Mediterranean White Bean Hummus

5 from 4 votes

Simple and savory white bean hummus makes for a nutritional, flavor-packed dip! These buttery beans are blended with your classic hummus ingredients — tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt — with a dash of Middle Eastern spice to take your homemade hummus to a whole new level!

overhead: white bean hummus seasoned with zaatar on aqua blue plate with pita chips

This white bean hummus recipe is a break from the norm, swapping chickpeas with white cannellini beans. 

Cannellini beans contain plenty of protein, energizing carbohydrates, and vitamins B, E, and K. Health benefits aside, you’ll be digging into this hummus for flavor alone! And it doesn’t take much to turn these beans into a seriously delicious dip. 

It starts off with nutty tahini, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt. Then, we’ll add a few cloves of garlic and a dash of spice, and we’re done! A smooth, rich dip in just 5 minutes.

I’m going just a bit outside the box with savory za’atar spice, coloring the palette with Middle Eastern flavors. But you can flavor my white bean hummus recipe any way you like: with simple lemon pepper or Italian seasoning, Middle Eastern 7 spice or Baharat spice, or even just all-purpose seasoning!

lebanon circled on map of middle east

Tip From Kevin

Canned or dried beans

To make this a more accessible and a quick dip or spread I use a drained 15 ounce can of cannelli white beans, but feel free to use any white bean you prefer. By all means use dried, soaked and cook your own beans if you prefer. This is just easier!

my white bean hummus recipe on blue plate with garnish of lemon slices

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Cannellini Beans – Save some time and struggle by using canned, cooked white beans. You can certainly soak dried cannellini beans, but remember that you’ll need to cook them as well to unleash the buttery texture and savory taste. 
  • Za’atar Spice – The tangy, woodsy flavor of this common Middle Eastern spice blend is just perfect with nutty, earthy cannellini beans! Mix your own homemade blend or grab some from the grocery store. 
  • Tahini – This ingredient is vital for achieving that classic smoothness we associate with hummus. The closest substitute is peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. 
  • Lemon Juice I’m actually not picky about fresh vs. bottled juice in my white bean hummus recipe. It’s all about getting that bright acidity into the mix! 
  • Garlic – Use minced garlic, tubed garlic paste, or powdered garlic — the latter is best if you prefer a muted garlicky flavor. 
  • Salt – Be conservative with your salt and only add more after blending and tasting. 
  • Olive Oil This wouldn’t be Mediterranean hummus without olive oil! That being said, canola, sunflower, or avocado oils will all suit the same purpose if you want to make that substitution — just know that the flavor will be different.
overhead: creamy cannellini bean hummus in food processor bowl

How to Make White Bean Hummus

  1. Blend Hummus. Add the beans, spice, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally to thoroughly blend.
  2. Add Oil. Once smooth, drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while the food processor is still running. Pulse a few more times to evenly incorporate the oil. Taste and season as desired.
  3. Serve. Enjoy right away at room temperature or briefly chill before serving with pita, naan, vegetable sticks, or spread onto a wrap or sandwich!
  • Food Processor – The key to great homemade hummus is a totally smooth consistency, and for that, you need a food processor. A blender could also be sufficient if it has a high enough power and you take care to continuously push down the ingredients and scrape the sides for a thorough blend. 

Storing and Freezing

It’s up to you whether you’d like to serve white bean hummus at room temperature or chilled. But if you’re not serving it right away, it needs to stay in the refrigerator to keep it fresh and inhibit bacterial growth. Don’t let it sit at room temperature for more than 4 hours. 

White bean hummus lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. And while it can be frozen, the consistency will change considerably once thawed — it will be loose, watery, and difficult to spread or dip into.

overhead: white bean hummus on blue plate with pita bread triangles

Frequently Asked Questions

What bean is hummus made from?


Traditional hummus recipes are made of garbanzo beans. Also called chickpeas, they’re packed with protein and boast a mild, nutty, and almost earthy flavor. For my white bean hummus recipe, I decided to replace garbanzo beans with cannellini beans instead. I love the unique flavor.

Why isn’t my homemade hummus creamy?


Hummus that comes out grainy or clumpy is likely lacking moisture. A bit more olive oil or tahini should do the trick. 

If the dip is already rather thick, opt for more oil over tahini. Alternatively, if the dip isn’t thick enough, add small amounts of tahini until the consistency is to your liking — remember to add a bit more lemon juice and spice to keep the acidity level just right.

What beans should I use to make white bean hummus?


I prefer cannellini beans because they’re high in both protein and soluble fiber. Great for the taste buds and great for your body!

But at the end of the day, all white beans have a similar flavor and texture — there’s no need to be picky. Some recipes for white bean hummus use butter beans (also known as lima beans), while others use navy beans, and still others use Great Northern.

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This recipe post, originally published on Silk Road Recipes November, 2021, was updated with new content, photos and/or video in February 2024.

overhead: white bean hummus seasoned with zaatar on aqua blue plate with pita chips

White Bean Hummus

5 from 4 votes
Mediterranean white bean hummus is a flavorful, creamy blend of cannellini beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and zesty zaatar spice.
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Add the beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, zaatar and salt. Pulse until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally.
  • With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated completely. Season to taste with salt if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: appetizers
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Author: Kevin
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
titled image (and shown): mediterranean white bean hummus

Kevin

I was bitten by the cooking bug as a kid cooking and baking along side my mom. After an ROP restaurant course in high school, I went to work in restaurants and catering. My love of travel and food has led me across the world and I love to share those foods with family and friends.

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8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Your New Additions are beyond magnificent- Will be preparing them for my new corporate clients..
    I anticipate they will bring delightful responses!!