Spicy Harissa Hummus (made in 15 minutes!)
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This harissa hummus is made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and harissa paste for a bold twist on the classic. It’s creamy, smoky, and ready in just 15 minutes.
Hummus is one of those dips I make on repeat, and this harissa hummus is what I turn to when I want to change things up. It’s everything I love about classic hummus—creamy, smooth, and scoopable—with a bold layer of smoky, spiced flavor from harissa.
You can use store-bought harissa paste or make your own (it’s surprisingly easy), and either way, it blends beautifully with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic. The result is a hummus that’s rich and velvety with just the right amount of warmth and depth.
I love serving it with warm pita and crisp veggies or adding it to a spread when friends are over. It’s simple, a little unexpected, and always one of the first things to disappear.
What to dip in hummus
- Fresh cut vegetables: we use a mix of carrot sticks, radishes, asparagus spears, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes but you can use any veggie you like, or whatever you have in your fridge.
- Grilled or toasted baguette: use gluten-free if needed. Or your favorite crackers.
- Fresh berries: any type of fresh berry or seasonal fruit tastes wonderful and refreshing on this platter.
- Olives: black kalamata olives are our favorite but you can use other varieties of olives, or a mix.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make it ahead of time?
Yes, it’s easy to make ahead of time. Store the hummus in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days. The texture will thicken in the fridge so you may want to pulse it in your food processor with a splash of warm water for a thinner consistency before serving.
Do you have other recipes that use harissa?
Yes! If you love the bold, mildly spicy flavor of harissa, try our other harissa recipes, like harissa shakshuka, harissa honey chicken, or chickpea harissa soup!
Spicy Harissa Hummus (made in 15 minutes!)
Ingredients
Harissa Hummus
The Platter
- Fresh cut veggies
- Grilled or toasted bread
- Berries
- Olives
Homemade Harissa
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- ½ red onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 chiles de Arbol (small red chilis)
- 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil
- ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt
- Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
- If you’re making your own harissa, do that first. Put all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend until mostly smooth. Transfer to a jar.1 medium red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 chiles de Arbol, 1 tablespoon EACH: tomato paste and olive oil, ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin, coriander, and sea salt, Juice from ½ lemon
- Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, harissa, sea salt, garlic, and lemon juice to your food processor or blender. (No need to clean it first if you’ve made the harissa!) Blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with more sea salt, if you’d like.14 ounce can of chickpeas, ¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup olive oil, 1-3 tablespoons harissa, 1 clove garlic, Juice from ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Serve the harissa hummus with lots of fresh veggies and some grilled or toasted bread. Olives and berries are nice additions to the platter!
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I was able to whip up the hummus in less than five minutes since it calls for, pretty much, kitchen staples. It is absolutely delicious, quick and easy. I would highly recommend. For a last minute appetizer you can serve with store bought pita chips and fresh veggies. Thank you for this recipe.
This was great. Loved the spiciness!