Zesty Carob Hummus

I devised this recipe for my older daughter since she refused to eat regular hummus.  I still wanted her to eat legumes and chickpeas in particular. So I made this “mock-chocolate” looking hummus for her and it was a hit! Why mock-chocolate and not use real cacao? While cacao has a lot of goodness in it, it is also loaded with phytic acid – an anti-nutrient that binds to minerals and impedes their absorption. (A blog post is coming up on that soon). Hence, I use carob powder.

Ingredients

2C Cooked chickpeas
1.5C Dates
0.5C Almond or Cashew milk
4tbs melted coconut oil
4tbs Hemp seeds (Optional)
3tbs Pure maple syrup (Optional, depending on how sweet you want this to be)
2tbs Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice
1tbs Lemon Zest
2tbs Carob Powder
1tbs Vanilla Extract
1/2tsp Clove powder
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in the food processor, adding the milk last. You can adjust the consistency by adding less or more milk.

TIME SAVING TIP: I like to put 2-3 tbs spoons of this hummus into a mini cupcake silicone tray (see the picture below) and freeze them. Then, whenever I need this hummus, I just take out of the freezer and let sit on the counter for an hour or in the  fridge overnight. That way you only have to make this once and it will last you for 3-4 weeks in the freezer.

It’s perfect for quick school lunches. Juts spread in on a bagel and pita.