This chocolate dessert hummus takes just 5 minutes to put together, plus hands-off chill time. It's deep chocolate flavor and thick, brownie batter-like consistency pairs well with fresh fruits, pretzels or graham crackers for a sweet dessert platter or party appetizer. Loved by adults and children alike, this is sure to be a popular potluck dish.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe may quickly become a favorite. It is:
FAST - This chocolate hummus recipe takes just about 5 minutes of hands-on time and the food processor does all the work. Easy peasy!
NO COOK - By using precooked canned beans, we skip right over cooking and straight into making this delicious dessert hummus.
PANTRY FRIENDLY - This recipe uses canned garbanzo beans and cocoa powder and is flexible on the sweetener so you can use just about anything you happen to have on hand.
PARTY FRIENDLY - A tray of dippers surrounding this delectable chocolate dessert hummus is not only beautiful, but I promise your guests will keep coming back for more.
SNACK FRIENDLY - Looking for an after school or work snack you can feel good about? This is it. The cocoa powder is rich in antioxidants and the beans have a good balance of plant protein and healthy carbs to refuel those engines.
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Ingredients + Equipment
Here's a quick run-down of everything you'll need to make this recipe. See recipe card for specific quantities and detailed instructions.
Ingredients
Canned Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas - Garbanzos are the base of our recipe, and are a traditional ingredient in hummus. While you can certainly use your own home cooked beans, I use canned here for speed and convenience. Garbanzos, aka Chickpeas, are little nutrition powerhouses belonging to the legume family. They contain all nine essential amino acids (those are the ones we need to get from our food because our bodies cannot make them) and they are simply PACKED with fiber. One cup of chickpeas has close to half the Recommended Daily Allowance for fiber! (1)
Cocoa Powder - The source of our chocolate flavor, cocoa powder is made from crushed cacao beans that have then had the fat (the cocoa butter) extracted. I've made this with both natural and dark cocoa powders, so go with your personal preference.
Coconut Sugar- Coconut sugar is the dehydrated sap of the coconut palm and adds the sweetness needed in this hummus to balance the bitterness of the cocoa powder. It has a slightly nutty and caramel-y flavor that nicely complements the chocolate in this hummus. Substitute brown sugar for a similar flavor profile.
Almond Butter - Almond butter is our fat source for this hummus and it helps give a rich and creamy mouthfeel, along with a subtle flavor undertone. You could use any nut butter such as cashew or peanut butter, or substitute sunflower butter or tahini for a nut-free option with variations in final flavor.
Unsweetened Almond Milk - We need some liquid to get everything to blend together. Almond milk is nice here since we are using almond butter, but any type will work (soy, cashew, etc.).
Vanilla Extract + Salt - These are our enhancers. Vanilla adds a subtle sweetness and salt provides balance between the sweet and bitter ingredients.
See recipe card for specific quantities and detailed instructions.
Equipment
You'll need a food processor or a high-speed blender for this hummus. A blender will give you smoother results. I find the food processor easier to clean and easier to get the hummus out of, so that’s my personal choice. Plus once you add the chocolate chips and a dipper, you really can't tell that the texture isn't perfectly smooth.
Instructions
Making this chocolate hummus couldn’t be easier, simply dump the ingredients into a food processor and blend.
Put everything except the mini chocolate chips into a food processor.
Blend on High for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides once. It will seem a little loose or wet, but will thicken up.
Move your chocolate hummus to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours for it to thicken and for the flavors to meld together. You can also make this ahead and refrigerate it overnight.
When ready to serve, transfer it to a bowl and top with the mini chocolate chips. I like to center the bowl on a larger platter and surround it with dippers. Strawberries, blackberries, sliced tart apple (like Granny Smith), mini pretzels, graham crackers and vanilla wafers are all great accompaniments.
This dish tastes best when it’s been chilled and has had a chance to properly set. It's a great item to add your meal prep routine to portion out and pack as a snack with fresh berries and/or pretzels.
Wondering what else you can do with this Chocolate Dessert Hummus? Besides serving it as an appetizer or dessert with dippers, try spreading it on pancakes, rolling it into crepes, or creating a decadent alternative to avocado toast by topping sourdough with the hummus and sliced fresh berries.
Substitutions
Chickpeas - Garbanzos are the traditional bean used in hummus and their flavor is fairly mild. Substitute any other mild white bean or try black beans, which are a common “secret” ingredient in brownies as they are a good complement for chocolate.
Coconut Sugar - Substitute brown sugar for a similar flavor profile.
Almond Butter - Use any other nut or seed butter or your choice, or tahini, with slight variations in the final flavor.
Almond Milk - Any variety will work (soy, almond, cashew, etc).
Storage
Store in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 5 days.
While you technically can freeze hummus, I do not recommend it since the texture usually changes upon thawing.
Top Tip
If you prefer a very smooth texture, use a high speed blender like a Vitamix. Alternatively you can hand-pick the skins off the chickpeas before adding them to the food processor. This will help make your hummus smoother.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Dessert Hummus
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans / chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant milk *See notes
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¼ cup natural almond butter *See notes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips, dairy free
Instructions
- Put everything but the chocolate chips in the bowl of a food processor. Run it on high for 3 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides. The mixture will be wet, this is normal as it thickens upon refrigeration.1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans / chickpeas, ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup coconut sugar, ¼ cup natural almond butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Move to a storage container and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight to thicken and for the flavors to meld.
- When ready to serve, stir and top with mini chocolate chips and serve alongside your choice of dippers.2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips, dairy free
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
All the kids who eat this say No! This recipe tastes chocolaty and lightly sweet, almost like a brownie batter. The chickpeas provide body and a neutral base, but their flavor is overridden by the other ingredients as well as the dippers it gets eaten with.
This recipe is naturally gluten free. Serve with fruit and/or gluten free pretzels.
In addition to making a great dip for fruit and crunchy snacks like pretzels, chocolate hummus can be used to top cupcakes, pancakes or to make a decadent alternative to avocado toast. Simply top a piece of toasted sourdough with chocolate hummus and sliced strawberries.
Eating chocolate hummus with fruit can easily be part of a healthy eating plan. While it does contain sugar, it's also full of fiber, protein and antioxidants and is a healthier alternative to many common snack foods.
More Recipes
Looking for more desserts? Try this Easy Plum Compote Dessert Sauce for a fancy-sounding but incredibly easy way to dress up your ice cream.
Prefer to stick with chocolate? Bake up a loaf of this moist Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread for all the cozy feels.
Need another party dip/spread? You've got to try this Homemade Vegan Almond Ricotta - it's an excellent crudite dip or spread for crostini... and it's also pretty darn spectacular on pizza or stirred into your favorite pasta dish!
References
- Cleveland Clinic article: What are Chickpeas and are they Healthy?
Cari
Delicious! Thanks for the guidance. I want to make my own to skip the plastic container. Also I’m going to make mine extra chocolatey
Julia
OMG, why is this so good?! Everyone loved it, thank you!