Maple Cinnamon Dessert Hummus

Have you ever tried a dessert hummus? This cinnamon flavored hummus is sweet, creamy, and delicious on apples, pears, gluten-free graham crackers, and even pancakes! Only seven ingredients and ready in minutes. Perfect for a sweet snack or healthy dessert!

I snack on fruit throughout the day, and lately I’ve been eating quite a few apples. Nine times out of 10, I dip my apples in some sort of nut or seed butter. I have so many, you couldn’t even imagine! Creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, coconut peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter … I could honestly keep going, there’s at least two or three more. Why do I have so many? Well, because who knows which one I’ll want that day, and they’re all so dang good!

You’re probably wondering what my point is about all that, so let me stop with the rambling. The other day I was trying to decide what to dip my apple into, and I wanted something different — something I didn’t already have. I had dreams of cinnamon, and I thought of hummus.

One of the things I liked about the hummus idea is that with garbanzo beans, you’re still getting a good amount of protein (and a lot more fiber), but with much less fat and calories than, say, peanut butter. Nuts are a healthy fat, but in all honesty, I probably eat a few more than what’s recommended. Of course, we’re adding in the maple syrup, and not to mention a little nut butter itself, but if I were to pick a sweet cinnamon flavored nut butter that day, it would still be somehow sweetened. And all the ingredients in this are good-for-you items!

Another thing I love about this hummus is all the ways I can use it. Originally, I was wanting something for my apples, but when buying the ingredients, I grabbed a couple pears as well. Then while still shopping, I saw some gluten-free graham crackers on sale, which just happened to be vegan! I tried it on all these items after I first made it, and loved every single one! Great as a sweet snack or a healthy dessert, and then I started thinking, “Well, why not breakfast?”

I immediately wanted to try this on some crepes or pancakes! The immediate part didn’t happen, but for breakfast yesterday I made us some pancakes and topped them with this hummus, and some whipped coconut cream. Before trying them, I wasn’t 100 percent sure if I would love it on the pancakes, but I DID! That gives me three reasons I love this spread!

OK, now I’ve told you about how delicious this is, how healthy it is, and all the ways you can use it, but have I mentioned yet how incredibly easy it is to make? If you’ve ever made hummus before, you’ll know it’s ready in the blink of an eye. You simply add all the ingredients to your food processor and mix until all is smooth and well combined.

The main ingredient, like most hummus, is garbanzo beans. I always keep things simply and used canned. If you want to cook your own (don’t forget to soak the beans first!), one can equals about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans.

As I mentioned, for this recipe I used a little nut butter. That replaced tahini, which you would add to a traditional, savory hummus. I used almond butter, one which was made with only almonds. If you use one that has added salt, you may want to omit the salt in this recipe, or just add it to taste. There isn’t a whole lot of it to begin with. If you use a sweetened almond butter, I would definitely start with less maple syrup and add it to taste.

I do not use any oil in this recipe, but instead added a little cashew milk for creaminess. You’re welcome to use another type of plant-based milk, but I’ve been on a cashew kick lately. I like how much creamier it is than almond milk, which is what I’d previously been using.

Once all the ingredients have been well mixed in the food processor, transfer the hummus to a mixing bowl. I then sprinkled mine with a little coconut sugar as well as a bit more cinnamon. This is completely optional and really just for presentation. However, it does make for a pretty display.

Since this is so very easy to make, I’ve already made it twice this week, and shared it with many friends! Once again, vegan made and omni approved … this time by many! I had one friend on the fence about the whole dessert hummus thing and just wasn’t sure, but I had many who loved it and just gobbled it up! If you love this recipe too, leave a comment below or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram, @veggiesattiffanis. And don’t forget to tell me your favorite way to eat it!