Butter Bean Hummus
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
Description
A creamy and flavorful butter bean hummus that’s easy to make and perfect for dipping or spreading.
Ingredients
Units
- 4 cups (960 ml) cooked butter beans, drained & liquid reserved (or 2 15-oz cans)
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) tahini (sesame seed paste)
- Salt to taste
- Sumac, paprika, or cayenne pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Drop the garlic cloves into a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced.
- Add the butter beans, lemon juice, a few tbsp of the reserved bean liquid or water, and tahini to the processor.
- Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Taste and add salt as needed, processing again to combine.
- Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and sprinkle with sumac, paprika, or cayenne pepper for garnish.
- Serve with pita bread, vegetables, or as desired.
Notes
- For a smoother texture, add more reserved bean liquid or water as needed.
- Adjust the garlic and lemon juice to taste for a more personalized flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, or use as a sandwich spread.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 16
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 0
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Avocado Bean Dip
- How to Make Perfectly Smooth Hummus
- How to Make Hummus Without Tahini
- Hummus with Pickled Jalapeños
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe reserve the bean liquid instead of discarding it?
I add a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the cooked butter beans (or can liquid) to the food processor along with the beans and tahini. This liquid — already flavored from the beans — loosens the hummus to a creamy consistency without diluting the flavor the way water would. Add more of it if you want a smoother texture.
How does this differ from standard chickpea hummus?
Butter beans (also called lima beans) are larger and creamier than chickpeas, producing a noticeably smoother, more velvety hummus with a milder flavor. I use 4 cups of cooked butter beans (or two 15 oz cans) and follow the same base structure — garlic, lemon, tahini, salt — as traditional chickpea hummus.
