I guess you could call me a hummus enthusiast! Although I like the ease of making my own hummus at home with this recipe, I also like having the opportunity to try different flavors and textures. And if I’ve learned anything from this experiment, it’s that not all hummus is created equal. Here are some of the brands and flavors I tried along with their prices!
Tribe (Roasted Garlic and Everything)- $2.99 for 8oz
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of garlic on the roasted garlic variety. Other brands seemed to think about the garlic as an afterthought, but Tribe really brought the garlic to their recipe. I bought this hummus on sale (for fifty cents off), and I would consider it a good buy. Their “everything” hummus (with sesame seeds, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper) didn’t have a lot of garlic flavor, so I wish there was more garlic in addition to the everything spices.
Wellsley Farms (Roasted Garlic and Original)- $4.99 for 30oz.
This hummus (which I found at my local BJs Wholesale Club) was by far the cheapest by volume. The flavors were similar to that of Sabra hummus. It’s smooth, creamy, and not too lemon-y. If you can eat 30oz of hummus within a few days, this one is the best bang-for-your-buck. I wish the garlic flavor had a little more garlic to it, but overall, not too shabby. They also sell this hummus in spinach & artichoke and roasted red pepper flavor, if you want to get creative with your hummus spreads.
Trader Joe’s (Original)- $3.49 for 16oz
Trader Joe’s original 16oz hummus is a good buy, but it has a weird flavor that I’ve never really encountered with the other brands. It’s somewhat gritty and stale when eaten on its own, but I would say those flavors are undetectable when paired with a wrap and some veggies.
They also make 8oz containers of hummus in some pretty interesting flavors: edamame, buffalo spice, roasted garlic, Mediterranean, tomato basil, and dill pickle. If I feel like treating myself in the future, I might as well do it with these funky flavors!
Sabra (Roasted Pine Nut, Garlic, “Supremely Spicy” and Original)- $5.99 for 30oz (BJs)
Sabra is probably one of the most popular brands people think of when they hear “hummus.” And for good reason! It comes in caramelized onion, jalapeno, roasted pine nut, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, and ~supremely spicy~.
My mom and I, who are both hummus enthusiasts, decided to try the supremely spicy variety not too long ago. We were somewhat skeptical of how spicy hummus could get. I spread the hummus, both the chickpea base and the red “center” of the container on a carrot and crunched away. About five seconds later, I was guzzling a cup of water next to the sink, trying to get the spice out of my mouth. The center of the dip, which I later deduced, is almost entirely painful spice surrounded by a sea of chickpea muteness. If you’re going to get the supremely spicy flavor, be prepared to mix well and keep a glass of water handy.
The roasted pine nut flavor was quite nuanced and just a little bit fatty. I couldn’t distinguish it much from the original or the garlic flavor- maybe just that it had more oil than the other two. As for the caramelized onion flavor, I wasn’t very WOW-ed. The textures of caramelized onion really conflicted with the smoothness of the hummus (maybe this was just a personal thing, but it just tasted a little gummy). I would recommend instead using the garlic or original hummus spread on a flatbread with homemade “carmies” on top. Nonetheless, I was glad I could find Sabra at my local BJs for cheaper than Shaws or Price Chopper!
Aldi’s Park St. Deli Hummus Quartet (includes Original, Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper, and Cilantro Jalapeno)- $3.99 for 20oz.
Variety- it’s the spice of life! And if you shop at Aldi’s, you don’t have to choose only one flavor of hummus to get. Their hummus quartet features four popular flavors. The original flavor was nothing to write home about, and I was disappointed with how little spice the cilantro jalapeno flavor had.
If you’re a one-flavor kinda person, you can also buy Park St. hummus in a 10oz container for $2.29- which is still a comparatively better deal than the name-brands. They also make sweet flavors like brownie batter: perfect for when you need a little chocolatey-goodness on your toast or a piece of fruit.
Cedar’s (Original and Roasted Red Pepper)- $2.99 for 8oz
Cedar’s hummus is probably my favorite brand out of all of the ones I tried. The texture is thick and creamy with very little aftertaste. I could eat it right out of the container!