Dessert Hummus is a Thing. Really.

February 7, 2019 John Houser III

Taste-tresting dessert hummus (Photos by John Houser III)

Hummus, the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spread traditionally made up of garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas), tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and salt has been branching out to the sweeter side of the taste buds lately.

Dessert hummus (yes, you read that right) has been simultaneously intriguing, stupefying and horrifying people since it came to the collective cultural conscience of America via the show “Shark Tank” in 2017. Upon first learning about the concept, most people either think to themselves, “Why didn’t I come up with that?” or “Yuck, blech, gross.”

Delighted By, the company that was featured on the TV show, claims to be the home of “The Original Dessert Hummus,” but in the last year or so, traditional hummus manufacturers have been expanding their offerings to include the sweet stuff. Frequently, the garlic and lemon in a traditional hummus recipe is replaced by cinnamon and vanilla bean and coconut oil stands in for olive oil.

Dessert hummus is slightly more healthy-ish than say, pudding or cake batter, but the lower amount of sugar and salt can lead to a chickpea-forward flavor – an off-putting experience for some.

Tribe Vanilla Bean Hummus (8 oz. $3.99) – This was the favorite of the bunch. It had a smoother mouth-feel than the others and was overall sweeter with a nice hint of vanilla. There was also a bit of a cereal-left-in-milk vibe going on in a good way. Try with either potato chips or pretzels (our choice of edible delivery vehicle). For just a second, we didn’t even remember we were eating garbanzo beans. (Photo by John Houser III)
Delighted By Snickerdoodle Hummus (8 oz., $6.49) — While the Delighted By brand is not as sweet as Tribe, this snickerdoodle hummus was full of flavor and boasted a warm cinnamon-ness that overpowered the bean taste. Dipping graham crackers into this would be the right move as would pairing this hummus on some soft wheat bread with honey for a playful lunch. (Photo by John Houser III)
Tribe Mocha Hummus (8 oz., $3.99) — Nutty and smooth with a slight coffee kiss, this hummus could satisfy that java craving after 5 p.m. when you don’t want the caffeine. A slight saltiness enhanced the sweetness and brought the chocolate/coffee flavor up enough to bury the chickpeas. Try on warm toast as a fun morning boost. (Photo by John Houser III)
Delighted By Vanilla Bean Hummus (8 oz., $6.49) — We appreciate the Delighted By brand being gluten-free and vegan, but no amount of commitment to healthy eating would get us buy this again. Out of all the dessert hummus (hummuses, hummi?) we tried, this version tasted like sweetened garbanzo beans. It’s not vanilla-y enough and the coconut milk adds an off-flavor that had us pushing this to the back of the fridge to never be seen again. (Photo by John Houser III)
Tribe Dark Chocolate Hummus (8 oz., $3.99) — With its deep chocolaty punch and rich cocoa color, this hummus could easily pass for a thick brownie batter or a slightly grainy frosting (without the cloying sweetness). It’s a great pudding substitute for someone who can’t eat dairy. The pro move here is to dip thick salty chips and enjoy without shame. (Photo by John Houser III)

We’ve tasted five different varieties here from two different companies (above). While they’re growing in popularity, dessert hummus can be still be hard to find. Give it time, though, and you’ll soon be able to get your snickerdoodle hummus fix on every trip to the grocery.

Watch this video (below) to find out more about what the author thought of the dessert hummus he tasted.

John Houser III is a national and internationally published food writer who hosts the Rouxde Cooking School Podcast. “Yes, it is pronounced ‘rude’ and, no, I don’t know where you should go out to eat Saturday night.”