White Bean Hummus
This white bean hummus is light and creamy and made without tahini and chickpeas. Serve with raw veggies or your favorite crackers for a light snack!

I’m sure you know by now that I love hummus, but have you ever found yourself wanting to make some and not having all the ingredients? I’m talking about you Tahini!!
Traditional hummus is made with chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. But what if you don’t have chickpeas? Or tahini for that matter?
Have you ever tried using a white bean, or cannellini bean instead? Well, you should, because it’s amazing! I might even like it more than traditional hummus. It’s bright, lemony, garlicky, super easy to make, and absolutely delicious!
This recipe might be my favorite, but I love this basil pesto hummus, this smoky pineapple hummus, and this shawarma hummus. For this one I roast chickpeas in shawarma seasoning and then use them to make the hummus. So good!! Any one of these is a great choice for you crudite platter too.
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Cannellini beans – Also called white kidney beans, you can substitute navy beans, Great Northern beans, or butter beans. Or go wild and try this with black eyed peas!
- Garlic – If you can, use fresh garlic cloves. They are so much better than garlic powder or even the jarred minced garlic when it comes to flavor.
- Olive oil – Since there are only a few ingredients, use the best quality olive oil you can find/buy. I prefer to use an extra virgin olive oil because it has a light, fruity flavor.
- Parsley – Definitely use fresh parsley. Be sure to rinse and dry it really well.
- Lemon – Same thing as the garlic, fresh lemon juice is best. And, if your lemons are extra juicy, toss in a little lemon zest.
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How To Make White Bean Hummus

- Add all the ingredients, minus the olive oil, to a food processor. Pulse a few times to get things mixing.

- Then turn on the processor and drizzle the olive oil it. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Storage & Leftovers
Once you make the hummus, it will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to keep it tightly covered.
This means you can also make it a few days ahead of time! Just be sure to give it a quick stir before you serve it again.
Best Dippers For Hummus
- Pita bread
- Pita chips
- Cucumbers
- Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Celery
- Crackers
- Naan
- Bagel chips

Yes, you can! Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are typically used in hummus but there are so many ways to vary the recipe. Use black eyed peas, white beans, or even kidney beans.
There are quite a few “white bean” options out there. The most popular, or what is typically meant, by white bean is cannellini beans. They have a texture similar to chickpeas and are very creamy. You can also use navy beans, Great Northern bean, or butter beans which are baby lima beans.

Tapas Tips & Tricks
- If it’s too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, pulsing after each one.
- Add some texture and flavor to the hummus by topping with everything bagel seasoning, toasted sesame seeds, Dukkah (a nutty spice blend), caramelized onions, pico de gallo, or some crumbled feta cheese.
- The hummus will thicken slightly once it’s chilled.
- When you store the hummus, I like to place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the hummus, or drizzle a very thin layer of olive oil on it. It helps to keep it fresh.
- Spice it up with jalapeno, crushed red pepper flakes, or Tajin.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!

This creamy white bean hummus recipe uses cannellini beans instead of chickpeas and skips the tahini! Light, smooth, and perfect with veggies or crackers for snacking.

White Bean Hummus
Ingredients
- 31 ounces cannellini beans 2 cans, drained, rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup parsley fresh, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons water optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse a few times to get things mixing.
- Turn on for a minute or so, watching until all the ingredients are blended to your liking.
- If it seems thicker than you like, add some water a tablespoon at a time.
- I added the above amounts of salt and pepper but feel free to season to your liking.
Notes
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if it’s too thick.
- Add some texture and flavor to the hummus with topping s like everything bagel seasoning.
- Chill for best flavor.
- Spice it up with jalapeno or crushed red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
{Originally published 01/10/17. Photos and recipe notes updated 07/02/25}
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Absolutely delicious! I used great northern beans and cilantro instead of parsley. This is definitely a staple for me now.
Thanks!
Can I use cilantro instead of parsley? Soaking yellow eyed beans to make tomorrow. Thank you for a delicious hummus recipe.
You sure can!
Can I use yellow eyed beans? Tried this recipe once before and it was better than any other I have bought?
You sure can!
Easy and so good! Garbanzo beans have natural sulfites, which I cannot eat, so this dip is PERFECT for me. I love it!
I tried this recipe for the first time and it turned out amazing! My family liked it and it was very easy to make.
Thank you! So glad you liked it!!
Wow, this sounds really good. Never thought to use white beans instead of Garbanzo.
I love that you have a favorite bean list! I mean, who doesn’t, really? (Shout out to my #1, black beans!) The hummus looks perfect for a slightly-healthier-than-I-usually-make snack. I need some of those in my life.
I definitely need more of those kinds of snacks and not the chocolate covered ones:)