Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

Do you remember the first time you tried hummus? I don’t know if I can recall the first time I ate it but I do remember the first time I heard about it. I grew up in a pretty rural area, about four miles outside of a pretty small town (small as in, about 400 people). As you might imagine we ate pretty traditional meals and snacks growing up and hummus wasn’t one of them!

Then my aunt and uncle visited from the East Coast for Thanksgiving one year. She’s vegetarian and knowing there would be turkey and gravy and stuffing and sausage, she packed some food of her own. Now as the time, little pre-teen me thought, “Ugh this is so weird, we have food here so why bring your own?!” Fast forward to present day and I now do this ALL. THE. TIME.

It’s not weird, I promise.

But anyways, hummus was one of those things she brought. And I promptly turned my nose up at and was like, no thanks, I’m good. It wasn’t until quite few years later that I came to really enjoy hummus. At first I stuck to pretty basic versions but eventually got more adventurous with other flavors and seasonings. And I’ve been dreaming about a version with sweet potatoes for a while now so here it is!

I don’t always make my own hummus – there’s plenty of store brands I enjoy a lot and sometimes the convenience of just opening a container and getting after it without the cleanup is nice. When I make a batch at home I usually try to make quite a bit, so I was really excited when we upgraded to a bigger food processor. This is the one I currently use and it’s a workhorse for everything from salsa to energy bites to oat flour to…obviously…hummus. Best part: it’s one of the most budget friendly options out there! (affiliate link)

I started with a base of chickpeas, oil and tahini, spices, salt, and lemon juice. Those ingredients could stand alone as a hummus recipe, but trust me, you’re going to want to at least try these sweet potatoes. Roasting them does take a little longer but it’s worth it for the sweet flavor you wind up with.

Tahini is a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It’s one of those specialty items that used to be pretty tough to find in your average grocery store but can usually be seen near the nut butters now. If you don’t have any on hand (or don’t want to buy an entire jar just for one recipe) you can definitely replace it with a little extra oil. Other times, I’ve substituted almond butter or peanut butter depending on the dish you’re making.

I could honestly just eat this stuff with a spoon – it’s that creamy and that delicious and that satisfying. But I like a little crunch with my snacks so I added some of my favorite raw veggies and these Terra chips on the side (affiliate link). These are some of my favorite chips. They’re super crunchy and kind of remind me of kettle cooked potato chips. Instead of potatoes, these are made from other root veggies like taro, batata (Cuban sweet potato), parsnips, yuca, and good ole regular sweet potatoes.

If it seems semi-cannibalistic to dip sweet potato chips into sweet potato hummus, you’re not alone in thinking that. It crossed my mind a time or two…

[Tweet “Try this Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus to take your appetizer game up a notch”]

This recipe would be a great option for an appetizer or snack (hello Easter weekend!) and leftovers can be combined with any number of other favorites. Add it to a sandwich, spread it on your toast, slap it in a bowl or use it for a sauce with pasta or cooked veggies. I went with the bowl option, adding some roasted broccoli and cauliflower along with lots of other colorful stuff I needed to clear out of my fridge. This plant-based version is still well-balanced with protein from the lentils, beans, and a small amount from the veggies, plus fat from the oil and tahini.

Other ideas: soft fried egg, avocado, nuts and seeds like pecans, hemp hearts, or pistachios…the list goes on. Basically fill it up with any and everything…take the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach. I have a feeling I’ll be repeating this recipe over and over and end up with something slightly different every time. That’s the joy of using a recipe as a suggestion – you’re not limited in any way and can really make it your own based on what sounds good to you and what your body needs to feel good.

So enough of that, here’s the recipe!

Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

5 from 5 votes

Try this delicious update for a homemade hummus dip. Perfect for meal prep, parties, and tailgating, especially when served with crunchy veggies or your favorite chips.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

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Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Chef's Knife
• Food Processor

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 1/2" pieces. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and garlic cloves. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid from the can. Add the chickpeas to the bowl of your food processor, along with remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Pulse several times to start to combine then add the roasted sweet potatoes and garlic.
• Continue pulsing until a smooth texture begins to form. If needed, slowly add some of the remaining liquid from the canned chickpeas to achieve your desired texture. Transfer from food processor into a serving bowl and add your favorite crackers, chips, pita bread, or crudités.

Notes

Adjust spices and seasonings to taste. Store in the refrigerator up to five days.

For a smoother consistency, you may peel the chickpeas to remove the outer skin before adding to the  food processor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 200 kcal, Carbohydrates: 19 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Sodium: 239 mg, Potassium: 313 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 10832 IU, Vitamin C: 12 mg, Calcium: 40 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: Hummus, Sweet Potato

What were your first impressions when you tried hummus? How do you like to incorporate it into other recipes?

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