If fall were a dish, we’re pretty sure it would be this homemade pumpkin hummus recipe. We know, there are a lot of pumpkin recipes out there from smoothies and pumpkin muffins to curry noodles, agnolotti, and dessert, but this pumpkin hummus is another that’s a very worthy contender.
What Does Pumpkin Hummus Taste Like?
If you’re asking yourself what pumpkin hummus tastes like, well it has a slightly sweeter and more earthy flavor than classic hummus. This version also has some brightness, roasty notes, and nuttiness thanks to the lemon juice, roasted garlic, and tahini.
Though we don’t get the most iconic fall weather in California, this recipe is, to us, very much Californian in its flavors. It’s got all the things we love here in the Golden State: plant-based, seasonal, healthy, and with lots of depth of flavor.
How To Make Pumpkin Hummus
This easy hummus is so far superior to store-bought and proves that homemade hummus is well worth the effort. To make it, you:
Roast Garlic
Start by first pan roasting garlic in olive oil. Or, if you’ve made this homemade roasted garlic oil recipe, you can use it here!
Flash Fry Herbs
Then you add a handful of fresh sage and chili flakes to the oil to flash fry the herbs and crisp them up. It’s a simple step that adds loads of flavor to the final dish.
Puree The Hummus
The final bit is that you combine cooked garbanzo beans, pumpkin puree, garlic cloves, tahini, a few cloves of garlic, some lemon juice, and a touch of maple syrup and whir it together until it’s airy and smooth.
Tips To Make This Pumpkin Hummus Recipe
Though you can use canned beans and canned pumpkin puree to make this hummus in a jiff, here are the extra steps to make it amazing:
Cook The Garbanzo Beans
You may have noticed that we’re a bit nuts about hummus around here. We like to make it from scratch by soaking and cooking the garbanzo beans. And, if you’re into super smooth hummus like we are, then you’ll probably want to peel the garbanzo beans. For all our thoughts on making hummus from scratch, head here. You can, of course, make this with canned beans and pumpkin, but do us a favor and try it all from scratch at least once!
And Bake The Pumpkin
If you can get your hands on a sugar pumpkin (aka a pie pumpkin), we highly recommend that you roast it and use the cooked puree in this recipe. For tips on how to do just that, head here.
Don’t Skip The Tahini
A lot of so-called “hummus” recipes don’t call for tahini and we couldn’t disagree with that more. The addition of tahini acts like a binder so it makes the recipe really blend exceptionally well and it adds a deep nuttiness that we adore.
Mix Up The Herbs and Spices
The fried sage and chile flakes bring a whole other dimension to the hummus but you can indeed mix it up. Lean into pumpkin spice flavors and use paprika and cinnamon. Or swap out sage for rosemary, thyme, or marjoram.
Switch Up The Seeds And Nuts
Toasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas are as meta as it gets but you could garnish them with something else like toasted almonds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds. We also like it topped with pomegranate arils for a sweet-tart note.
Make It Ahead
This is very much a dish you can make well ahead of time. As in, the hummus can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. Just don’t assemble it until you’re ready to serve it.
What To Serve With Pumpkin Hummus
It’s hard to go wrong just serving this hummus with cut-up raw vegetables and pita chips or crackers. However, you could serve it along with this Roasted Red Pepper Romesco Dip or as part of a cheeseboard for a more significant spread.
Go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Toasted Pepitas And Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Garlic Ol:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
For The Fried Sage:
- Handful fresh sage leaves
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
For The Pumpkin Hummus:
- 1 (15 ounce) can cooked chickpeas or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin filling) or about 2 cups cooked pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Pure maple syrup
For Garnish:
- Handful pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) toasted, for garnish (optional)
- Handful pomegranate arils for garnish (optional)
- Maldon sea salt or other flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Roast The Garlic Oil: Place the olive oil in a very small pan or pot and place over low heat. Add the smashed garlic cloves and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and easily smashed.
- Fry The Sage: Add in all the sage leaves and fry until they're just crisp, about 15 to 30 seconds. Remove the sage to a paper towel to drain. Then, if using, add a pinch of chile flakes and remove the pan from the heat.
- Puree The Hummus: Combine the drained chickpeas, pumpkin puree, tahini, garlic cloves, one tablespoon of the chile-garlic oil, the kosher salt, the juice of 1 lemon, and the maple syrup in a food processor fitted with an "S" blade.Process on high until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, stopping and scraping down the sides once or twice to make sure everything is evenly combined.
- Serve The Pumpkin Hummus: Serve the pumpkin hummus topped with a drizzle of the chile-garlic oil, some pepitas and pomegranates (if using), some crisp sage leaves, and a pinch of salt.
