This 10-minute pumpkin hummus blends canned pumpkin, chickpeas and tahini with warm curry spices into a silky, golden dip that tastes like fall in a bowl. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free, and all it takes is a can opener and a food processor.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chickpeas. Two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed. Save the liquid from one can first. That liquid (aquafaba) thins the hummus without watering down the flavor. Cooked-from-dry chickpeas work too; you'll need about 3 cups.
- Pumpkin puree. Use plain canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Roasted butternut squash or sweet potato puree can stand in if that's what you have.
- Tahini. Tahini (sesame paste) gives hummus its rich, nutty base. A smooth, pourable brand like Soom tahini blends most easily. No tahini? See the variations below.
- Garlic and citrus. One clove of garlic and about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice keep the pumpkin from tasting flat. Lime juice works just as well and plays nicely with the curry.
- Curry powder. This is the star seasoning. A mild blend such as Rani mild curry powder adds warmth without much heat. Use a hot curry powder if you like a little kick.
- Warm spices. Cumin, paprika, ground ginger and a pinch of cinnamon round out the flavor and bring out the pumpkin's natural sweetness.
Helpful Tips
Add the liquid slowly. Canned pumpkin already has plenty of moisture, so you may need less chickpea liquid than you'd use for basic hummus. Pour it in a tablespoon or two at a time while the machine runs, and stop as soon as the hummus looks smooth and scoopable.
Let the food processor run. The difference between grainy and creamy hummus is usually just time. Blend for a full 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. A standard 12-cup food processor handles this batch easily; a high-speed blender works too, but you'll need to stop and stir more often.
Rinse the chickpeas well. Rinsing gets rid of the starchy, slightly metallic canning liquid on the outside of the beans, so your hummus tastes cleaner. Just remember to save the liquid you need before you drain the cans.
Taste before serving. Pumpkin and chickpeas both need a good amount of salt to taste bright. After blending, taste and adjust with another pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon or a little more curry powder until it tastes right to you.
Give it time to chill. The hummus is great straight away, but the spices mellow and blend together after 30 minutes or so in the fridge. It also thickens a bit as it chills, so make it slightly looser than you want it.
Variations
- Pumpkin hummus without tahini. Swap the tahini for ⅓ cup of sunflower seed butter, cashew butter or smooth almond butter, or use 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for a lighter, tahini-free version. Sunflower seed butter keeps it nut-free and tastes the closest to the original.
- Sweet pumpkin hummus. Leave out the garlic, curry powder, cumin and paprika. Blend in 2 to 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and a splash of vanilla, and cut the salt to a pinch. Serve it like a dessert dip with apple slices, graham crackers or pretzels. If you like sweet hummus, try this dark chocolate hummus too.
- Savory herb version. Skip the curry powder and ginger, add a pinch of dried sage and thyme, and top the finished hummus with toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Smoky chipotle. Replace the paprika with smoked paprika and add half a chipotle pepper in adobo for a smoky, spicy dip.
- Roasted garlic. Use 4 to 5 cloves of roasted garlic instead of the raw clove for a mellower, sweeter garlic flavor.
Serving Ideas
Pumpkin hummus makes an easy appetizer for fall parties and Thanksgiving. Spoon it into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cilantro, pumpkin seeds or a pinch of paprika. Serve it with warm pita, crackers and crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and snap peas. These dukkah-sprinkled chickpea crackers keep the whole board gluten-free.
It's also a great everyday spread. Swipe it inside wraps and sandwiches, dollop it on grain bowls, or serve it alongside vegan falafel or a batch of warm vegan naan. For a cozy fall lunch, pair a bowl of hummus and veggies with a mug of roasted pumpkin soup.
Storing & Freezing
Store leftover pumpkin hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. A thin layer of olive oil on top helps keep the surface from drying out. Give it a good stir before serving, and loosen it with a splash of water or lemon juice if it has thickened.
You can freeze pumpkin hummus for up to 3 months. Leave a little headspace in the container, since it expands as it freezes. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then stir well or give it a quick blend to bring back the creamy texture. It may be slightly thinner after thawing, so taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
More Hummus & Pumpkin Recipes
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- 23+ Best Hummus Recipes
- Green Lentil Hummus
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip (with Cinnamon Sugar Chips!)
- Crazy Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade, not pumpkin pie filling
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about ½ large lemon, or lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder, mild or hot
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼-1/2 cup aquafaba, reserved liquid from one can of chickpeas, or water
- fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Before draining, set aside the liquid from one can of chickpeas. Drain and rinse both cans of chickpeas.
- Add the chickpeas, pumpkin puree, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, salt, paprika, ginger and cinnamon to a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse 5 or 6 times to break everything up.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour in the reserved chickpea liquid, a tablespoon or two at a time, until the hummus is smooth and creamy (you may not need all of it). Blend for 2 to 3 minutes total, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Taste and adjust with more salt, lemon juice or curry powder if needed, then blend again briefly.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, swirl the top with the back of a spoon and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with pita bread, crackers or fresh vegetables.
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