I trimmed the calories from regular hummus by using roasted cauliflower instead of chickpeas. This vegan hummus recipe makes a great snack!
Low-Calorie Hummus
You know what I hate? Suggested serving sizes.
I love hummus. I don’t make usually make hummus myself (unless it’s Edamame Hummus) because it ends up being a disaster, so I buy the little tubs of hummus at the grocery store. And I totally want to eat half the tub in one sitting. But a serving size is almost always two tablespoons.
Two tablespoons. Which is nothing! Who eats two tablespoons of hummus?!
I am totally a volume eater. Hummus is a healthy food, but the calories really add up when you want to eat more than two tablespoons. So I thought I’d try replacing the chickpeas with roasted cauliflower. Oh sure, my hummus wouldn’t have as much protein, but I’d be able to eat a lot more of it, which is nice too, right? As usual, I thought I was being super innovative, but then I Googled it and about a gajillion recipes for paleo hummus made with cauliflower came up. Oh snap.
Anyway, if you divide this Roasted Cauliflower Hummus into four HUGE SERVINGS (see, all caps means the servings are big), you end up saving about 90 calories per serving. I kind of wanted to have a more impressive number for you, but 90 calories is better than nothing, right? Each HUGE SERVING is a little over 200 calories, so if you serve this with some whole wheat pita bread and fresh veggies, it makes a nice light lunch.
Oh, and I bet you’re wondering how it tastes. Does Roasted Cauliflower Hummus taste like real hummus? Well, yes and no. With the garlic, lemon juice, and tahini, it does taste like hummus, but because it’s made with roasted cauliflower, it has a subtle sweetness and nuttiness that regular hummus doesn’t have. If you’ve ever added caramelized onions to hummus, it’s kind of like that.

Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower broken into small florets
- oil mister or cooking spray
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon wedges olive oil, and parsley for garnish
- pita bread and fresh veggies for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil or cooking spray.
- Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet. Spray with additional oil or cooking spray. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and cool.
- Combine cauliflower, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in food processor. Process until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time for a thinner consistency, if desired.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with lemon wedges, pita bread, and fresh veggies.
146 Comments
adam
October 23, 2013 at 11:46 pmmade this tonight and really really enjoyed it… great recipe. i thought i wanted more garlic so i went off recipe and ended up adding too much, but i added some more lemon and salt and it helped.
Kiersten
October 24, 2013 at 8:21 pmI actually tested the recipe with more garlic because I usually put more in my chickpea hummus, but for some reason with the cauliflower hummus, it just doesn’t work out! I’m glad you liked the recipe.
Audrey
January 2, 2014 at 9:59 amCan’t wait to see all your recipes in my in box. Audrey
Blanca
January 7, 2014 at 2:04 pmDo you by chance know what the caloric measurement for this is? I’m actually making some right now, my cauliflower is currently in the oven, and I wanted to be able to log it.
Kiersten Frase
January 7, 2014 at 9:01 pmI’m sorry, I don’t calculate nutritional information for my recipes, but here’s a site you can use: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Jodi
April 4, 2014 at 3:03 pmThank you for this recipe! I have made it over and over, and every time it disappears within about two days. I gave my mom the link, she has been making it as well, and she and my dad love it! I love your blog, too. It has been a breath of fresh air. 🙂
Kiersten Frase
April 7, 2014 at 7:20 pmI’m so glad you and your family have been enjoying it! Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Emma
May 29, 2014 at 11:02 pmthis was AMAZING
Kiersten Frase
May 30, 2014 at 5:37 pmI’m glad you liked it! 🙂
Lisa
July 15, 2014 at 5:04 pmHi, great recipe but mine tasted very bitter, can you help? xxx Lisa xxx
Kiersten Frase
July 21, 2014 at 4:09 pmIt could be the garlic – I’d try using less next time and see if that helps.
Andrea
September 16, 2014 at 4:48 pmI used this as inspiration tonight but as I only had half a head of cauliflower I used two beetroots alongside it, roasted the lot then blended with the garlic, tahini, olive oil and a spoonful of lazy chilli…delish! Thanks for the idea 🙂
Kiersten Frase
September 18, 2014 at 1:39 pmI love the idea of adding beets – I bet other root veggies would work too!
Alexis
October 28, 2014 at 9:28 pmHow far in advance can I prepare this? I’d love to make it a few days before a party so it is ready to go.
mike
November 1, 2014 at 11:24 pmLove it! I ended up roasting garlic with the cauliflower to mellow it out… Little more garlic and olive oil for me… Deliciousness!
Daniel R
June 1, 2017 at 2:11 pmI highly Second roasting garlic with this! I just cut the head off tips of the head of garlic, add 1/2 tsp oil and wrap in foil and place it next to the cauliflower in the oven.
Candice
February 7, 2015 at 3:44 pmDelishious! i just feel it is missing the cumin. Definitely a recipe i will use again and again and share with others 😀 Thank you!
Jennifer @ LiveLearnLoveRun
July 29, 2015 at 10:27 amMade this last night!!! SOOOOOO YUMMY…need to already make another batch…OOOPPS!!!
Thomo
October 28, 2015 at 11:04 pmI tried this recipe and and added a bit more olive oil for creaminess. Good, will surely make it again.
Thomo
October 28, 2015 at 11:14 pmI tried this recipe and added a bit more olive oil for creaminess. Mine too was just a bit bitter though I only used 1 clove of garlic. I was good for my first time making and having cauliflower hummus and will surely make it again.
Salwa
November 9, 2015 at 12:18 amYou can’t call these dishes “hummus” unless they are made from chic peas. “Hummus” means chic peas in Arabic. The food looks good and healthy, but you must think of a new name. Hummus is not a catch word for anything that is mashed and can be dipped.
Thank you,
Salwa, Syrian heritage
Roxanne
April 22, 2016 at 12:59 pmPretty sure she can name it any damn thing she wants.
Jude
November 18, 2016 at 5:53 amWonderful recipe, thank you!
ealine
February 20, 2017 at 12:38 pmi roasted several cloves of garlic with the cauliflower for a slightly nuttier taste… yumm
Roberto
February 1, 2020 at 11:33 pmIt might be the most delicious dish in the world but you don’t have the right to name it “hummus”. You are trying to use the worldwide good reputation of hummus to your self interest. You are cheating. Call it whatever you want, but not “hummus”.