Roasted Carrot Hummus

Today’s recipe, Roasted Carrot Hummus, is the newest addition to our collection of easy appetizers. Similar to some of the other reader favorites like my Baked Goat Cheese Dip, Italian Bread Dipping Oil, and Muhammara, it is ready in less than 20 minutes.

Why Should You Make This Recipe?

• Next-level flavor: The caramelized flavor of roasted carrots mixed in with tahini, chickpeas, and a squeeze of lemon juice is surprisingly flavorful and can be a great alternative to the classic hummus recipe with only one quick step (aka adding roasted carrots)
• Easy to customize: While the recipe as written is great, if you are having to accommodate different diet restrictions, perhaps requiring it to be made without tahini or chickpeas (for Whole 30), you can easily make a few ingredient swaps to customize it to your needs. It is also vegan, gluten-free and paleo friendly.
• Versatile: Entertain in style by serving it with crudite vegetables (like I did) or simply use it to spread your morning/avocado toast for a delicious breakfast.

List of Ingredients:

To make this carrot hummus recipe you will need three sets of ingredients. The list below might look long but I bet you have all of them in your pantry.

For Roasting Carrots:

In terms of veggies, you will need carrots and whole garlic cloves. Make sure to wash and chop your carrots and don’t be afraid to mix them up with some colorful carrots such as purple or yellow. 

I like to cut them into equal (2-inch) pieces to make sure they roast evenly. You will also need a few garlic cloves, olive oil, ground cumin, and salt and black pepper.

For The Hummus:

For the hummus ingredients, gather tahini (aka sesame paste), olive oil, fresh lemon juice, water, salt and black pepper, and chickpeas.

For The Toppings:

You can certainly serve this roasted carrot hummus without any toppings, but toppings are usually the fun part. A few of my favorites include black or white sesame seeds, chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill, and a drizzle of olive oil.

How To Make It?

1. Roast the vegetables: Arrange carrot and garlic cloves in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 30-35 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Prep the tahini mixture: Meanwhile, whisk together tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place roasted carrots, garlic and drained chickpeas in a food processor.
3. Process: Pulse 4-5 times to break them. Then while the machine is running, pour the tahini dressing through the opening. 
4. Scrape: Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate any unmixed chunks. Give it a taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
5. Garnish & Serve: Transfer into a bowl, drizzle it with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle it with fresh parsley.

Variations:

What I love most about this Roasted Carrot Hummus is that you can easily accommodate various dietary needs with a few simple ingredient adjustments. Here are a few variations I tried:

• Carrot Hummus without Chickpeas: Not allowed to eat legumes because you’re following the Whole30 diet? No worries! Simply replace the can of chickpeas with 2 or 3 more carrots or a ½ cup of cauliflower florets. 
• Carrot Hummus without Tahini: If you’re not crazy about the taste of sesame paste, use an equal amount of unsalted and unsweetened peanut or almond butter in place of tahini.
• Carrot Turmeric Hummus: For a little extra boost of seasoning, add ½ teaspoon of dried turmeric but keep in mind that a little goes a long way.
• Moroccan Spiced Carrot Hummus: If you want to add a unique flavor straight from the Middle East, try adding a mix of ¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ginger, coriander, and all spice to the hummus while blending in the food processor.
• Carrot Sriracha Hummus: Like your dip with a little bit of kick? Try mixing in 1 tablespoon of sriracha!
• Switch up the flavors with toppings: Inspired by the way I serve my Whole Roasted Carrots, you can top it off with crumbled feta, fresh dill, and pomegranate seeds.

How and What to Serve With?

There are so many options when it comes to serving this carrot hummus dip and no wrong way to eat it! Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve this appetizer:

• Serve it with crackers & raw vegetables: Pita chips, crackers, root vegetable chips, raw veggies (like snap peas, cauliflower, and broccoli) provide a colorful serving option.
• Serve it as a part of a charcuterie board: Present this homemade hummus as part of a meat and cheese platter for a unique spin on an appetizer display.
• Use it as sandwich spread: On the next day, use it to spread over toasted bread and top it off with sliced avocado for a delicious vegan breakfast.

How To Store, Freeze, and Thaw

• To Store: If you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container (make sure that it is at room temperature)  and store in the fridge for upto 3 days. 
• To Freeze: As long as it is kept in an airtight container, carrot hummus will keep fresh for upto a month.
• To Thaw: Thaw in the fridge overnight. You may have to give it a stir before serving as ingredients tend to separate. Thawed out hummus is good for up to 5 days and should not be refrozen.

Expert Tips

• Chunky or smooth: If you prefer chunkier hummus, keep an eye on the food processor and stop it before it becomes too well blended. For fluffy hummus with a smooth texture, allow the processor to mix the ingredients for a longer period of time. 
• Scrape the bowl: Like it is with any dip recipe, it is a good idea to stop the machine and scrape the sides a few times to make sure it is processing evenly.
• Taste for seasoning: Be sure to give it a taste before serving and season accordingly.
• Don’t have a food processor? While a food processor is your best option, a high speed blender (such as Vitamix) will work as well. However, since they are more powerful it is a good idea to keep a close eye on it as it blends.