9 Trader Joe's Hummus Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Hummus has been around for a very long time, first appearing in a cookbook from the 13th century, and most likely having existed since ancient times. Its main ingredient, the chickpea, is believed to have been an agricultural staple in the Middle East for 7,000 years or more. At its most basic, hummus is a combination of cooked chickpeas that are ground or puréed and mixed with tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Typical additions include oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and spices such as cumin. Many countries and cultures take credit for the invention of hummus, but while its exact origins are lost to history, there's no denying that it's now a popular dish the world over.

Today, the base hummus recipe acts as something of a blank canvas for culinary experimentation. One place you'll see that unbridled creativity is at Trader Joe's, a store that offers an exceptionally wide variety of the dip. As a regular Trader Joe's shopper and a big fan of hummus, I decided to try each type and rank them against each other. Texture, originality, value, and overall deliciousness were all things I considered. Here are all of Trader Joe's hummus flavors, from worst to best. 

Of all the Trader Joe's hummus varieties, the Organic Hummus was the one I wanted to go back to the least. It's a perfectly serviceable hummus, and all of the ingredients are organic — I always appreciate organic labels on foods. Compared to all of the other options, though, it's the least flavorful, and the only one that I felt was under-seasoned. There was a bit of an odd finish to this hummus, too, with a tinge of bitterness that was less than pleasant. Garlic and cumin are listed in the ingredients, but they were tough to detect. The combination of blandness and bitterness was not a winning duo.

The texture of this organic hummus was also nothing to write home about. It had a dense, oily consistency that made it feel thick and heavy compared to the rest. Paired with crackers that had a decent amount of salt, the hummus had a little bit of a better flavor, but still didn't really shine. There are other traditional hummus varieties from Trader Joe's that are much tastier and have better balance.

I typically love roasted red pepper hummus, so I was honestly shocked that this ended up so low in the ranking. There just wasn't anything roasted about it. Typically, with this style, there's a nice, rich, deep, savory flavor, but this tasted more like pickled or jammy red peppers that were tangy and sweet. That's not a dealbreaker — I love a good pickled pepper — but it made me sad that I didn't get that roasted flavor I was looking for.

Another odd thing about this hummus is the inclusion of bits of pepper stirred throughout, while it also has a dollop of bell pepper relish in the center. Typically, when hummus has a topping like this, I like it because you can choose whether or not and how much to include in each bite. With this hummus, though, you don't get a choice, as the pepper bits are already in there. If they were crisp and fresh, or roasted and flavorful, that would be one thing, but they were not. Instead, they were slick and slippery, and I found myself wishing they weren't there.

The Creamy Dreamy Hummus from Trader Joe's is definitely creamy. I wouldn't go as far as to call it dreamy, though. The best thing this variety has going for it is its tartness, which adds a lovely, bright dimension to a very simple recipe. I do appreciate that simplicity, with only seven ingredients, but I found myself wishing there was more going on.

With a name like Creamy Dreamy, I was expecting the texture of this hummus to be top-tier. It is smooth, but has a heavier weight than I had hoped for. I wanted an airier consistency, but found it to be surprisingly dense. The combination of tanginess and nuttiness worked well together, flavor-wise, but didn't provide much in the way of excitement. With simple recipes like this, which have very few ingredients, every element needs to be perfect, like the Roman dish cacio e pepe or a classic simple roast chicken. Unfortunately, this hummus doesn't quite come together.

I'll preface this by saying that I regularly buy Trader Joe's Three Layer Hummus, and have eaten a ton of it over the years. Looking at this product analytically, though, I realized it has a few issues. The three layers are not even remotely even, with a tiny smattering of the spicy hummus at the bottom, a massive layer of cilantro jalapeño taking up the bulk, and a little sinkhole of traditional hummus jammed in the middle. Each of these hummus varieties is tasty in its own right. I just don't quite see how they work together.

The cilantro jalapeño hummus is so intensely flavorful, with a lovely sharp, herbaceous, peppery kick, that it takes over, leaving the traditional and spicy layers as afterthoughts. Speaking of the spicy hummus, it's not nearly as hot as the jalapeño, with only a mild paprika warmth. Because it's at the bottom, it's impossible to get to that layer without mixing it up with the other two, so it was hard to get a good read on it. I found myself wishing I could try it on its own. If you like the cilantro jalapeño hummus, which I do, and you don't have a genetically predisposed cilantro aversion, which I don't, I would recommend this. Just don't expect the other two layers to add much.

Trader Joe's Mediterranean Style Hummus has historically been my favorite. It's made countless appearances at gatherings I've hosted, and you'll regularly find a pint of it in my fridge. Despite its middle-of-the-pack placement on this list, I still think it's a great hummus and a great buy, and its relatively large size makes it fabulous for parties. When I tasted it directly against some of the other varieties, though, it wasn't quite as exciting. If you're looking for a classic, traditional hummus with just a few flourishes, this is an excellent choice.

Texture is the main draw of this hummus. It's velvety-soft with an airiness that makes it so versatile and easy to eat. A sprinkling of herbs, a little bit of red pepper, and a topping of pine nuts add dimensions of flavor and texture that accent the hummus without changing its core personality. While there are other more interesting and flavorful hummuses on this list, I'll still be keeping this in my regular rotation.

Anyone who knows me knows that garlic is my reason for living. I love it in all of its forms, but none more than roasted. It's hard to imagine a better aroma than the smell of roasting garlic bulbs — especially if you use the slow cooker and it lingers for hours — so I was delighted to find that whatever magical molecules fill the air during that process were more than present in Trader Joe's roasted garlic hummus. There's a little warmth from cumin, too, that complements the garlic flavor beautifully.

While the flavor of this hummus is lovely, focused but layered and deep, its texture is not my favorite. There's a denseness to it that's not totally off-putting, but gives it a bit of a paste-like consistency that coats the tongue. I wish it was a little bit softer and lighter, but the flavor is so good that I'd still eat it even if it were as dense as a brick. When you're looking to add a little kick of roasted garlic to a sandwich or wrap, this makes a great spread.

Of the classic Trader Joe's hummus varieties that don't involve any additional flavors, this Hummus Dip is by far the most delicious. The combination of this hummus dip's texture, depth of flavor, and balance was surprisingly impressive. Depending on your individual hummus preferences, you may find this to be a bit heavy on the spices — there's a decent amount of cumin, coriander, cayenne, and garlic in here — but I found it to be perfectly seasoned, delightfully punchy, and incredibly vibrant.

In addition to this hummus dip's lively flavor profile, its texture also hits the mark. This hummus is so fluffy and airy, it reminds me of whipped cream or mousse. The combination of the buoyant lightness and bright flavors made this so addictive I had a hard time stopping myself from eating the entire container. I've always reached for the Mediterranean variety as my classic hummus go-to, but I think this dip is going to take its place in my shopping cart from now on.

Trader Joe's Crunchy Chili Onion Hummus is less of a snack and more of an adventure — it's so fun to eat! If you want just hummus with a little tinge of heat, you can eat around the dollop of chili crisp in the center. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for some serious fire, you can go all in on the chili element and temper it with however much hummus you need to balance it out. What's wonderful about the flavor here is that it's not just hot from the chili mixture. There's also a strong savory roasted onion flavor that adds depth and complements the nuttiness of the hummus.

This hummus has a wonderful texture, as well, that's smooth and soft but substantial enough to act as a stable background for the stronger flavors. Chili crisp has become incredibly popular in recent years, and while it may not be a traditional combination with hummus, the two make an undeniably synergistic pair. It was tough not giving this the number one spot, but as much as I love this hummus, I felt that, because of its heat level, it had slightly more limited uses than the first-place victor. Despite that, this should be something you seek out on your next TJ's shopping trip, especially if you enjoy foods with a spicy kick.

I love hummus. I also love tapenade. I have never combined the two, and now that I've had Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus, I feel like I've wasted my life. The briny, savory dollop of tapenade with beautifully silky hummus is such a fantastic duo that it made me mad when I tasted it. I don't get food rage that often, but this hummus brought it on. Not only is the hummus creamy and rich, but the tapenade adds the perfect dimension of meaty, fatty, salty umami, so that when you get a good mouthful of both, it creates a symphony.

I can't recommend this hummus enough, especially if you are a fan of savory, salty foods. The tapenade is made from a combination of Manzanilla and black olives, as well as capers, which add a nice extra bite. As with the chili crisp, you can moderate your tapenade intake with each bite by either swirling it into the whole container or keeping it separate and dipping into it as a garnish. The flexibility of that is fun to play around with. Personally, as a salt fiend, I'd eat buckets of the tapenade on its own, but it is really nicely moderated by the creamy hummus. Trader Joe's olive tapenade hummus is going to be a staple in my refrigerator from now on.

I shopped at my local Trader Joe's for this list, and picked up every variety of hummus they had available. First, I tried each one with a spoon, to get a pure impression. I took note of its flavor, seasoning level, balance, and texture, also keeping value in mind, particularly as they come in various sizes. I then tried each a few more times with typical hummus accompaniments: Pita chips, pita crackers, and vegetables, including cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and celery sticks. In the end, the ranking came down to which hummus varieties I found myself drawn back to, and which ones I didn't feel the desire to purchase again.