Highly Addictive Roasted Pumpkin Hummus

This delicious pumpkin hummus inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine is easy to make, low in calories and makes for a highly addictive dip or spread. Its creamy texture, health benefits and tasty seasoning combine as a perfect appetizer for fall.

There must be something about hummus as many countries like Greece, Izrael, Turkey or Egypt claim it as their own. However, all we know for sure is that it has been consumed in Egypt in the 13 century and that hummus in Arabic means chickpea. 

Having lived in the Middle East for over a decade, I encountered hummus quite often. We used to visit our favorite Lebanese restaurant located on the corner of our street. There, they served hummus and various fresh vegetables – carrots, cucumbers, spring onions, and radishes. Another favorite of mine is the Lebanese baba ganoush dip, as well as the classic Lebanese tabbouleh salad made with parsley, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat. Such a treat as it was fresh, tasty, healthy, and affordable. Later, when we moved back to Europe, I found some hummus in supermarkets, but it wasn’t even close. And I started to miss the hummus from my Lebanese restaurant.

So I searched around for other options and found that you can make it at home. Buying all the ingredients I experimented a little but still couldn’t come up with the same taste as I remembered from the restaurant. I delved deeper and discovered that you can make various flavours such as sweet potato hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, pumpkin hummus, avocado or even chocolate hummus! Except for the chocolate one I have tried them all. And I came to the conclusion that the hummus I liked the most is actually flavoured pumpkin hummus and that’s the one they served that time in the restaurant. So this pumpkin hummus recipe is a result of my experiments. But let’s start with the ingredients first:

What is hummus made of?

Chickpeas

The main ingredient of hummus are Chickpeas known also as garbanzo beans or Cicer arietinum. If you completely replace chickpeas with something else then it is not a hummus anymore. Chickpeas are the most widely consumed legumes in the world, this is because chickpeas are not only tasty but also super nutritious and a gluten-free source of plant-based proteins. It is also rich in iron, magnesium and vitamin B-6.

Pumpkin

Adding pumpkin to the mix will not only give a beautiful orange colour to your hummus but also improve its nutritious aspect. Low in calories, pumpkin belongs to the category of nutrients dense food. With a high content of vitamin A, C and E and potassium, pumpkin is versatile and easily added to your diet. Most people refer to pumpkin as a vegetable, whereas it is in fact, a fruit with many seeds. Nutritionally however it is more similar to a vegetable. Alternatively, you can use canned pumpkin puree like in this delicious pumpkin pie smoothie or you can use powdered pumpkin and make this dehydrated pumpkin pie.

Tahini

Tahini – This high in calories pasta made from ground sesame seeds is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a must-use ingredient in hummus that accomplishes a specific taste and nutritional value of hummus. Tahini contains healthy fat, vitamins, and minerals that play vital roles in bone health and energy production

Olive oil

Olive oil – High in antioxidants, olive oil contains nutrients that fight inflammation. These include oleic acid as well as the antioxidant oleocanthal.

Homemade Pumpkin hummus recipe

First step: Start with the pumpkin, depending on the type of pumpkin you use, you will cut it into half, deseed it and peel it off. The best pumpkin for hummus is butternut squash as it has a very smooth and creamy texture. On the other hand, Hokkaido pumpkin doesn’t need to be peeled off before placing in the oven.

To use every bit of the pumpkin, I made these crunchy roasted rosemary and garlic pepitas from the seeds I removed from the pumpkin. 

If you still have some pumpkin left you can make this tasty pumpkin curry, pumpkin spice smoothie or Pumpkin pancakes that your kids will go crazy over. Alternatively, if you prefer something savoury this pumpkin soup is just a perfect match.

Second step: Cut the pumpkin into small cubes and roast them in the oven together with garlic, olive oil and rosemary.

Third step: When it’s done, remove it from the oven and let it cool down

Fourth step: Place all roasted ingredients into a food processor or powerful blender, add chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Regarding the chickpeas, you can either use chickpeas in a can or dried chickpeas that you will soak in the water overnight and the next day cook for 20 minutes till tender.

Fifth step: Whiz in the food processor or until creamy smooth

Sixth step: transfer onto a plate, drizzle with extra virgin oil, sprinkle with coriander or parsley. Add black and white sesame seeds to garnish. Sweet paprika also looks really nice on the plate

How to serve pumpkin hummus?

What I enjoy most about this meal is its variety and versatility. You can make it special with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs from the market, and suddenly you have several completely different dishes that will make every demanding eater happy. What can you do with your pumpkin hummus?

1) Pair pumpkin hummus with fresh vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, broccoli, tomatoes, spring onion and make a tasty and healthy appetizer dip. It looks great in a vegetable train for kids’ parties.

2) spread pumpkin hummus on your toast, add avocado, goat cheese and sesame seeds.

If you like avocado you will love this avocado chutney that can go on toast too.

3) serve it in a pita wrap and layer with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black olives and a drizzle of red wine vinegar.

4) just eat hummus by the spoonful – its very tasty and a quick fix for your cravings.

5) Serve it with air fryer baby potatoes with sour cream and chives on top.

How to garnish pumpkin hummus?

These herbs will all look and taste great on your hummus.

Parsley, Coriander, Basil, Tarragon, fresh chives, thyme

Seeds: you can use any seeds you like – sesame seeds, linen seeds, roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds

Paprika, olive oil, avocado oil or pumpkin oil

Is pumpkin hummus gluten-free?

 YES – All ingredients in this hummus are gluten-free, including tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds.

Does hummus need to be refrigerated?

This homemade pumpkin hummus needs to be kept in the fridge. It lasts for about a week. Alternatively, you can refrigerate it to keep it for longer.

What is your favourite dip?