As many of you know, I am a huge fan of chocolate. Addicted, I’d say. So when I learned of a new (to me) chocolate product, and a “healthy” one, I was pretty excited! What is this healthy chocolate? Chocolate hummus!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.
Why I never thought of this on my own, I cannot say. I have made chickpea blonde brownies, black bean brownies, and I love traditional hummus. I enjoy all of them in their own ways. And now I really enjoy that I can make an excuse to eat chocolate in pretty much every meal and snack.
I first tried Boar’s Head chocolate hummus. It was pretty delicious, and contained no nasty chemical ingredients. Right off the shelf, it was pretty healthy, and I do not feel guilty eating it. [Ingredients at the time of writig of this post are: Steamed Chickpeas, Organic Sugar, Water, Sunflower Oil, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Nisin (A Natural Preservative)] But, this contains a little more sugar than I’d like, I avoid purchasing products in plastic packaging when I can, and I knew I would want to eat this hummus much more often than I would want to bay $5 for it. So, I set off to create my own recipe. I hope you enjoy!
Recipe
Makes about 330 grams, which I divide into 6-56 gram servings.
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans (1.5 cups), drained and liquid reserved
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 7/32 teaspoon pure powdered stevia extract (if using Kal stevia that comes with the little scoop, 7 scoops)
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- Reserved liquid to achieve desired consistency (I use 0-2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
I recommend using a powerful food processor like a KitchenAid or Cuisinart. I use an older version of this KitchenAid one – the 3 cup insert works great for a single batch, and the larger 11-cup container is great for a double or triple batch. You may be able to use a blender, but the finished product will not be as smooth. If attempting in a blender, make at least a double batch to get enough volume for the blender to work…and be prepared to scrape down the sides of the blender frequently.
- Combine all ingredients EXCEPT reserved water in the food processor. Blend until smooth. If needed, scrape down the sides to make sure all ingredients are well blended.
- If needed, add water ½ to 1 teaspoon at a time, and blend, to achieve desired consistency.
- Chill before serving.
Note that the hummus will thicken up when it cools in the fridge, so don’t worry if it seems too thin.
I ensure that I use or freeze within 5 days since there are no preservatives in this.
What to do with chocolate hummus?
I could probably eat this hummus by itself, but I feel it tastes better when using as a dip – like hummus was intended (in my opinion). I love this dip with strawberries (lucky for me juicy, delicious organic strawberries were on sale at my local grocery store for several weeks when I was developing this recipe!). It’s also great on bananas, with pretzels, graham crackers, and I have a feeling it would make a nice substitution for Nutella for those folks who can’t eat Nutella or don’t like hazelnuts. I will be trying a peanut butter and chocolate hummus sandwich next time I whip up a batch of this stuff.
Cost
Boar’s Head Chocolate Hummus: $4.99 for 8 oz (226 grams) (fact check!)
Black beans, $1 (or, of cooked from dry beans like I do, $1.50 for 4.5 “cans,” or $1.50/4.5=$0.333)
Coconut oil, ($14.99/54 fl oz)x(1 fl oz/6 tsp)=$0.046
Vanilla extract, ($27.99/12 fl oz)x(1 fl oz/6 tsp)=$0.180
Salt, $1.48 for a 26 oz (737g) carton, containing 491-1/4 tsp servings. $1.48/491=$0.003 per ¼ tsp
Unsweetened cocoa powder, $7.99 for 23 oz (652g). 5 grams/tbps = 12g/batch. ($7.99/652g)x(12g)=$0.147
Pure powdered stevia , $22 for 3.5 grams (1820 servings of 1 scoop). $22/1820×7=$0.085
Granulated sugar, $5.79 for 10 lb (4,536g). 12g/tbsp sugar. $5.79/ 4536g x 12g = $0.015
Total: $0.81 if using dried beans, or $1.98 is using canned beans, to make about 330 gram batch. This comes out to $0.135-$0.33 per 56 gram serving.
The Boar’s Head hummus is $4.99 for 8 oz (226 grams), or $1.25 per 56 grams.
My hummus is between 11% and 26% the cost of the Boar’s head hummus (depending on if dried or canned beans are used). A frugal and healthy choice!
Have you ever tried chocolate hummus? What kinds of food do you like to eat with chocolate hummus? Please share in the comments below.