Can You Freeze Hummus? (Pics & Video)

Hate throwing out leftover hummus after it sits in the fridge for a few days? Me too. That’s why I decided to give freezing hummus a try.

I love hummus, especially the roasted red pepper flavor. I don’t eat that much of it, though — a third of a small container here, another tiny portion there. And since open hummus doesn’t last long (here’s how long hummus lasts), I sometimes need to get creative just to finish the jar before it spoils.

Fortunately, freezing turned out an excellent solution to this issue. It doesn’t require any extra equipment and takes only a few minutes, so there are no excuses for not doing it.

But before we get into the freezing process itself, let’s talk about how freezing and thawing affect hummus.

Can You Freeze Hummus?

Hummus is one of the few food products that even the producers acknowledge that freezing it is quite alright (LF, OMC). Sure, it doesn’t turn out exactly the same after thawing as it was before freezing, but it’s close.

In short, the difference in texture isn’t all that big.

However, your dip might dry out a bit, or lose some of its heat. While the regular chickpea hummus should taste about the same as usual, a spicier variety might not have as much oomph as it used to.

Fortunately, you can fix both issues if they bother you. Here’s how:

• Dry hummus? Stir in a bit of olive oil and/or water to get to the desired consistency.
• Not hot enough for your liking? Add some ground pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder, or a freshly pressed garlic clove. Or any other spice that will do the job.

How To Freeze Hummus

Below, I share with you two popular ways of freezing hummus: in a container, and in ice cube trays.

The second one involves a couple of extra steps, and a few minutes of additional hands-on time, but is worth doing if you often only need a small cube of the dip.

Freezing Hummus in a Container

This whole procedure is super simple and takes five minutes tops. Let’s get going.

1. Figure out portions. If you’re like me and need only a small amount of hummus at a time, smaller ones are better. Make sure a single portion isn’t more than what you can (realistically) consume within two to three days.
2. Pour hummus into containers. Make sure there’s some headspace, as the dip expands when frozen. Also, add a label with name and date if you like.

   

3. Seal the containers and put them into the freezer.

That’s it, see how easy that was?

Freezing Hummus in Ice Cube Tray

To follow along, you’re going to need an ice cube tray (duh) and a freezer bag or container. Once you have those handy, do the following:

1. Pour hummus into the ice cube tray. Things might get messy, but it shouldn’t you more than a minute or two to do. If you need slightly larger portions, use a muffin tin instead.

   

2. Put the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours. What you need is for the dip to freeze solid. That should take anywhere between 3 (for small cubes) and 8 (for a muffin tin) hours. For simplicity, leave everything in the freezer overnight.
3. Repackage frozen chunks. Transfer them to either a freezer bag or an airtight container, depending on what works best for you. Add a label if you like.
4. Put the frozen hummus back into the freezer. Now it’s ready to sit there for the long term.

That’s it. With a bit more hands-on time, you got yourself a bunch of small hummus chunks you can use whenever needed.

Here’s what you end up with:

How Long Can You Keep Hummus in the Freezer?

It’s difficult to say, as many factors affect how quickly the quality of this chickpea-based dips degrades.

If you use it within two to four months, it should turn out perfectly fine. If, on the other hand, it sits for longer than six months, you might notice the taste being a bit different.

As usual when it comes to frozen food, the sooner you get it, the better its quality will be.

How To Defrost Hummus

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that you should thaw hummus in the fridge. It takes at least a couple of hours, depending on the size of the container, so putting it in the fridge in the evening to have it ready in the morning is your best bet.

If you need to speed things up a bit, put that container into a bowl of cold water (in the fridge). The time required for defrosting will shrink, but not by a lot.

Once the dip defrosts, give it a good stir. If it turns out a bit dry or its taste is somewhat bland, you already know how to fix that. Now it’s ready for consumption.

Now that your hummus is ready, feel free to use it however you like. I love it with french fries, and as a butter substitute for sandwiches.

Sources

• LF Lantana Foods: Frequently Asked Questions
• OMC Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine: FAQ