This easy pumpkin hummus whips up in 5 minutes in your food processor! Adding pumpkin puree to homemade hummus adds a vegetable, a little sweet flavor, and a gorgeous orange color to the popular dip. Curry powder, turmeric, and a little cayenne add deep savory and peppery flavor that complements the sweetness of the pumpkin. Serve this pumpkin hummus as a dip with pita bread, crackers, or crudité, spread on toast for an easy breakfast, or use any other way you enjoy hummus!
Oh hello there, fall baker. Did you use one cup of pumpkin puree from the can and now have about ¾ of a cup left to use? (Hi, it’s me. Leftover puree from making Pumpkin Tiramisu last week!).
Well then, let me humbly suggest that you whip up a batch of pumpkin hummus to use it up. A delicious dip made savory with the addition of curry and other spices, and a wonderful break from the usual sweet fare in which cooking with pumpkin usually results.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Canned Chickpeas – white beans, cooked red lentils, or other light colored legumes will work (keep in mind they may affect the texture of the hummus) – plus the chickpea liquid (aquafaba).
- Pumpkin Puree – homemade or store-bought. If you have leftover cooked butternut squash or other winter squash puree, that will also work.
- Curry Powder
- Turmeric – can be omitted, but adds peppery flavor and gorgeous color.
- Cayenne pepper – can be omitted for a very mild version.
- Cinnamon – can be omitted, or pumpkin pie spice mix used instead.
- Garlic – fresh is best, not the jarred stuff.
- Honey – or maple syrup, can be omitted but adds just a hint of yummy sweetness!
- Tahini – Tahini is a sesame paste (similar to peanut butter but made with sesame seeds rather than peanuts). You can find it at most grocery stores, but in a pinch, you can use a nut butter or other seed butter like sunflower seed butter as an alternative, keeping in mind it may affect flavor and texture.
- Lime Juice – or lemon juice (hummus usually uses lemon, but the lime was a nice, unique complement to the curry and pumpkin flavors).
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Optional toppings for the hummus: pumpkin seeds, Aleppo or crushed red pepper, chopped herbs (I used chives), more olive oil, etc.
- Things to serve with the hummus: pita bread, crudité, crackers, etc.
How to make Pumpkin Hummus
First, drain the chickpeas in a mesh sieve over a glass measuring cup or bowl – you’ll need the liquid for later, so don’t toss it! Then add all your ingredients to the food processor except for the olive oil and chickpea liquid. Turn the food processor on and, while it’s running, add the olive oil. Then drizzle in chickpea liquid until the texture is nice and smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed. Serve, or store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then, top with optional toppings!
Can I skip using the chickpea liquid?
Sure! Chickpea liquid is very starchy and helps make the texture of the hummus incredibly smooth, and almost fluffy. But if you accidentally toss it – or if you are sensitive to the liquid in canned beans (it can cause digestive issues in some), feel free to use water instead to thin out the hummus to the desired consistency.
How to store homemade hummus
This homemade pumpkin hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to about 4 months.
How to serve hummus
Aside from the usual – serving hummus as a dip with pita bread, crackers, and/or crudité – there are other things you can do with it as well!
I love hummus spread on toast for breakfast. It’s nice mixed into soups or pasta sauces to thicken and add a boost of plant-based protein. Spread it on a sandwich, or use as the base for chicken salad.
Here are some more ideas for how to eat hummus.
Other pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Chai Tiramisu
- Creamy Pumpkin Sage Soup
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Other homemade hummus recipes
- Classic Homemade Hummus
- Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus
- Sriracha Carrot Hummus
- Roasted Garlic and Lemon Hummus
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Pumpkin Hummus with Curry and Turmeric
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 15 oz. canned chickpeas drained, liquid reserved, see notes
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade, a little more or less is fine, see notes
- 1 clove garlic minced, more if desired
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less depending on spicy level preference
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lime juice from approximately one lime, or lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- pumpkin seeds, more olive oil, herbs, red pepper flakes optional, for topping hummus
- pita bread, crackers, crudité, etc. optional, for serving with hummus
Instructions
- Add the drained 15 oz. canned chickpeas, ¾ cup pumpkin puree, minced 1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons curry powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1-2 teaspoons honey, ½ cup tahini, and 2 tablespoons lime juice to a food processor.
- Turn the food processor on and drizzle in the ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Keep the food processor on, and then drizzle in some of the chickpea liquid, until the consistency of the hummus is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Serve hummus in a bowl or spread on a plate topped with pumpkin seeds, more olive oil, herbs, red pepper flakes, or other garnishes, with pita bread, crackers, crudité, etc. for dipping, or use in any other way you normally use hummus (I love it spread on toast for breakfast!).
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 3 ½ to 4 cups of hummus.
- Drain the chickpeas in a mesh sieve over a glass measuring cup to reserve the liquid. The liquid will be used to help thin out the hummus to a creamy consistency. The starchiness of chickpea liquid (aquafaba) helps make the hummus super creamy and almost fluffy in texture. If you are digestively sensitive to canned bean liquid, water may be used instead, and the chickpeas rinsed off before adding to the hummus.
- The amount of pumpkin puree doesn’t need to be exactly ¾ of a cup. I find most pumpkin baking recipes call for 1 cup of pumpkin puree, which usually leaves you with ¾ of a cup left from a standard can. Anywhere between ½ to 1 cup of pumpkin puree will work in this hummus recipe.
- The flavors develop over time and this pumpkin hummus tastes best if made a day in advance, but it’s fine to dig in right away, too!
- For a 100% vegan version, be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Store the pumpkin hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Pumpkin substitution: you can use any pureed winter squash, such as butternut, or even pureed sweet potatoes, if you want.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Ann
I wonder if I can sub roasted butter nut squash for pumpkin?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Absolutely! What a great idea. I’m going to edit the post to include this in the ingredients substitutions. Thanks!