Place garlic in a food processor, hand blender or good ol’ fashioned mortar & pestle; process, chop or beat until finely minced.
Add olive oil, tahini and salt, and blend again until smooth.
If you want to keep your hummus a little chunky, reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the chickpeas in a separate bowl.
Add the remaining chickpeas, 2 tbsp. lemon juice and spices (if using) to the food processor and continue to pulse until smooth.
If the mixture is too thick, you can add a couple teaspoons of water to thin it out.
Adjust seasoning if needed (might need more salt or lemon juice).
Spoon mixture into a medium bowl, and if you like, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and more chili flakes.
Serve with pita bread, crackers, celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, zucchini, carrot sticks or broccoli.