Brownie Batter Hummus

Chocolaty, creamy, brownie batter that you can dip with graham crackers or fruit. Oh my goodness this recipe is so yummy! As a recipe developer sometimes I get ideas in my head of foods I want to try. Most of the time I can make the recipe work, but sometimes it does not come together the way I envisioned in my mind. When that happens I either scrap the recipe, (hello terrible pistachio fig energy bites) or I keep adapting little by little until I get it right.

That is what happened with this Brownie Batter Hummus. My daughter loves store-made chocolate hummus. I was determined to make a homemade version that was even better than her beloved tub from ALDI. I tried different kinds of beans and different proportions of sugar and cocoa powder, but none of them were quite right. They tasted pasty and flat, not silky and bright.

I went back to the testing notebook and as I was driving to the grocery store to get more canned beans it hit me. If I was making hummus, I should look at the ingredients in traditional hummus. Traditional hummus has beans, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and water in addition to salt and spices. In the brownie batter hummus I replaced the tahini (a sesame seed butter) with peanut butter, and the water with almond milk. But, I didn’t add anything to replace the olive oil. I knew I didn’t want the strong flavor of olive oil, so on my next batch I added a neutral-flavored oil, avocado oil.

It worked! Just two tablespoons of avocado oil took this Brownie Batter Hummus from flat and one-dimensional to silky and creamy. If you don’t have avocado oil, you could use vegetable oil. It has a neutral flavor too and won’t overpower the chocolate like olive oil.

This hummus is delicious with graham crackers, apple slices, or pretzels for dipping.

Brownie Batter Hummus

1 15-ounce Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/8 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Milk (I use almond milk to make this vegan.)

2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil (or vegetable oil)

2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips for garnish

Sliced Apples, Graham Crackers, or Pretzels for dipping

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the black beans until they begin to become like a paste. Scrape down the sides and add the peanut butter, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Process for 15 seconds and scrape down the sides again. Add the vanilla and milk and process another 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides and add the avocado oil. Process until smooth and glossy.

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Serve with graham crackers, sliced apples or pretzels for dipping.