Healthy Chocolate Hummus with Homemade Instant Pot Chickpeas

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Chocolate Hummus is my new favorite addiction, and I can't wait for you to jump on this train with me!  Smooth, creamy, finger dippin' good – you need to make this one ASAP!  Directions include how to make it with homemade Instant Pot Chickpeas or canned garbanzo beans.

Turn this meal into a freezer meal!  Find this recipe in our new Freezer Meal cookbook.  CLICK HERE

Sometimes the best recipe discoveries are made on the fly, without any plan or intention of ever making it.

You just happen to be avoiding a mountain of dinner dishes, had regretfully sent all the kids outside to play so you could have a moment of silence, and you see a partially used can of chickpeas sittin' on the countertop.

My first thought was to rock out a batch of this Cookie Dough Dip, but I've been on a kick lately trying different brands of cocoa powder so I thought, “Hmm . . . I wonder if Chocolate Cookie Dough Dip would be good . . .

WAS IT EVER!!!

There I sat in the kitchen, dipping a fork repeatedly into the food processor thinking, “So THIS is what the chocolate hummus craze is all about!”

Long story short, the dishes never got done, but I did enjoy some family time with my kids around the food processor to collaborate over the tweaks needed for this new discovery.

If you're already a fan of the Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip, you'll notice in this Chocolate Hummus I omitted the oats, kept the chocolate chips (texture!), and used tahini instead of peanut butter to give it an overall more hummus vibe.

Trust me, you're gonna flip over this one!

Quick note so no one gets confused:  Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.  I tend to use the terms interchangeably as you'll notice in this post.  Okay, let's carry on.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

• HEALTHY:  I've picked up a container of chocolate hummus several times at the grocery store only to return it to the shelf because it had as much sugar as the canned frosting a few aisles down.  No thank you.  This homemade chocolate hummus however is a perfectly sweet, dark chocolate flavor naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
• CREAMY TO THE MAX:  If you go the extra mile and use homemade Instant Pot Garbanzo Beans, this dip is insanely smooth, like no other store-bought hummus I've ever had.  Don't worry, you can still use canned with great results, you're just going to need longer blending time.
• DARK CHOCOLATE:  Using tahini here instead of peanut butter (like in the cookie dough version) really allows the dark chocolate flavor to shine through.  Almost reminds me of licking brownie batter from the mixing bowl.
• EASY:  Throw the ingredients into the food processor and you're in business.  You don't have to wait long for this treat!
• VERSATILE:  Oh the dippers you can dip!  Apple slices, grapes, oranges, berries, graham cracker sticks, potato chips, you name it.  My personal favorite is to spread a layer of hummus in a bowl, add a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt, top it with strawberries, raspberries, and sliced bananas, add a plop of yogurt and eat it with a spoon – WOW!

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in a food processor
2. Blend until smooth (be patient, scrape, and blend some more)
3. Stir in the chocolate chips

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• HOMEMADE CHICKPEAS:  As we discussed in my favorite Instant Pot Hummus recipe, I love using homemade chickpeas to make hummus.  I can overcook them until they are super soft which makes blending the skins and all very easy, quick work.  As I said above though, you will still be over the moon happy if you choose to use canned garbanzo beans, just plan on scraping and blending a bit longer.  Note: if you cook one pound of garbanzo beans as instructed below, this will be a lot more than you need.  I suggest freezing the extra in 1 1/2 cup portions so that your next batch of sweet or savory hummus will come together in no time.
• MAPLE SYRUP:  I found this to be the best sweetener.  The honey tasted very strange, in my opinion.  I'm sure regular white sugar would also taste good.
• COCOA POWDER:  Regular ol' Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder works great here, but if you want a few different taste experiences, I've really enjoyed Valrhona Cocoa Powder, Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa Powder, and Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder.  (I told you I was on a cocoa powder kick).
• TAHINI BRAND:  The brand ABSOLUTELY matters.  Some are so bitter they ruin everything I make with them, and they are near impossible to stir once chilled.  This Soom brand tastes amazing right out of the jar, and remains stirrable and pourable even when chilled.  I HIGHLY suggest it.
• MIX AND SCRAPE:  For ultra-smooth hummus, plan on blending up to 5 minutes.  Be patient!  Blend, scrape, blend, scrape . . . just let it go until it's warm and super creamy.  Add a splash of hot water if it's not blending well.
• CONSISTENCY:  Hummus will thicken once chilled so I like to make it a tad on the thin side to begin with.  You want it to be easily dippable for whatever fruit or crackers you plan on serving it with.
• MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS:  You can leave out the chocolate chips if you want a smoother consistency, but if you use them, go for the minis.  The crunchy, smooth tiny bites of chocolate chips will make you so so happy!

HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE

• Store:  Store hummus in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
• Freeze:  Scoop into a freezer-safe ziptop bag and freeze flat (this will help it to thaw quickly).  When ready to eat, let thaw overnight in the fridge or let it sit on the counter for about an hour until it's stirrable.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

If you make your own chickpeas, they can be cooked up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until you're ready to make hummus.

Hummus can be prepared several days in advance before serving.  The flavor and texture gets even better as it sits.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

• Fruit:  Apples, oranges, berries, grapes, pears, etc.
• Crackers:  Sweet graham crackers or salty crackers are both good.
• Nuts:  I know, you wouldn't think of nuts as a dipper, but whole walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans taste amazing dipped in this hummus.
• Chips:  Salty potato chips, pita chips, all the chips!
• And More:  Toast, crepes, rice cakes, hot waffles, etc.

VARIATIONS

• CACAO NIBS:  For a less sweet, extra dark flavor, swap the mini chocolate chips for cacao nibs.  The crunch is so good!
• SALTY:  My favorite addition ever is a pinch of this crystal-like sea salt right on top.
• CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER HUMMUS:  Swap the tahini with peanut butter for a chocolate/PB vibe.  Almond butter or cashew butter would also be yummy.
• MINT CHOCOLATE HUMMUS:  Add 1-2 drops of peppermint oil or a tiny splash of mint extract for a yummy mint vibe.  This tastes amazing with raspberries.
• ORANGE ZEST:  Add the zest of an orange for a Chocolate Orange experience.

Never did I think I'd go as nuts for a sweet hummus as I do for a savory, but this dip has somehow made its way to my dinner table every night this week and I couldn't be happier about it.  My kids feel like they're eating frosting and I'm giddy that they're enjoying something good for them – it's a big win all around!

Have you tried sweet hummus yet?  Are there other flavors I need to test out?  Let me know in the comment section below.

Enjoy!

MORE HEALTHY CHOCOLATE RECIPES

• Instant Pot Homemade Chocolate
• Instant Pot  Healthy Peanut Butter Cups
• Instant Pot Crio Bru
• Instant Pot Healthy Chocolate Syrup

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

• Instant Pot
• Food Processor
• Soom Tahini

Healthy Chocolate Hummus

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

Creamy smooth and healthy Chocolate Hummus for dipping fruit and crackers.

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dried garbanzo beans (see note if using canned garbanzo beans)

• 1 pound dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and sorted
• 6–8 cups water (enough to cover the beans by about 2 inches)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

 

For Chocolate Hummus

• 1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 1 15-ounce can low sodium chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained)
• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ – ⅓ cup maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 2–3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

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Instructions

For the garbanzo beans

1. Place beans and water into the pressure cooker pot.  
2. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 50 minutes (this cook time will make them very soft, perfect for hummus).
3. When cooking is complete, use a natural release.

 

To make Chocolate Hummus

1. Strain and rinse 1 ½ cups of garbanzo beans.
2. Place beans in a food processor.  Add tahini, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and hot water. 
3. Blend until mixture is very smooth, stopping to scrape it down 1 – 2 times if needed.  Taste and add extra maple syrup and water if a sweeter or looser hummus is desired.  You want it to be thick/creamy, but still thin enough to dip into.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add mini chocolate chips; stir to evenly combine.
5. Serve in a bowl with fruit and graham crackers for dipping.
6. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Notes

• 1 pound of homemade garbanzo beans is more than you’ll need for this recipe.  Refrigerate leftovers in a little bit of the cooking liquid or freeze in 1 ½ cup portions so they can be used for future batches of hummus. 
• A 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans can be used in place of homemade.  The mixture won’t be quite as smooth, but it’s still delicious! 
• The brand of tahini is important, since some brands tend to be quite bitter.  I love the Soom brand.  May also substitute the tahini with peanut, almond, or cashew butter. 
• Blend until very smooth.  This may take up to 5 minutes of blending, scraping, and blending some more to achieve a very smooth consistency.
• The hummus will thicken once chilled so I suggest making the hummus slightly thinner than you think you want it.  This makes it a lot easier to dip into with fruit and crackers.

Keywords: Chocolate Hummus, Instant Pot Garbanzo Beans, Healthy Dip

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