Have you ever wondered, is hummus gluten free? This post will discuss what hummus is, if it is gluten free and the best store-bought gluten-free hummus brands to buy.
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Table of Contents
- Why avoid gluten?
- What is hummus?
- Traditional ingredients in hummus:
- Additional ingredients in hummus:
- Is hummus gluten-free?
- Gluten-free store bought hummus brands:
- Ingredients in store bought hummus:
- Hummus flavors:
- The best store-bought gluten-free hummus:
- How to make your own hummus:
- How to serve hummus:
- Gluten-free foods to serve with hummus:
- Other delicious gluten-free dips:
- The bottom line:
- Frequently asked questions:
- Other posts you will want to read:
- Our expertise:
Why avoid gluten?
For medical reasons some people need to avoid eating gluten. For example, people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance (also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity) have to steer clear from gluten containing foods and follow a gluten-free diet.
What is hummus?
Hummus, also known as hommus or houmous, is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made with cooked, mashed chickpeas or garbanzo beans, and blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. In the Middle East this popular dip is classically garnished with olive oil, whole chickpeas or roasted chickpeas, parsley, and paprika. Hummus dip has a delicious thick and creamy texture which makes it a great spread or dip.
Traditional ingredients in hummus:
The key ingredients or most common ingredients in hummus are chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), lemon juice, garlic, and sesame seeds or tahini (also known as sesame seed paste).
Additional ingredients in hummus:
Some brands will add filler ingredients such as water, natural flavours, artificial flavours, guar gum, etc to their hummus and others will often add extra flavours, spices and seasonings such as garlic, onion, cumin, and vinegar.
Is hummus gluten-free?
Hummus is usually gluten-free, but not always. Traditional hummus recipes are naturally gluten-free, as are most brands including popular brands like Sabra Hummus.
However, some hummus brands add wheat flour to their hummus recipe, or make it on shared equipment that can be contaminated with gluten.
As well, some types of hummus will have ingredients containing gluten added (such as soy sauce for example) to give the hummus a different flavour. It is particularly important to read labels carefully, especially when it comes to the flavoured types of hummus that you can buy.
When shopping in grocery stores, to ensure that the store-bought hummus you are looking at is gluten free, look for the certified gluten-free labels or symbol.
Gluten-free store bought hummus brands:
All of these store-bought brands of hummus are certified gluten-free:
- Sabra
- Athenos
- Food Basics
- Boar's Head
- Habibi's
- Lantana - some of their hummus flavours may contain wheat or gluten and this is labelled on their packaging but most of their flavours are gluten-free.
- Fontaine Sante
- Ithaca
- Hope Foods
- Sunflower Kitchen
- Summer Fresh
- Tribe
Ingredients in store bought hummus:
Here are the ingredients of some of the most popular store-bought hummus brands. All of these are gluten free:
Athenos original hummus:
Chickpeas, water, tahini (sesame), sunflower oil, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, citric acid, cumin, guar gum.
Ithaca classic hummus:
Chickpeas, Water, Tahini (Sesame), Sunflower Oil, Cold Pressed Lemon Juice, Vinegar, Salt, Fresh Garlic, Cumin, Crushed Red Pepper.
Sabra classic hummus:
Cooked Chickpeas, Water, Tahini (ground sesame seeds), Non-GMO Soybean Oil, Garlic, Salt, Non-GMO Citric Acid, and Potassium Sorbate.
Tribe classic hummus:
Cooked chickpeas (chickpeas, water), water, tahini (ground sesame), canola oil, natural flavors, sea salt, dried roasted garlic, citric acid, spice.
Hummus flavors:
When shopping for hummus you can find many different flavours. Here are some common hummus flavours:
- Classic or original
- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Black pepper
- Dill pickle
- Avocado
- Barbecue or bbq
- Sun dried tomato
- Roasted garlic
- Green onion
- Buffalo
- Caramelized onion
- Cauliflower
- Chili pepper
- Greek
- Chocolate
- Lemon twist
- Jalapeño
- Southwest
- Spicy
The best store-bought gluten-free hummus:
When it comes to gluten-free options my personal favorite gluten free hummus is the Sabra Classic Hummus. It has such a declines flavour and the most smooth, thick, and creamy texture. It also comes in a handy airtight container which makes storing it super easy.
How to make your own hummus:
Using your food processor or high-speed blender you can easily make your own creamy hummus by blending a can of chickpeas with sesame paste or tahini, fresh lemon juice, olive oil or avocado oil, sea salt and black pepper. Homemade hummus makes a great healthy snack and is a great way to ensure it isn't contaminated with traces of gluten.
This is my favourite gluten free hummus recipe.
How to serve hummus:
A bowl of hummus can be served in many different ways. It is classically served with pita bread but it can also be served with crackers, chips or raw vegetables. It is also often garnished with other ingredients such as olive oil, dried chickpeas, fresh herbs such as parsley, red pepper flakes or other spices.
Gluten-free foods to serve with hummus:
Here are some gluten free foods that you can serve with hummus. I've also included other ways to serve hummus:
- Carrot sticks
- Celery sticks
- Cucumber slices
- Bell pepper slices
- Cauliflower florets
- Broccoli florets
- Gluten-free crackers
- Gluten-free pretzels
- Rice cakes
- Use it as a spread for sandwiches
- Serve it on burgers
- Use it as a spread on wraps or lettuce wraps
- Spread it on toast made with gluten-free bread
Other delicious gluten-free dips:
If you have gluten sensitivities or gluten intolerances your taste buds will be in for a treat with these other gluten-free dip options!
- Roasted red pepper and parsnip dip
- Carrot dip
- Spinach and artichoke dip
- Mango habanero salsa
- Chunky guacamole
- Dill pickle dip
The bottom line:
The good news and quick answer is that yes, most brands of hummus are gluten free but be sure to read labels carefully if you are following a strict gluten-free diet as there is a risk of cross-contamination with gluten containing ingredients during the manufacturing process and some brands will add extra ingredients such as wheat flour or soy sauce which do contain gluten. If you see the certified gluten-free label then you know that hummus is safe and gluten free.
Frequently asked questions:
Most tahini should be gluten free. Just be aware that brands may add extra ingredients to their tahini to flavour it that contain gluten or it could be manufactured on equipment that also contains gluten. Look for the certified gluten free label to know for sure that it is gluten free.
Yes, most hummus recipes are plant based and safe for vegans to eat.
Other posts you will want to read:
- Is baking powder gluten-free?
- The best gluten-free graham crackers brands
- The best non-toxic bakeware
- Is ceramic cookware safe?
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Our expertise:
Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about preventative healthcare including nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living. She is also a self-trained chef and has been creating and publishing gluten-free recipes since 2015. Her recipes have been featured on many different websites and online publications.
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