Brownie Batter Hummus

Creamy, chocolatey goodness – full of fiber and phytonutrients and a perfect grain-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth without sabotaging your LEAP diet. Bring this delectable brownie batter hummus to your next potluck or family gathering and I can guarantee people will not be disappointed! (Just don’t tell them about the beans – it’s our secret!) 

You may have noticed A Spoonful of Yum likes to feature chocolatey recipes packed with an unexpected nutritious twist from the addition of BEANS! You’ve undoubtedly seen recipes for black bean brownies around the web, maybe even these delicious grain free chocolate chip blondies, but have you ever tried chocolate hummus? I am here to tell you that this recipe for brownie batter hummus may just become your new go-to for a guilt-free sweet treat your family will ask for time and time again.

Chocolate + Beans ?!?

You’re probably wondering…how in the world can chocolate possibly pair well with hummus? Isn’t hummus meant to be served with raw veggies or pita bread? I was also a skeptic when I initially heard of this crazy combo. Fortunately, some creative soul changed the game and blessed us with the wonders of chocolate hummus. I first tried a store-bought version and I was sold, but once I tried this amazing homemade brownie batter hummus recipe I will never look back! (Besides, I couldn’t possibly manage to feed all of my Little Farmers from one tiny tub of store-bought dessert hummus – this recipes begs to be prepared by the gallon 🙂

This recipe is a creamy and delicious masterpiece! With the help of a decent food processor (affiliate link), the beans combined with all the other ingredients blend up into a rich, velvety dip. The subtle sweetness of this recipe is such a pleasant surprise! The almond butter adds a mild note of nuttiness and the vanilla contributes another delicate layer of depth to the dip’s flavor profile. And the chocolate…well chocolate really needs no explanation. Possibly one’s of God’s greatest creations!

Chocolate – A Wholesome Indulgence!

If you haven’t guessed, I love chocolate, so let’s talk about it a bit more! The main ingredient in chocolate is cocoa, which is made by harvesting and processing cocoa/cacao beans. In today’s society, we typically consume chocolate as a confectionery, but going back hundreds of years, cocoa was traditionally used for medicinal purposes.

Contemporary research has revealed that cocoa does in fact possess health-promoting properties. It contains flavonoids, which are antioxidant compounds found naturally in fruits, vegetables, wine, tea, coffee, and cocoa. Results of several studies indicate that flavonoids possess potent anti-inflammatory effects. Consumption of cocoa may promote lower blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

So, chocolate really is a wholesome indulgence!

Chocolate in its purest form will contain a higher concentration of flavonoids. Select chocolates that are 60% cacao or more with minimal added ingredients and unsweetened cocoa powder for baking or making homemade hot cocoa mix.

Easy Peasy!

This dip is really very easy to whip together. You may very well already have most of these ingredients at home in your pantry, just waiting to be used. It is a great recipe to have on hand in your fridge when a sweet tooth strikes! A sixth of the recipe only contains about 10 grams of sugar.

Another great thing about the ingredient list is that it can be adapted to work with what you have on hand or what works best for you and your LEAP diet.

I tested the recipe with navy beans and with garbanzo beans as the base, maple syrup as the sweetener, and almond butter for added creaminess (this is where a traditional Mediterranean hummus would feature tahini.)

Feel free to experiment with different varieties of beans, natural sweeteners, and nut/seed butters. Each variation may result in a slightly distinct flavor and texture with a similar resemblance to the original recipe.

If you need to use a granulated sugar such as organic cane sugar or non-GMO beet sugar you may wish to add the additional water/LEAP friendly milk listed as optional in the recipe.

Brownie Batter Hummus

Author: Bethany Thomson, RDN, LDN, CLT | A Spoon Full of Yum

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Brownie Batter Hummus Creamy, chocolatey goodness – full of fiber and phytonutrients and a perfect grain-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth. (Just don’t tell them about the beans – it’s our secret!) Total time: 10 minutes Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can (1.5 cups) rinsed and drained navy beans (black beans, garbanzo beans, or great northern beans work as well)
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened organic cocoa powder
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 2 tablespoons LEAP friendly nut butter such as almond, cashew butter, sunflower, peanut OR sesame tahini (I used almond butter)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water or LEAP friendly milk (optional for thinner consistency)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon espresso powder or Dandy Blend powder

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to the food processor and process until smooth, pausing occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl.
2. Refrigerate immediately or enjoy!

Notes

Serve with rice cakes, popcorn cakes, apple slices, pear slices, or just enjoy by the spoonful!

Serving Suggestion:

Serve with LEAP friendly rice cakes, popcorn cakes (such as Skinny Pop), bread or crackers or as a dip for apples, bananas, or strawberries… or just enjoy by the spoonful!

Kitchen Notes:

Be sure to check the ingredients in your navy beans. Some organic varieties of beans (such as Eden’s) are cooked with kombu, a type of seaweed, to make the beans easier to digest. While this might be an option later in your LEAP diet when you are adding in new ingredients,myou need to avoid this at first and treat kombu as an untested ingredient.

Look for canned navy beans at Whole Foods – the 365 Brand is just water, navy beans, and sea salt. You can also purchase these through Amazon Pantry.

Bush’s navy beans do contain calcium chloride which is used as a firming agent for the beans (who wants mushy beans?) yet this ingredient should not be a problem. Consult with your LEAP therapist if you have any questions. You can always prepare navy beans from dried beans — it’s easy!

Navy beans are not the same as Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans — these are different bean varieties that are not tested on the MRT 170 panel and should be introduced later as a new food trial.

You can garnish with chocolate chips for a little something special (Double Chocolate Brownie Batter anyone?!) I like Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (affiliate link) — they even sell these in mega chocolate chunks now! (affiliate link) (Ingredients: cocoa + cane sugar + vanilla = LEAP friendly chocolate chip!)

If you have any questions about whether this recipe will fit into your LEAP (personalized anti-inflammatory) diet, consult your LEAP therapist!

Give this wholesome indulgence a whirl and leave me a comment below to let me know how you customized to fit your LEAP diet!

Here’s to Wholesome! (and to creamy chocolate goodness!)

~Bethany

Our Favorite Things on Amazon (affiliate links):

Cuisinart 14-cup Food Processor

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips 

Organic Canned Navy Beans – Whole Food’s 365 Brand (Ingredients: water, navy beans, sea salt)

Organic Cocoa Powder – Whole Food’s 365 Brand

Food is Medicine: Cocoa is packed with antioxidant compounds called flavonoids. When consumed in the diet, flavonoids have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects and may lower high blood pressure, decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve insulin resistance.

References:

• Higdon J, Drake VJ, Delage B. Flavonoids. Linus Pauling Institute. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids. Published February 2016.
• Latif R. Health benefits of cocoa. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. November 2013. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e328365a235.

I would like to gratefully acknowledge the content collaboration and food photography assistance for this post provided by Kaitlin Denison, dietetic intern at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.