Dessert Hummus

If you’re looking for a healthy dessert recipe and the perfect way to use up those lonely chickpeas in the pantry, then this is the treat for you. This cinnamony Dessert Hummus is wholesome, satisfying, and seriously crave-worthy. This Chocolate Hummus is also so good.

This sweet treat made with chickpeas has gained much popularity in the past few years and for good reason! Not only are chickpeas loaded with fiber to keep you full, but they blend into the perfect creamy consistency for dipping. Step aside, caramel sauce—there’s a new dessert dip in town.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, hummus for dessert? But hear me out! This is not your average hummus.

While it’s made with a chickpea base, we add tasty ingredients like almond butter, maple syrup, dates, and cinnamon to elevate the humble garbanzo bean to a dreamy dessert dish.

If you have ever made Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites you know that chickpeas actually make a pretty amazing sweet treat. 

It tastes and feels a little like cookie dough but without any flour, eggs, or artificial sugar. That sounds like a huge win to me! I recommend pairing this dessert hummus recipe with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or pretzels for a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Oh, and the best part? This recipe is totally kid-approved. Tried and true! Whether you’re looking for a delightful after-dinner snack or a dip to serve on the snack board at your next party, Dessert Hummus is the perfect choice.

Looking for savory hummus ideas? Don't miss our Cauliflower Hummus, White Bean Hummus, Avocado Hummus, or Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

Key Ingredients

To bring this dessert dip to life, you will need the following key ingredients:

• Chickpeas: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the base of almost any hummus recipe. For this recipe, feel free to use canned chickpeas or cook your own at home.
• Almond butter: This adds a deliciously nutty flavor and tons of protein, while also contributing to the beautiful creamy consistency. Swap it out for peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter if needed.
• Maple syrup: Opt for pure maple syrup to avoid unwanted additives. If you aren’t worried about keeping it vegan, feel free to use honey instead. However, I love the rich flavor that maple syrup adds to the mix!
• Dates: Often used as an all-natural alternative to traditional sweeteners, dates are sweet and deeply rich. It’s basically the key to making the best dessert hummus ever. Make sure to use the pitted kind.
• Almond milk: This thins out the consistency of the hummus without taking away from the delicious flavors. You can adjust the amount as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Any non-dairy milk will work. Water also works. 

How to Make Dessert Hummus

This hummus is really easy to make with a food processor or high-speed blender. 

1. Blend until smooth and creamy

Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, almond butter, maple syrup, dates, and almond milk to the food processor. Blend until the texture is smooth and creamy.

If it still feels gritty, add some extra milk or almond butter. Some people like to add some additional oil as well. Coconut oil or a neutral oil is best. Olive oil can slightly change the flavor. 

If you don't want to add more milk or oil, add some ice-cold water or even a couple of ice cubes. This helps the hummus get super creamy.

2. Taste and adjust

Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to the sweetness of dessert hummus. Taste the hummus and adjust accordingly with more dates or maple syrup. 

Additionally, if the hummus tastes bland, it may need a touch of sea salt to help the flavors pop. 

Finally, you can always adjust the amount of vanilla extract or cinnamon to play up those flavors.

Serve with fresh-cut fruit, graham crackers, or pretzels.

Recipe Ideas and variations

With a consistency similar to cookie dough and an incredibly delicious flavor, Dessert Hummus is quickly taking the foodie world by storm. In addition to being super easy to make, it’s also easy to switch up!

You can change the flavor profile by swapping out ingredients based on what you have at home and what you’re in the mood for.

Here are some of my favorite ways to make this dish your own:

• Add cocoa powder. Blend 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the mixture for a rich, chocolatey flavor. Unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder both work great. Or squeeze in extra protein with a chocolate-flavored protein powder.
• Stir in chocolate chips: Don’t have any cocoa powder? No problem. Try topping off your hummus with some dark chocolate chips to satisfy that chocolate craving.
• Get to drizzling! For a photo-worthy finish, try drizzling some maple syrup, honey, or nut butter on top of the final dish.
• Add banana: For that signature chunky monkey flavor, top this Dessert Hummus off with sliced bananas and chocolate chips! Or, infuse that banana flavor into the hummus by blending some into the hummus.
• Brownie batter: Looking for a dessert recipe with black beans? If so, then this is the variation for you! You can make a delicious batch of Brownie Batter Chocolate Hummus with a combination of black beans, cocoa powder, stevia or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond milk.
• Birthday cake: Add a good dose of vanilla extract to the hummus to create a birthday cake flavor. Fold in rainbow sprinkles to really make it feel like cake.
• Snickerdoodle cookies: The version I am sharing today resembles snickerdoodle cookies with cinnamon. If you want to double down on that flavor, add double the cinnamon and swap in sugar for the maple syrup.

Ways to Serve Dessert Hummus

This dish tastes absolutely incredible on its own (meaning you can go ahead and dig your spoon right in) and also works great as a dip. If you’re choosing the latter, here are some of my serving recommendations for dipping:

• Fresh fruit: Strawberries, sliced apples, bananas, pears, raspberries, and peaches all work great!
• Graham crackers: Graham crackers have the perfect surface area (aka lots of it) to dollop a generous portion of dessert hummus onto.
• Pretzels: There’s nothing quite like a classic salty-and-sweet combo.
• Pita chips: Have you ever tried cinnamon pita chips? Grab yourself a bag and dip into your hummus for a seriously blissful treat.

How to Store Homemade Hummus

If your family is anything like mine, then this delicious snack won’t last very long. Luckily, it’s beyond easy to make (under 10 minutes!) and also stores incredibly well.

To store homemade hummus, transfer it to an airtight storage container. Then, you can store your leftovers in one of two ways:

• In the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
• In the freezer for up to 3 months.

Is dessert hummus good for you?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Dessert Hummus is made from a combination of chickpeas, almond butter, pure maple syrup, dates, and almond milk. This means that it is chock-full of fiber and protein, without any artificial sugar. It’s also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

With that said, some store-bought versions can have large amounts of sugar so it is important to check the label and ingredients.

Our favorite store-bought dessert hummus options include Park Street (from Aldi), Sabra Dark Chocolate Hummus, and Good and Gather Brownie Bater Hummus, and Tribe Sea Salt Caramel Hummus.