“Spread the love” is going literal (and deliciously snackable!) with this Chocolate Hummus. Sound odd? Stay with me here. It’s thick and creamy, lightly sweet, and made for dipping with fruit, pretzels, graham crackers, or my preferred consumption method: from the bowl with a spoon.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
5 Star Review
“AMAZING! Subtly sweet, smooth, and delicious with strawberries and pretzels! I cannot wait to make another batch!”
— Sarah —
My first chocolate hummus experience was at a friend’s house.
She’d bought a container of Trader Joe’s chocolate hummus (apparently, it has a bit of a cult following), and I took a tiny bite out of pure curiosity.
My verdict was a progressive one.
- First, it tasted different (like Avocado Brownies), but not in a bad way.
- Then it was quite enjoyable.
- Then I started piling it onto my plate with what would probably be regarded as bad manners.
Basically, I was hooked from that moment onward and knew I needed to create a homemade chocolate hummus recipe ASAP.
About Chocolate Hummus
If you’re new to the chocolate hummus game, you may be wondering when and how to serve chocolate hummus.
You can serve it as an appetizer with fruit and pretzels, or as a dessert with graham crackers or shortbread cookies.
I especially love to bring it to parties because it’s unique and unexpected (like my favorite Homemade Hummus and Edamame Hummus).
Another reason I love to bring this recipe to parties: chocolate hummus is healthy for you overall, especially when compared to other typical party dishes.
- Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, and they contain several vitamins and minerals.
- Tahini offers tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Maple syrup sweetens the hummus naturally, and it also offers tons of antioxidants.
- What you serve chocolate hummus with makes it healthy, too, especially if you add fruit.
This recipe is a nice way to sneak a healthy option into any spread (as are these Sweet Potato Brownies). It’s also naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
How to Make Chocolate Hummus
Unbeknownst to those at your table, this creamy and healthy chocolate hummus recipe isn’t just loaded with plenty of chocolate flavor but PACKED with protein, fiber, and the natural sweetness of maple syrup.
Fool them next with this healthy Avocado Chocolate Mousse.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas. The key to the creamy texture and richness. Choose low-sodium canned chickpeas or cooked garbanzo beans for this hummus. For another chickpea dessert, try these Chickpea Blondies.
- Cocoa Powder. The main event for scrumptious chocolatey goodness!
- Tahini. Deliciously savory and creamy. Depending on which grocery store you visit, tahini can be located in a couple of different places. Most often, you will find it near the nut butter or in the international/ethnic aisle.
- Maple Syrup. For natural sweetness! You can easily adjust the amount to suit your tastes. If you don’t need the chocolate hummus vegan, you can use honey.
- Espresso Powder. This is my secret to intensifying the chocolate flavor of any recipe. It’s optional, but if you are a serious dark chocolate lover, I highly recommend it.
- Vanilla. Vanilla + chocolate = dream team!
What do you dip in chocolate hummus?
You can serve this chocolate hummus with so many things (or enjoy it right off the spoon!), but here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Chips. The ultimate salty/sweet mixture. Pretzels, pita chips, or plain potato chips would be delicious. Be sure the chips are sturdy (like pretzels), so they don’t break in the dip.
- Fruit. Delicious with chocolate, and it makes a beautiful presentation. Strawberries, sliced green apple, dried apricots, banana chips, and grapes are all great options.
- Cookies/Crackers. Make it a decadent dessert with shortbread cookies or graham crackers.
- Rice Cakes. Spread the chocolate hummus generously over the top, and enjoy the crunch.
- Toast. Try spreading this hummus generously over toasted bread, then piling sliced fresh bananas or strawberries on top.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Puree. Add the tahini and cocoa powder to the bowl of a food processor. Drizzle hot water over the cocoa, then puree it until smooth. Pour in the maple syrup and puree again.
- Puree Again! Add the remaining ingredients, and puree once more. If needed, adjust the sweetness and consistency to your tastes.
- Serve. Serve the hummus in a bowl with dippers of choice. ENJOY!
Chocolate Hummus
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons hot water plus additional as needed
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup plus additional to taste
- 15 ounces low sodium chickpeas rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (1 can)
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder optional; will yield a more intense chocolate flavor
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For serving: pretzels strawberries, sliced green apple, dried apricots, banana chips, grapes
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tahini and cocoa powder, placing the cocoa directly on top of the tahini. Drizzle the hot water on top of the cocoa. Puree until smooth.
- Pour in the maple syrup. Puree again, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add the chickpeas, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Puree for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping the bowl to scrape down the bowl halfway through. Taste and blend in additional maple syrup if you’d like the hummus sweeter. Once you have it as sweet as you like, if it is thicker than you would like, blend in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water. It should be thick and creamy, but still “dippable.”
- Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. Serve with dippers of choice and dive in!
Notes
- TO STORE: Place in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- TO FREEZE: Store chocolate hummus in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before serving, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well.
Should the chickpeas be drained and rinsed?
If using canned, I mean. Thanks!
Hi Rachel! Yes, they should be drained and rinsed. I hope you love the recipe!
Yum! Mine turned out a little gritty, but it has a lot of the cocoa flavor that I crave. I ate it with strawberries and enjoyed it very much. I will make this again. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Liz! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I love chocolate hummus, but always ate it outside. I always think of this as a tough to prepare. Thank you for sharing the recipe next weekend I am going to prepare this using my food processor.
I hope you love the recipe, Alie!
I made this yesterday and have eaten it all already! Comfort food I can feel good about eating. I did add a bit more maple syrup. The texture was pretty thick, I thought about adding some water to thin it but wasn’t sure how that would affect it. Overall a great recipe
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Bonnie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This sounds delicious but I don’t care for tahini – do you think I could substitute in peanut butter or almond butter? And if so, at the same ratio as the tahini?
Hi Christina! While I haven’t tried it myself, I think you could experiment with almond butter or cashew butter. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Never in my life have I heard of chocolate hummus but I got a wild hair and decided to try it. It is AMAZING! Subtly sweet, smooth, and delicious with strawberries and pretzels! I cannot wait to make another batch!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Sarah! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wow I just made this and it tastes like chocolate ice cream! I am amazed. Thank you Erin!
Hi Christina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Really interesting recipe. I didn’t expect chickpeas to work in a sweet dish, but the chocolate flavor comes through nicely and the texture is super smooth. I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, so it felt more like a snack I could enjoy anytime. Thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear you enjoyed the hummus, Sandra! Thank you!