Our chocolate hummus recipe will satisfy any chocolate craving, and it’s super healthy — loaded with plenty of protein (and flavor, too!)
As unusual as it sounds, I’ve always been a big fan of beans – from pinto to garbanzo and everything in-between. I’ve successfully used black beans in brownies and garbanzo beans in flourless muffins.
They were delicious.
After making hatch chile hummus, and smoky red lentil hummus, I though to myself ~ I wonder if I can throw in cacao powder and make chocolate hummus?
Yes indeed. Folks, I tried it. It’s a winner!
Hummus is traditionally made by combining garbanzo beans with tahini, olive oil, salt, pepper and sometimes even garlic. It can be modified quite easily to make hummus of any kind, making it quite versatile.
Toss in lentils if you want to switch things up.. maybe even sweet potatoes if you are feeling adventurous. 🍠
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are easy to make in the Instant Pot. Make a big batch of garbanzo beans and freeze in smaller portions to have beans ready to whip up this hummus in a hurry.
Chocolate Hummus Recipe
I remember the day that I whipped up this hummus. I had a little over a cup of garbanzo beans left from dinner.. and my youngest son wanted to eat them (as-is).
Then it hit me… “wait! I can use this to make hummus!” I dumped them in the food processor, only to turn around and hear that same child say “mom – you should put chocolate in there, I bet that’s good!”
And that’s how it all began.
After adding a little maple syrup, dash of water, and vanilla extract, I whipped it into a delicious spread. Spoons with this creamy hummus were passed around.
One loved it, but the others weren’t convinced.
So I added an additional splash of maple syrup and a teeny bit more cocoa. Once again, spoons were passed around as I looked for some type of facial expression.
“Mom! This is so good! It tastes like chocolate nutella!”
Since then, the kids have been enjoying it by the spoonful. They spread on toasted bread and as a dip for their apples. You could also use it as a dip for pretzels, crackers or by itself.. eaten with a spoon.
pA food processor certainly works quite well to make this hummus but you can also use a high powered blender. If you are using a BlendTec or Vitamix, it’s best if you add the liquids before the beans.
Tips for Making Chocolate Hummus
This hummus is so easy to mix together … in just mere minutes you can have a new batch for yourself or the kids. Make a huge batch of garbanzo beans every other week and freeze them in smaller portions.
With a few extra additions (cocoa/cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract), you can have this creamy indulgence in less than a few minutes.
While this recipe can be made with cannellini beans or even black beans, if you are using garbanzo beans, you might want to remove the skin.
It’s not completely necessary, but it will result in a creamier hummus. To remove the outer skin, pinch each bean between your forefinger and thumb.
Ingredients
- 2 C. garbanzo beans, cooked and drained
- 1/4 C. maple syrup (or raw honey)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 C. organic cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- 2-3 Tbsp water
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients (with the exception of the water) in a high powered blender or food processor.
- Blend for 30 seconds to one minute until smooth -- add the additional water as needed (1 Tbsp at a time until mixture is the right consistency).
- Taste - and add additional maple syrup/honey, or cocoa/cacao as needed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated and enjoyed for up to 4 days.
- See notes at bottom to adapt for other bean varieties.
Notes
This recipe can be made with black beans or even cannellini beans. If you are using garbanzo beans, take a few minutes to remove the outer skin of the bean before pureeing -- that can be done by pinching each bean between your forefinger and thumb.
Have you ever considered making chocolate hummus? What’s your favorite way to enjoy hummus?
If you have an Instant Pot, check out these easy garbanzo bean recipes!
How to Make Garbanzo Beans in the Instant Pot
