oil
- water.
If you wish you can add salt, paprika or dried oregano or za'atar for serving.
Do you need any special equipment to make hummus?
You will need a good blender* or food processor* to make this recipe.
If you don't have one you could either use a hand held blender* or a masher - but the results won't be as smooth.
How to make homemade hummus for babies
If you have made this recipe I would love it if you’d leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Homemade hummus for babies
Ingredients
- 240 g tinned chickpeas (one standard 400g tin), drained and rinsed
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 clove garlic crushed (optional)*
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- salt to serve (optional)*
- extra olive oil, za'atar, oregano or paprika to serve (optional)*
Instructions
- If you wish you can lightly sauté the garlic in olive oil before adding to the hummus to make it a gentler taste for babies. You can also remove the skins from the chickpeas if you wish, but this isn't essential.
- Add the drained chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini and olive oil to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add one tablespoon of water and blend again. Add the other tablespoon gradually until you have the desired consistency. I find that the smoother the better when serving this to babies.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and some oregano, za'atar or paprika to serve if desired.
- Keeps for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
- If you want a really mild hummus to serve to your baby you can leave the garlic out.
- Remove your baby's portion before adding salt or extra oil, herbs or spices.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
Nutrition
If you like this you might also like these homemade tortilla chips.
Pin hummus for babies for later
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
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K
You don’t mention anywhere in the recipe (unless I missed it) whether or not to drain liquid from the can of chickpeas or leave it as part of the recipe…I’m surprised nobody else has mentioned this??
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Kay, You can drain the liquid and rinse the chickpeas - thanks
Shireen
Made this tonight and it was delicious for my baby and the adults alike! Thank you!
Mandy Mazliah
So glad you enjoyed it Shireen
Kathryn
Anyone tried freezing this yet?
Elle
Quite refreshing. Can this recipe be frozen for babies?
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Elle, I haven't tried freezing it but I can't see any reason why you shouldn't.
Laura
Can you freeze portions of this hummus for baby snacks?
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Laura – I haven’t tried freezing it myself but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Let me know how it goes.
Jo
Just made this as we ran out of hummus (the horror!) I used almond butter instead of tahini and it worked great. Thanks for the recipe!
Mandy Mazliah
Ran out of hummus - argh! Love the idea of using almond butter, must give that a try x
Ann
Oh my gosh. Game changer! Thanks for the suggestion as tahini is not a regular item we have in the house. Thank you!
Excellent recipe. DD is stuffing her face right now and no doubt baby will in a while x
Mandy Mazliah
I love this idea too - must try it!
Lucy
The canned chickpeas I have contain salt (the only ingredients are chickpeas, salt and water). Is that ok or better to cook dried chickpeas in this case? Thank you!
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Lucy, the chickpeas you have will work fine, just rinse them really well in a colander first to get rid of as much salt as possible.
Ramya
Going to make this tomorrow.. it would be nice if you could also share tahini recipe for babies
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Ramya - hope you enjoy it. I will add a tahini sauce recipe to my list 🙂
jacqui Bellefontaine
No babies in our household but we will all eat hummus! I don't like too much salt in my food so prefer to make my own. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Mandy Mazliah
I think it’s always better to be able to control the salt yourself. Thanks for commenting Jacqui x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
I love hummus and this one sounds so delicious. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Kirsty, I was so pleased with how this one turned out!
Angela - Garden Tea Cakes and Me
I like hummus though eat it rarely, always think of it as a dip with raw vegetables. I like the idea of eating it on pitta, and what a simple straight forward recipe. #MakingHome
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Angela. It's really easy to make and good to know that baby isn't eating any salt or preservatives.
Annie B
Baby B loves hummus but I've never actually made it! I think I might have to give this a go! Thanks for posting and thanks for linking this up to #MakingHome
Mandy Mazliah
Oh definitely try it! It's so easy. Thanks for commenting x