Dessert Hummus: Yes, Please or We’ll Pass

We’re starting a new series called “Yes, Please or We’ll Pass” where we try a food trend and offer our verdict. Sometimes the buzz dies down, and a must-have becomes a passing fad. On the other hand, nothing can become a tradition until enough people give it a try.

First up: dessert hummus. Keep reading to learn what dessert hummus is all about, the recipes we tried, and what we thought of the results.

Dessert Hummus: What Is It?

Savory hummus is a spread made from chick peas, garlic, and olive oil. Dessert hummus was pioneered by Delighted by Hummus, who kept the chick pea base and swapped out the other ingredients for a sweet taste. Their flavors include Brownie Batter, Vanilla Bean, Choc-o-Mint, and Snickerdoodle, and you can probably find it at your local grocery store.

Dessert Hummus: How We Made It

Just like savory hummus can be made at home, so can dessert hummus. We found an assortment of recipes on Spoon University, home to all sorts of trendy foods. Of the ten recipes they featured, we decided to try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Hummus and the Banana Hummus.

Both recipes called for a single can of chick peas, drained and rinsed. We started with Banana Hummus, which also includes frozen bananas, protein powder, almond milk, and vanilla. Additional sweetener is optional. It took a while to get all the ingredients to blend properly; a food processor or even an immersion blender (with fresh bananas, not frozen) might have worked better. After blending, we stirred in some chocolate chips to make it look like the picture on Spoon University.

Next, we made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Hummus, which includes chick peas, peanut butter, honey or maple syrup (we used honey), and chocolate chips. This recipe definitely would have been easier to make with an immersion blender. Instead, we added a couple tablespoons of almond milk to help smooth it out in the blender.

Dessert Hummus: Yes, Please! (With a Few Caveats)

Both recipes tasted delicious, and we would definitely make dessert hummus again. We dipped apples and pretzel sticks in both varieties, and each combination was a winner. Next time, we’ll try graham crackers too. Dessert hummus would be a fun after school snack for kids that’s more nutritious than cookies or fruit snacks, and more of a treat than a plain piece of fruit.

We would use fresh bananas instead of frozen bananas, and blend with an immersion blender instead of a full-size blender. We might also leave out the protein powder, unless you have some that you love. Ours gave the Banana Hummus a strange aftertaste. Finally, because bananas turn an unappetizing shade when they oxidize, we’d add some lemon juice. We may need to counteract that tartness with some added sweetener though.

All in all, we were pleasantly surprised by how well dessert hummus went over with our kids. Yes, please!

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