Make this yummy chocolate hummus in less than 5 minutes with pantry staples. This easy, healthy dessert hummus tastes like brownie batter – you’ll want to eat it right off the spoon!
For the longest time, I wished my family would eat beans.
Then I experimented with stretching ground beef using lentils and making Black Bean Brownies and White Bean Blondies, and the results were delicious!
I realized that if I made something with beans – but my family couldn’t SEE the beans – they’d eat it without a word.
And since beans are a frugal pantry staple, I kept looking for ways to add them to our meals.
THE ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE HUMMUS RECIPE
In the most traditional sense, hummus is a creamy puree made with a base of garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), with added garlic, olive oil, tahini (sesame seed butter), and salt.
In my little non-traditional corner of the world, hummus is made with whatever bean I have in the pantry and whatever I have to add to make it taste good.
My family’s favorite hummus recipe skips the tahini and uses more pantry staple ingredients instead for that classic hummus flavor.
So, since I’m already making hummus substitutions, and I’ve already discovered that adding chocolate to beans makes delicious brownies, why not combine the two?
Enter chocolate hummus!
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE HUMMUS RECIPE INGREDIENTS
After testing this recipe no less than 5 times, using different sweeteners with different amounts and adding vanilla and leaving it out and more cocoa and less cocoa and thicker and thinner…
My picky kid not only gave two thumbs up but asked for seconds on this dark chocolate dessert hummus.
Luckily, the chocolate hummus ingredients are pretty simple:
- Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas). You can use canned beans, or you can cook dry beans yourself. Black beans also work well in this chocolate hummus recipe.
- Maple Syrup. We prefer this sweetener, but you can use granulated sugar as well. Honey will likely have too strong of a flavor for chocolate hummus.
- Vanilla Extract. Helps trick your palate into thinking this dessert hummus is sweeter than it is. Here’s how to make your own.
- Cocoa Powder. I usually use raw cacao, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will work.
- Water. You can also use any type of milk instead of water for this hummus recipe, but we found that the flavor of milk, whether dairy or a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk or almond milk, came through in the result. Using water gave the truest “brownie” flavor!
- Salt. A bit of salt helps bring out the sweetness. But not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).
Note that this recipe does NOT call for tahini. I found that the tahini flavor was too strong for this delicate cocoa brownie hummus, and it was expensive too. Why use it when you don’t need it?
And bonus! These simple chocolate hummus ingredients make for a dessert that’s vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making it a perfect allergy-friendly treat!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE HUMMUS INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: In a high-speed blender or a food processor, combine the beans, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder.
Step 2: Blend or puree until the mixture is smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time to create the desired consistency. Taste the chocolate hummus and add additional maple syrup if desired.
Store chocolate hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I do not recommend making extra to freeze.
CHOCOLATE HUMMUS FLAVOR VARIATIONS
- For a richer brownie flavor, add chocolate chips to the hummus after blending.
- Substitute peppermint extract to make mint cocoa hummus.
- Use almond extract instead of vanilla and add shredded coconut for almond joy hummus.
- Add cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper for Mexican cocoa hummus.
- Add instant coffee for mocha cocoa hummus.
- Add Nutella for hazelnut cocoa hummus.
- Add peanut butter for peanut butter cup hummus (or substitute another nut butter like almond butter).
- For a truly decadent treat, consider drizzling caramel on top with a pinch of salt for salted caramel brownie hummus!
CHOCOLATE HUMMUS RECIPE TIPS
- If you use canned beans and there’s salt already added, reduce the salt in the recipe to just a pinch.
- You can remove the skin from garbanzo beans before pureeing for a creamier texture. To do this, pinch the bean between your thumb and index finger, and the skin will peel off.
- If you want a sweeter hummus, increase the maple syrup. Make sure not to thin the hummus too much though – you want a consistency similar to frosting.
- This chocolate hummus recipe is vegan as written. Stick with water instead of the optional milk and you’re good!
WHAT DO YOU EAT CHOCOLATE HUMMUS WITH?
We most often use this dark chocolate hummus recipe as a dip. We love it with fresh fruit like apples, strawberries, pears, and raspberries. For something crunchy, pita chips, graham crackers, and pretzels are our preferred scoopers. But the fun doesn’t end there!
- Make sandwiches or spread dessert hummus on top of toast
- Fold into a quesadilla with bananas or strawberries
- Add brownie hummus to the top of fluffy pancakes or deep pocket waffles
- Use chocolate hummus as a frosting for cakes and brownies
- Mix into overnight oats
- Spread chocolate hummus on rice cakes.
MORE YUMMY DESSERT HUMMUS RECIPES
I was making chocolate hummus before grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and ALDI started carrying it on their shelves. It’s the perfect high-protein snack you can eat right out of the bowl!
My readers love chocolate hummus so much (gauging by 300+ comments and a 4.9-star rating) that I created a whole lineup of dessert hummus recipes (all non-traditional, of course):
HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE HUMMUS FAQS
Can you buy chocolate hummus?
Chocolate hummus has become a trend, and brands like Sabra, Trader Joe’s, HEB, Boar’s Head, and ALDI now make chocolate hummus among other flavors.
Is Sabra chocolate hummus healthy?
As of this writing, Sabra chocolate hummus contains soybean oil and two preservatives. We avoid soy whenever possible, and there’s no need for preservatives when you can use this chocolate hummus recipe to make your own in less than 5 minutes!
How do you store chocolate hummus?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in a freezer for up to three months. Let the frozen chocolate hummus thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before serving. The texture does change slightly with freezing, so if you’re not a fan, just whip up a fresh batch when you want a treat!
MORE YUMMY CHOCOLATE RECIPES
- Homemade Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Healthy Homemade Chocolate Pie
- Chocolate Unbaked Oatmeal Cookies
- Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix Recipe
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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5 Minute Chocolate Hummus
Make this yummy chocolate hummus in less than 5 minutes with pantry staples. This easy, healthy dessert hummus tastes like brownie batter – you’ll want to eat it right off the spoon!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: approx ¾ cup 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans* (how to soak and cook dry beans) OR 1 can of garbanzo beans, strained, rinsed 3 times, with skin removed (see notes below)
- 3 ½ – 4 Tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp water (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender or in a food processor, combine all the ingredients except water, using just 3 ½ Tbsp of maple syrup.
- Puree until the mixture is smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time to create the desired consistency. Taste the chocolate hummus and add the remaining maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- I’ve tested this recipe with great northern beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. I prefer to use black beans since the “bean” flavor is more subtle and they produce a creamier texture, but you can really use whatever you happen to have.
- If you use canned beans and there’s salt already added, reduce the salt in this recipe to just a pinch.
- If you choose garbanzo beans, remove the skin from the bean first. You can do this by pinching the bean between your thumb and index finger, and the skin will peel off. This helps to create a creamier texture.
Nutrition
- Calories: 103
Becca
This sounds great! Any ideas for dipping things – beyond pretzels? Fruit?
Tiffany
Yes! Fruit, vegetables, pretzels… whatever you’d normally dip into hummus or a dip would work great!
Mel
Amazing. Love it with pretzels. Mmmmmm.
Abi
Can you use the raw cacao powder, or does it have to be the cocoa baking powder?
Tiffany
You can try raw cacao powder!
Greg
Hello,
The chocolate hummus recipe looks awesome. I plan to make it over the coming weekend. Thanks very much for the inspiration. You rock.
Rachelle
I made this tonight fir the first time and used black beans as you suggested because I have made the BB brownies in the past and they were great. You’re right about it being like pudding, I think it’s a lot like brownie batter too before adding the water. I can’t wait to incorporate this recipe into my rotation. Thank you so much!
Tiffany
You’re very welcome Rachelle!
Jasmine
I made this tonight. Unfortunately my 4year old did not like it at all. I didn’t mind it though. I’m just not sure how to get her to like it though
Tiffany
Hmmm… can you figure out why she didn’t like it? Is she used to sweeter things? Or is it a texture issue?
Cynthia
This is amazing……tastes amazing
Tiffany
I’m so glad you liked it Cynthia! ♥
Angela Lynch
Thank you! Absolutely delicious I used dates to sweeten instead of syrup. Needed a little more water but I have to say the result was fantastic.
Kim
Oooh, I was reading the comments looking for exactly this! How many dates did you use? My youngest loves this recipe, but I have to call it homemade nutella or he won’t eat it.
Erin
I was just curious which Blendtec you have and what setting you use. I just got one and was so excited to try it out! I’ve been eye balling it for over a year! I made the chocolate hummus but it didn’t seem to want to blend well. I have the classic. It was kind of a bummer.
Tiffany
Hi Erin! I have the classic Blendtec too, but usually use the twister jar for thicker things like hummus. One “hack” is to blend the beans with all the liquid first (even adding 1-2 Tbsp of milk/water if needed), and then adding the dry ingredients. The twister jar is round and comes with a lid that when you twist it, pushes the food back down to the center.
Rachel
Oh my goodness!!!! I swore I would Never try chocolate hummus. Ew! That is until I came across this blog/recipe. I read You journey of experimenting with how to make it and when I saw The final recipe I though, “why the hell not. I have Everything to make it. Worst case is I dont Like it. No harm no foul. Weeeeellllllllllll…….shut the front door. This is amazing! I used Hershey’s social dark cocoa powder and only 3 T of maple syrup. It is absolutely delicious! I ate It with a banana and yes please!!!!!
Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it with some black beans next time!!!!
Tiffany
I’m so glad you liked it Rachel!! Thanks for sharing such a glowing review! ♥
Tiffany
So glad you liked it!!
Tina
Thank you so much – I love the chocolate hummus and can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Tiffany
You’re welcome!
Jennifer
I used black beans (canned), black coffee in place of the water, and added cinnamon. Yum! I think this will satisfy my sweet craving just fine! (I also replaced part of the maple syrup with splenda since I have sugar issues. )
Tiffany
Ooh – nice substitutions!!
Bethypoo
I made this with the black beans. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer but it didn’t quite pulverize all of the beans. I then transferred the mix to the Magic Bullet. It also didn’t quite pulverize them all but it was better. Any suggestions on how to make the beans softer? I used cans and rinsed them several times.
Thanks!
Tiffany
I’d skip the mixer and go straight to the blender. Sometimes adding 1/2 – 1 Tbsp of milk as you’re blending makes them smoother. I do this for cake batter hummus and it works like a charm!
Jeannie
Could this be made with Stevia? I’m diabetic and I’d prefer to avoid the Maple syrup.
Tiffany
It probably can Jeannie, but you might need to add milk to thin the batter so it will be the right consistency first. Start with a tablespoon and add more if needed. Then sweeten with stevia.
Vera
What about sugar free syrup?
Carla
A-MA-ZING!
Had been looking for an easy sweet chickpea recipe and finally ended up here. It’s delicious! I used sugar since I don’t have maple syrup and I missed the peeling part in the notes section, so I didn’t peel them 🙈 (will try peeled next time), but it’s still very creamy! -Maybe that’s why I needed more water at the end?
Thanks so much for the recipe. It’s truly delicious and a great (way cheaper) replacement for vegan Nutella! 😆
Tiffany
I’m so glad you liked it Carla!!
Jennifer
I didn’t peel them. Seemed fine, but I had to really work with my food processor for a while.
Janik Lamontagne
I will definitely try this… it looks amazing!
Beverly
Looks good. The only sweetener we use is date paste, so I will try it with that instead of maple syrup and I will omit the salt.
Tiffany
Let us know how it turns out Beverly!
Michelle Davidson
We gave this a try today…The first bite was “oh this is weird” and then it was really really good. I forgot to de-skin the chickpeas so it was grainy but it was still good. We ate it with organic graham cracker bunnies and my kids called it “Muddy Bunnies” I asked my husband if he wanted to know what was in it and he told me “Nope because it is probably something weird”
I can’t wait to try with black beans 🙂
Tiffany
I love your husband’s answer! So glad you liked this recipe Michelle. Thanks for sharing with me!
Natalie
You are AMAZING! This is genius as I am shopping spoonfuls into my mouth. The kids will be home from school in minutes. I wonder what they will think. They are not bean eaters and have real texture issues. We will see. I’ll call it chocolate dip I think. THANK YOU! I had to add 2 more tablespoons for mine to bend well around my mini cuisinart. Oh and I used canned with skins on. I normally notice in hummus, but not in this. I used Cento chickpeas, but not the whole can. I measured out 1.5 cups.
Tiffany
So glad you liked this Natalie! I laugh at what the kids might think, coming home to mom shoveling chocolate dip, LOL!!