I tried store-brand hummus from Costco, Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. I'd bike 40 minutes just for a taste of the winner.

By: Ted Berg

10 January 2025 at 12:15

Container of Trader Joe's organic hummus, with a green label, on a plate with multicolored carrots and pretzel crisps — I compared grocery-store hummus to see which was the tastiest.
Ted Berg

I ranked hummus from Trader Joe's, Costco, Whole Foods, and Wegmans from worst to best.
I thought Trader Joe's organic hummus could've used a squeeze of lemon.
Wegmans' hummus topped with garlic and chickpeas was hands-down my favorite dip.

Though hummus, a tasty dip or spread made from chickpeas, is available in almost every supermarket, I've wondered which is the best one.

To find out, I bought hummus from Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe's, and Wegmans and compared them.

I purchased the most basic version available and ate each dip with carrots and pretzel chips. Here's how each spread stacked up, from worst to best.

I started with Trader Joe’s organic hummus.

Container of Trader Joe's organic hummus, with a green label, and swirled top of hummus — Trader Joe's organic hummus had the lightest color out of all the dips I tried.
Ted Berg

For the sake of this comparison, I chose Trader Joe's plain organic hummus over the Mediterranean-style and roasted-garlic options.

Out of all the hummus I tried, this one looked the driest and least vibrant in color.

I thought Trader Joe's organic hummus was mediocre.

The hummus wasn't unpleasant, but the texture was mealy rather than creamy. I thought there was too much cumin, and it needed a squeeze of lemon.

Overall, it was good, but the flavor wasn't all that exciting. I'd buy it again if I needed hummus and was at Trader Joe's, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

The Kirkland Signature organic roasted-pine-nut hummus looked delicious.

Container of Kirkland Signature organic roasted-pine-nut hummus with pile of pine nuts and oil on the top of the hummus — The Kirkland Signature organic roasted-pine-nut hummus had lots of toppings.
Ted Berg

Costco sells packs of snack-sized Kirkland Signature hummus, but I selected the 34-ounce organic roasted-pine-nut variety for this comparison.

The tub of hummus was rimmed with a layer of oil and topped with pine nuts, herbs, garlic, and roasted peppers.

I'm not sure if the Kirkland Signature hummus would please everyone.

Container of stirred Kirkland Signature hummus with visible pieces of pine nuts in it. The container sits on a white plate with multicolored carrots — The Kirkland Signature hummus looked good once I mixed the toppings in.
Ted Berg

Out of all the hummus brands I tried, this option tasted the most bland without mixing in the toppings. I also found it to be a bit grainy.

I thought mixing the toppings into the hummus made it look less appetizing, but the additional oil and prominent red peppers improved the flavor.

I enjoyed this hummus, but I could imagine it being divisive. For example, I already knew my kids wouldn't like it because of its red-pepper flavor.

I'd opt for a more traditional hummus if I were serving others.

The 365 original hummus from Whole Foods didn't look too special.

Container of Whole Foods 365 original hummus with a white label on a wooden container — I thought the 365 original hummus had a good color.
Ted Berg

My local Whole Foods had a broad selection of hummus, including a handful of store-label 365 choices.

The 365 original hummus had a nice color, looked creamy, and came without toppings.

For me, the 365 hummus was great.

Container of 365 original hummus on a white plate with multicolored carrots and pretzel crisps — The 365 original hummus had a great flavor and texture.
Ted Berg

The 365 option was everything I could reasonably hope for in a grocery-store hummus. It was flavorful and had the earthiness of tahini, distinct notes of cumin, and a velvety texture.

This hummus was good enough to buy again. In fact, I won't even bother perusing Whole Foods' other options.

Wegmans' hummus came with a garlic-and-chickpea topping.

Container of Wegmans hummus with chickpeas on top of hummus on a wooden cutting board — The hummus from Wegmans came with a roasted-garlic-and-chickpea topping.
Ted Berg

The Wegmans I visited offered an overwhelming selection of store-brand hummus, including dill-pickle, bagel, and jalapeño-cilantro options.

Though all of the options looked delicious, I decided to stick to the simplest-looking hummus for the sake of this taste test.

The hummus from Wegmans was my favorite.

Stirred up container of Wegmans hummus on a white plate with multicolored carrots — I thought the hummus from Wegmans was hands-down the best.
Ted Berg

Wegmans' hummus was a cut above the competition from the first bite. Even before I mixed in the roasted-garlic-and-chickpea topping, this hummus stood out for its moist, creamy texture and bright, citrusy tang.

With the garlic mixed in, it was undoubtedly the best hummus I've ever found at a supermarket — and better than plenty of dips I've had at restaurants. I finished the container of Wegmans' hummus the same day I did this taste test.

My nearest Wegmans is a 40-minute bike ride away, but I'll make that trip for this hummus again.

This story was originally published on March 6, 2024, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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