Delicious Hummus Without Sesame? Make Your Own Without Tahini!

If you have a sesame allergy, hummus is off the menu unless it is sesame free. Our delicious recipe for hummus without sesame means you can make your own allergy-free hummus dip at home. It’s also gluten free and vegan, making it a great dip to share with family and friends.

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Why hummus is a problem for people with sesame allergy

Is it just me, or is hummus everywhere these days? With so many people focused on healthy or plant based eating, it seems very popular. Just look in the ready made dip cabinet at the supermarket. There are so many brands.

Unfortunately none of them are coming home with us. We have a family member with a very severe allergy to sesame who reacts on contact. And hummus is made with tahini, which is of course sesame paste.

This makes hummus the sesame allergy sufferer’s equivalent of peanut butter when you have a peanut allergy. It is a popular snack, it’s sticky and it gets all over everything.

So we either avoid hummus altogether, or do what all allergy people do and make our own! Hummus without sesame can be a great option if you are having friends over and would like to serve a safe dip.

Sesame free hummus

Here is a really simple recipe for hummus which makes a lovely smooth dip. Without the sesame.

The first time I made my own hummus, I just use rinsed and drained chickpeas from the can. This is absolutely fine if you are short on time. However, the chickpea skins leave you with a grainy dip instead of a nice smooth texture. For a velvety smooth hummus, I recommend removing the skins first.

The key is to either soak the chickpeas in a bowl with a 1/2 teaspoon of bicarb (baking) soda for an hour or to boil them for 20 minutes with the bicarb soda and enough water to cover the chickpeas. Either way, it helps the skins to come away and gives a smoother texture when blended. I prefer to use the boiling methos as it is a bit quicker.

Ingredients

To make a delicious sesame free hummus you’ll need:

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarb (baking) soda
• 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove of fresh garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt to taste, or to taste

Method

Prepare the chickpeas. Drain and rinse first. (If you have an egg allergy as well, don’t forget to keep the liquid – aquafaba – as this is a fantastic egg replacer! You can freeze it in ice cubes trays for later, or use in a recipe like our egg and dairy free crunchy cornflake cookies or egg free meringues.)

Either place the chickpeas in a bowl with the bicarb soda and enough water to cover and leave for one hour, or do the same in a large saucepan and boil for 20 minutes. Then drain and rinse again. The chickpea skins will float to the top and can be removed with a slotted spoon. Pick out any remaning skins by hand if needed.

Blend the garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. (Using a powerful food processor instead of just a handheld immersion blender is important to get smooth results.)

Add the cumin, drained chickpeas and olive oil and blend to a smooth texture.

Tips: This recipe can be adjusted for taste and texture. You can add more salt and lemon juice to taste. You can also add a small amount of water if you need a slightly thinner texture.

To serve

Serve your sesame free hummus in a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika or fresh parsley. A sesame free pita or flat bread is a great accompaniment, or serve with vegetable crudites.

Alternatively, spread the hummus dip on a pretty plate instead of in a bowl and top with your choice of garnish.

A word about kids and sesame allergy

If you have children with a sesame allergy, make sure that you talk to them about hummus. If you do make your own and your children eat it at home, they need to know that this is special hummus that won’t make them sick. Make sure they understand not to eat hummus that you haven’t made especially for them.

I also make a point of specifically reminding my child’s teachers that hummus is made with tahini, which is ground sesame seeds. It is surprising how many people do not know or forget this. I also explain that it is the sesame allergy sufferer’s equivalent of peanut butter in the classroom. It is a good opportunity to talk about the importance of not sharing food and washing hands, which is so important for all food allergies.

More on sesame allergy and more sesame free recipes

Find out more about sesame allergy and avoiding seeds, oil and tahini in our spotlight on sesame allergy: little seeds that can cause big reactions,

This sesame free hummus dip would be great as part of a dips platter. Why not try our dairy free French onion dip or vegan Skordalia to go with it? Or allergy-friendly kalamata olive tapenade. Another great option is fresh tomato salsa. Find these and a host of other dips in our allergy friendly dip recipe collection.

And make sure you have a look at the allergy-friendly recipes on our recipe page – all of them are free from sesame.