When my kids were growing up, I wanted them to try regular hummus because I wanted to develop a sesame free traditional hummus recipe, and let me tell you: they were NOT fans. Rather than developing that recipe, I decided to pivot and lean into creating a desert hummus recipe with sweet ingredients I knew they’d like. The result: my kids now think hummus is awesome.
Sometimes, a pivot is all it takes, so if you’re in a boat similar to the one I was in, this dessert hummus recipe may be your ticket to success. Know that this is a sesame free, oil free, top 14 free, vegan recipe and more.
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Cooking Oil/Added Fats, Corn, Cruciferous, Garlic, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Squash & Gourd, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE, Vegan
Cane Sugar Free Reminder: Use a safe-for-you chocolate chip, or safe 100% pure dark chocolate shavings.
Tools to Make This Hummus Cookie Dough Recipe
- Small Bowl
- Kitchen Scale (this is the one that I LOVE, I have three…)
- Food Processor (I have this large one and love it)
- Spatula
Dessert Hummus Recipe Ingredients
Part 1 Ingredients
- 200mL Organic Milk of Choice (7 ounces)
- 9 TBSP Golden Flax Meal (use this brand for best results)
Part 2 Ingredients
- 1.12KG Organic Chickpeas (40 ounces, AKA Garbanzo Beans, these are the ones that I use)
- 280 – 350g Organic Maple Sugar
- 270g Organic Spread/Butter of Choice (about 9 TBSP, I used this one)
- 2 TBSP Organic Vanilla Extract (this is the brand I use, for CF, only get the organic vanilla extract, no other product)
- 3/4 – 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
You’ll Also Need
- 180g Mini Chocolate Chips of Choice (1 US dry cup)
Important Ingredient Notes
Milk of Choice: You can use any mammal milk or plant based milk including almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk (boxed style, not the full fat canned style), or something that’s homemade.
Organic Maple Sugar: This is a granulated sweetener and you can only swap it for any granulated sweetener of choice including coconut sugar, and date sugar. These are both unrefined sweeteners and will be your best choices. Whilst you can use can sugar, light brown sugar, etc., those will make the hummus read as very sweet, so start with half the amount, taste, and adjust as necessary.
Do NOT use a liquid sweetener such as agave syrup, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, as these won’t allow the right consistency to form.
Sunflower Seed Butter: You can swap this for other seed butters, legume butters, almond butter, cashew butter, or your favorite nut butter. Read this article for a full list of spread/butter options.
Sea Salt: For a sweet twist, use smoked salt instead of regular sea salt. Both Redmond’s and SF Salt Co. sell great quality smoked salts.
Chocolate Chips: You can use any brand that’s safe for you. I often reach for Pascha and Enjoy Life due to the allergy status of these brands. Pascha offers mini dark chocolate chips, and they also have the ONLY truly corn free chocolate chips. However, they’re 100& pure dark, so know what you’re getting yourself into.
More Delicious Recipes
If you’re looking to add new recipes to your regular rotation, check these out. Each one gluten free, allergy friendly, and incredibly delicious.
- Chocolate Chickpea Cookie Dough Hummus (has a rich chocolate flavor, vegan, top 14 free)
- Mock Tuna Salad AKA Chickpea Salad Recipe (gluten free, vegan, top 9 + top 14 free)
- Delicious Chickpea Patties Recipe (like a cross between a faux fish cake and mini veggie burger)
- Aquafaba Marshmallow Fluff
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding (made from organic black beans)
- Cakey Sugar Cookie Recipe (amazing vegan cookies)
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Dessert Hummus Recipe Directions
Combine your flax and milk together in a small bowl (Part 1 Ingredients). Mix well and set aside.
Place a sieve over a large bowl with a pour spout. Drain the chickpeas using the sieve. The liquid in your bowl is aquafaba. SAVE THIS. Use it for an awesome project. I mean, you can toss it, but it can be used for other things.
If you’re going to save the liquid, pour it back into one of the empty jars (that’s why you want a pour spout, for ease). Pop the lid on and put in your fridge.
Now, place your empty food processor bowl, with the blade in, on your kitchen scale. Tare to zero and add the Part 2 Ingredients. Don’t forget to tare between weighted ingredients. Put the lid on and pulse to combine the ingredients.
By now, your flax meal should look like a thick flax gel. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the gel to the food processor and process again for 2-3 minutes. This ensures that a super smooth texture/cookie dough forms. Remove the blade from your food processor and set aside. Finally, fold in your chocolate chips.
For warm and melty chocolate chips, add them into your food processor when you add the flax, instead of folding them in. That’s it! You’re ready to serve.
Kid Tip: If you have selective/picky kids, this is an excellent recipe they can help you make. Little kids and big kids can help weigh ingredients, tare the scale, pour into the food processor bowl, and push buttons on said food processor. Getting them involved is a great food exposure, and an opportunity to be their hype-man and offer a sample (or licking the spatula).
Dessert Hummus Storage
After you’ve made your tasty dessert hummus, store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Alternatively, you can also freeze your sweet hummus for several months. I suggest freezing in individual portions so you grab only what you need each time. Do not store your dessert hummus at room temperature.
If you have a really good sealed container, this cookie dough hummus is a great option for lunchboxes. Send it along with something for dipping, and you’ve got yourself a perfect snack.
Delicious Dippers
Every great dip needs fantastic dippers, and this dip is no exception. I mean, you could eat it standalone, but dipping is just so fun. You don’t have to use a dry style dipper such as chips or crackers. You can also tap into fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Celery is a great way to add a veg to a recipe like this and feel like you’ve won the free-from snack lottery. Here are some dipper ideas:
- Apple Slices
- Banana Slices
- Fresh Strawberries
- Plain Bagel Chips
- Pretzel Chips
- Pretzel Sticks
- Graham Crackers
- Vanilla Wafers (Home Free has a gluten free, allergy friendly version)
Have Fun with Your Dessert Hummus
The next time you make this dessert hummus recipe, experiment with different flavors and create sweet treats that really speak to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Spread your cookie dough on toast or on Sweet Potato Awesome slices.
Swirl a few spoonfuls into overnight oats for an interesting breakfast.
Make a layered dessert with chocolate brownies, this dessert hummus, and top it with torched aquafaba fluff.
Add organic ground vanilla bean and leave out half of the chocolate chips. You’ll end up with something that’s a cross between chocolate chip cooke flavour and birthday cake flavour.
Make it a tad bit spicy with a little crushed red pepper flakes.
Take these ratios and run with them. Get creative and make a peanut butter hummus, snickerdoodle hummus, brownie batter hummus, ginger snap hummus, and any other hummus your heart wants.
Answering Your Dessert Hummus Recipe Questions
Could I use date paste in place of the maple sugar?
Yes, you could use date paste in place of the maple sugar given its thick consistency. You can also use date sugar, but not date syrup since it’s a liquid. I can’t tell you how much to use since it’s not something I work with.
I’d start with a somewhat small amount, process everything until it’s smooth, taste, and adjust as needed.
Can I make this dessert hummus in a blender instead of a food processor?
Unfortunately, a high powered blender will struggle to create a super smooth consistency. Now, you can try (I’ve made bean pastes in my Vitamix before). You may need to add extra liquid though to get it to blend well, so be sure to manage your expectations.
Will I be able to feel the chickpea skins in this recipe?
No. So long as you process the dough for several minutes in your food processor, the end result will be super smooth. There shouldn’t be any chunks of chickpea left, or any of the chickpea skins.
Is this considered a high-protein recipe?
Personally, I’d consider this a high-protein snack because of the chickpea base. That makes it great for school lunches, or as an afternoon snack if you’re looking to include more protein.
If the chickpeas aren’t enough for your personal needs, you can also add a little protein powder to this recipe without throwing off the texture. If possible, use an unflavored protein powder, or one that isn’t super loud in presence.
Would this be considered a healthy dessert?
It’s important to remember that the word healthy isn’t a regulated term. Having said that, I personally consider this sweet treat to be on the healthy side of the invisible line. It’s made from organic wholesome ingredients, there’s no preservatives, and it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein.
This is a recipe that I’m happy to serve my kids, and most who know me in person would call me a very crunchy granola parent. I’m pretty sure that’s what they call them… right?
Could I swap the chocolate chips for unsweetened cocoa powder?
You could totally make that swap and still satisfy your sweet tooth. I don’t work with cocoa powder (I use this cacao), so I couldn’t tell you how much to use. I’d start with 3 – 4 Tablespoons and go from there.
Are chickpeas beans or peas?
The main ingredient of this recipe, chick peas, also called garbanzo beans are a type of bean, which is a type of legume. If you’d like to learn more about beans, lentils, peas, and legumes, read this article.
Is it easy to find sunflower seed butter in grocery stores?
Depending on where you live, there’s a good chance your local grocery store will carry sunflower seed butter. These days, most grocery stores have a wide range of options next to the peanut butter and jelly. You can find a range of nut butters, and usually at least one seed based butter. Two if you count tahini which is made from sesame.
If you can’t find one at your regular grocery store, see if there’s a natural, organic, Whole Foods, Sprouts, or co-op style store in your area. They’re pretty much guaranteed to have one. If all else fails, you can purchase quite a few options online.
How present is the chickpea flavor in this dessert hummus recipe?
Given that chickpeas are the main ingredient, the chickpea flavor is reasonably present. My kids detest the taste of chickpeas, which is part of the reason you have a range on the maple sugar. The more you use, the more you mask the natural chickpea flavour.
If you’d like to skip the base of chickpeas to get away from its unique taste, you can use other white beans, or make a dark chocolate dessert hummus like this recipe.
Is it possible to make dessert hummus recipes without chickpeas?
Whilst chickpeas are the traditional way to go to achieve a creamy hummus, the good news is, you can use other beans. The best part about making food at home is that you have the flexibility to tailor recipes to meet your unique needs (and taste preferences).
You can swap the chickpeas for navy beans, cannellini beans, and great northern beans. If you’re making a chocolate focused recipe, you can also incorporate black beans, like what I did in this pudding recipe.
