10 Popular Sabra Hummus Flavors, Ranked

When I was younger, hummus was a no-go food. Not only was it made with beans (icky!), but its texture was not really pleasing to my underdeveloped taste buds. But after becoming a plant-based eater and practically having to live off the stuff, I've come to appreciate it and its versatility. Not only can it be served as a dip, but it can also be used in sandwiches, as a spread, and more. The better question is, what can't hummus do? 

Like many hummus aficionados, I've tried an array of brands. Heck, I've even tried to make it at home (and for the record, homemade hummus doesn't hold a candle to the store-bought variety, so it's not even worth trying to make it yourself). But one brand that has continued to outdo the rest is Sabra. While it offers a default plain hummus to fall back on, you also have a ton of different flavors to explore, from classics like roasted red pepper and garlic to novel and fun creations, like its chimichurri hummus. In order to decide which Sabra hummuses are worth scooping, I sampled an array of its flavors and ranked them from worst to best. Since I assumed the textures would be the same across the varieties, I mainly looked at the strength and balance of the flavors, and considered which ones sent me back for a second scoop. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I strongly believe buffalo sauce, or hot sauce in general, is something that people use to hide bad food. You can slather it on wings, mac and cheese, eggs, and french fries to essentially obliterate any other flavors and replace them with 100% hot sauce. Using it in excess, at least in my opinion, is a sign of an immature palate. So, I was a little weary about trying this hummus where Frank's RedHot would be the central and sole flavor profile. 

Hummus is very light and dainty; it might have a little beany flavor and some acidity, but it's otherwise inoffensive. The aroma of this hummus alone screams buffalo sauce, and as I expected, it was the only thing I could taste. The spices here were a little more controlled than Sabra's Supremely Spicy selection, though the issue is that I had nothing cooling to reach for because the whole container was buffalo-flavored. The best thing about this hummus was that there was a little acidity on the back end to help brighten it up (and some of Sabra's other hummuses could have really used some brightness).

Sabra essentially made buffalo sauce into a spreadable format. While it may be made with chickpeas and tahini, it doesn't taste anything like hummus, so I don't think it's worth marketing it as such. Moreover, you could serve this at a Super Bowl party or tailgate just for the novelty of it, but it's not a spread I would serve otherwise. 

I'm not the biggest fan of olives (read as: I wouldn't eat a tapenade even if it was the last thing on Earth). So, I knew going in that I would have to be a little more wary of my bias than with other selections. 

I first grabbed a scoop of the spread from the edge, far away from the black hole of olives in the center. Although I was sure that no olives touched this part of the hummus, the briny olive flavor was still very strong. That being said, I think Sabra took a risk on this one because black olives naturally have a very savory and strong flavor to them, which easily overrides the hummus in every way. The olives overpowered the acidity and the freshness of the hummus and washed them away with a salty wave. And I honestly don't think there is a way to have an olive hummus that doesn't just taste like olives. 

While I think this concept was a little bit of a reach, Sabra did an excellent job in cultivating fresh ingredients for it, which is why it didn't earn last place in the ranking. The olives in the center are plump and lush, which would be something an olive lover would really appreciate. It's not a spread that I would indulge in if it was served at a party, but I think that someone who absolutely loves all things olive would go nuts over it. 

When I think of Southwest-style dips, I think of cowboy caviar or some sort of refried bean concoction — not hummus. But Sabra tried to tie in the flavors of the American Southwest with this dip — and it was moderately successful. The second I tasted this spread, I could immediately pick up on cumin, lime, and chipotle notes. It was almost smoky in nature, which is not a flavor profile that hummus often takes on. Those flavors are well-developed and full, but they lack the same freshness as some of the other higher-ranked selections on this list, namely the chimichurri and the roasted pine nut flavors. Sabra would need to add some fresh peppers into the mix and stud the hummus with herbs for the flavor to be brighter, but still uniquely Southwestern. 

Besides its smaller container size, another difference between this dip and the others on this list is that it doesn't contain a center. So, all you're eating is the hummus. And if you couldn't guess, that gets boring rather quickly. I took a couple of bites of this hummus and had to put it down because of how monotonous it was. While the Southwest dip is a great start, I wish Sabra would add something to the center here to help make each bite more exciting, like some seasoned and roasted corn, cilantro, or maybe even chopped jalapeños. 

Sabra's original hummus should set a baseline for what all of the other flavors should work off of. Sure, it is the most plain Jane of hummus varieties, but if you have an interesting cracker, you're going to need a basic hummus to be the backup dancer. 

I had to try the original flavor first, as I didn't want the other hummuses to muddle its flavor. The most prominent flavor I got from this hummus was certainly chickpea. While it might be bad news bears for someone who is bean-averse, I personally think it's a good thing. There is no rancid oil undertone to this hummus, which I find to be the issue with other, cheap store-bought hummus brands. This one, rather, was silky smooth and deeply satisfying. 

Yet, I was wishing that this hummus had just a little more going on. Don't get me wrong, I think this is Sabra's original hummus is most utilitarian and likable of all the hummus varieties, seeing how you can spread it on toast, eat it with crackers, or incorporate into a sandwich without worrying about your flavors clashing. But if you had to snack on this variety for weeks on end, you'd get bored fast. 

Many of the other hummuses on this list had a clear separation of church and state — meaning there was a difference in flavor between the center and the edge. But the slightly pink color of this hummus suggested that some of the red pepper flavoring had broken through and flooded into the hummus. And indeed, when I bit just the hummus sans center, I was met with a very powerful roasted red pepper flavor. It's slightly sweet and almost herbaceous, which was an immediate step-up from the brand's original hummus. I also appreciate that the roasted red pepper in the center of this spread tasted very, very fresh; it was almost like I was biting into a pepper that just came out of the oven. 

But I found myself quickly growing tired of this flavor. Besides the red pepper element, there's very little else going on. I was craving a little bit of heat to brighten up the palate (which is odd, seeing as I rarely crave more heat in any food), or a little bit more salt to help balance out the sweetness and sharpness of the red peppers. As a whole, I think roasted red peppers bring a lot to the table when it comes to hummus. But I think that there are flavors out there, like the higher-ranking ones on this list, that just offer a more interesting and complex bite. 

"Falafel" is an odd flavor for a hummus to take on. But seeing as both hummus and the fried chickpea balls are from the same geographic region, it's a concept that might work. 

The center of this hummus is loaded with little pieces of tomato, onions, and herbs — almost like a little bit of a salad inside of a hummus. The sprinkle of dried herbs (presumably parsley) around the rim is attractive, and would surely win this hummus the high school superlative for "most good looking." 

The first bite of this dip that I took was just the parsley-spiced hummus, rather than the center. And wow — the blast of flavor here was incredible. Hummus is a food that really craves something vegetal, and the parsley was a great addition to the bland bean dip. It added a slightly metallic pop that really enveloped my taste buds and meshed well with the hummus' subtle acidity. I could tell herby hummus was the game here, and Sabra really succeeded at that. 

But the center puddle of veggies and herbs was slightly less successful. The onions and tomatoes are fresh, or at least appear to be. While this is a positive in terms of flavor pungency, it also meant that this hummus was not really conducive to serving cold. The chill and moisture in the center against the room temperature hummus did not make for a cohesive bite. Plus, onions are strong flavors — and they took this hummus more into "Mediterranean salad" territory than a "herby falafel" one. 

Sabra didn't stop at just calling this hummus "spicy." No, no, no — it also had to give it the title of "supremely spicy." In general, I think that spicy foods are a little bit of a risk. If a food is labeled as three-pepper hot spicy (as this one is), you're going to need to expect some serious heat. And everyone's definition of spicy is different, so you're inevitably going to get people that say, "Well, it's not really that hot."

I can guarantee that no one, and I mean no one, will call this hummus "not spicy enough." The center of this hummus is fire-engine red and speckled with red pepper flakes — almost like a warning sign to back off. I tasted the outside hummus ring first and found that none of that heat was in the hummus. Therefore, each swipe could be a great contrast between hot and spicy and cool and mellow. At first, when you're eating the center and the rim combined, you'll get a flavor akin to tomatoes and pizza sauce. But then, the spice envelops every taste bud and absolutely singes it. This spice also lasts a while, though it is fresh and piquant enough that it doesn't become monotonous. 

If you don't like spice, don't add this hummus to your cart. Therefore, it's not going to be a flavor that's appealing to everyone and that's conducive for every recipe. But Sabra delivered on its promise of flavor and heat, and I think that's commendable.

I like garlic — and I'm not afraid to admit it. When a recipe calls for three cloves of garlic, I add eight. But even I can see how this roasted garlic hummus can be a problem. There is enough garlic in the center of the container to keep the vampires away for the foreseeable future. Granted, the intention is not that you stick your pita chip in the center of this hummus and eat the garlic scoop by scoop like a deranged, garlic-loving animal; it's that you scoop the garlic towards the outside and eat it with the hummus — which is what I did for this taste test. 

I applaud Sabra for not falling into the trap of many other garlic hummus brands. The garlic in the center here has a soft and slightly sweet flavor, which points to the fact that it really is roasted to some degree, rather than just plopped from a shelf-stable, squeezable garlic container into the center. The sweetness and slightly acidic punch of the garlic really helps out the surrounding hummus and gives it a great flavor with more complexities than the original hummus had to offer. All in all, it's a winning hummus — but I ultimately liked ones that offered a more herbaceous flavor even more. 

Pine nuts are a really underappreciated ingredient. While they are a great addition to pesto, they are equally as good in baked goods, crackers, and spreads. So, I can appreciate that Sabra is trying to make customers more aware of this nut with its roasted pine nut hummus. 

There is a layer of oil on this hummus that I didn't notice the other products had. It had a slightly roasted red pepper flavor to it, though I don't think it did too much for the hummus as a whole. The main ingredients here are instead located in the center, and include a hefty dose of pine nuts, herbs, and chopped red bell peppers.

This is one hummus where the exterior ring of plain hummus really has no purpose. In order for a bite to be exciting, you have to have a good ratio of the center goodies and the outside hummus ring. Luckily, Sabra's proportions are top-notch and there are more than enough pine nuts to go around. The nuts themselves are soft and almost rubbery, and I don't get much flavor from them at all (not that pine nuts have a particularly pungent flavor to begin with). But when you combine them with the hummus (which I think is more garlic-flavored than the original) and some of the herbs, you get a really wholesome and savory bite. It's like the garlic hummus — just upgraded. I think of it more as an "everything and the kitchen sink" hummus than a roasted pine nut variety.

If you've taken a trip to South America before, you may have gotten your hands on the wonderfully savory spread known as chimichurri. Typically, chimichurri is made with parsley or cilantro, garlic, oil, red pepper flakes, and vinegar. It's like pesto's more fun and upbeat cousin, and it's often served as a savory contrast to grilled meats and seafood. 

The herby and piquant flavor of chimichurri makes it a great complement to an otherwise bland hummus; I applaud Sabra for pairing the two together. Like the falafel-inspired hummus, the chimichurri hummus itself is interspersed with herbs. It has a brighter and lighter flavor than the falafel-style hummus, though, which ultimately is the reason why I placed it higher. Plus, the center of this dip was like a smattering of all things herby. There wasn't any onion or tomato to confuse the bite; rather, it made it very clear that it was herb-focused rather than vegetable-focused. Its herbiness and mild, smooth base made it feel like I was eating Boursin cheese rather than a dip made with beans — and that's a feat few hummuses can achieve. 

Though, the color of the center of this hummus leaves something to be desired. It looks like canned spinach — but I can tell you that the flavor is anything but. Despite the connections to South American fare, I would feel comfortable serving this chimichurri hummus with almost any other light appetizers. It would be excellent spread on a sandwich, like an upgraded grilled cheese, or eaten with bread and crackers on a charcuterie board. Its utility, great flavor, and uniqueness make it one spread that I would always like to have in my fridge. 

I sampled each of these dips at room temperature both on a spoon and with a pita chip. The first flavor that I tested was the original one, as I wanted to have something to base all of my other rankings off of. Since Sabra's hummus is mass-produced, I assumed that the texture of the hummus (aside from the center) would be the same. Therefore, when I sampled each hummus, I had to look more at the respective flavor. For one, I considered if the hummus flavor delivered on the package description. I also assessed whether or not there was balance between different flavors, including acidity and saltiness. A hummus with balanced flavors is something that I would want to continue eating, which was ultimately how I ranked each item on this list. 

Many of these hummuses offered a center well of herbs and flavors. Overall, the flavors in the center needed to be compatible with the surrounding hummus. The texture of this center also had to be conducive to eating with the hummus itself, since the center flavoring is supposed to bolster the hummus, rather than the other way around. While I also looked for a hummus with a high utility, meaning one that you could use for different things — like dips, spreads, and more — this came second to having a solid, balanced flavor.