A simple smoky plant-based hummus made of garbanzo beans and seasoned with smoky chipotle peppers, fresh garlic and lime juice, ground chipotle pepper, and smoked paprika. Great with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches, veggie bowls, or as a dip for fresh vegetables and more.
There is such a large variety of hummus available in grocery stores and markets today.
And I admittedly enjoy my fair share of hummus on a fairly regular basis. Since it’s relatively simple to make, the variations lie more in how it’s served or what is mixed in. I enjoy finding new ways to flavor and spice this delicious and healthy dip.
For instance, in my Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, roasted red peppers and spices are blended that complement the roasted red peppers well. And my Avocado Hummus is just as tempting – but it’s made with fresh avocados, cilantro, lime, and garlic.
It’s also fun to make sweeter dessert hummus. If you’d like to try one, check out my Peanut Butter Cookie Dough or Pumpkin Caramel Dessert Hummus. Both are delicious with fresh fruit, crackers, rice cakes, or cookies.
I think it’s safe to say, I enjoy creating different flavors by using a variety of ingredients, herbs, or spices. And that’s where this Chipotle Hummus comes in. It is a super delicious oil-free hummus that boasts quite a bit of smoky chipotle pepper flavor and just the right level of spiciness.
So let’s chat about the ingredients.
Hummus literally means chickpeas. And just like its literal translation, traditional hummus recipes can be very simple. Since hummus means chickpeas, it’s only right that the primary ingredient be chickpeas (at least this time). Though theoretically you can use any kind of pale bean, including navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans.
As a traditionalist (most of the time), I prefer using dry chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans – because they store well, are inexpensive, and do not contain any salt. But that’s not all. Like most legumes, chickpeas are also extremely nutritious.
Just one ounce provides 46 calories, 3 grams of plant protein, and 2 grams of fiber. They also contain quite a bit of folate, iron, phosphorous, manganese, and copper. This makes chickpeas great for maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar, aiding in digestion, and warding off heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Healthline)
I like soaking the chickpeas in water overnight to increase their digestibility and improve nutrient absorption. A little baking soda is added to the soaking water because baking soda helps soften the chickpeas as they absorb water, resulting in a creamier hummus. So now, as a general rule, I add in a little baking soda whenever I make hummus.
I also like cooking the chickpeas in a pressure cooker since they take less time and come out perfectly cooked every time. Once your chickpeas are rinsed well, transfer them to an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, cover them with fresh water, secure the lid, and presto!
Your beans will be ready after pressure is released naturally. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, no problem. Simply rinse, soak, and cook the beans according to the package directions.
The cooked chickpeas should be nice and soft. Allow them to cool slightly, then rinse well, removing any loose skins. Then transfer the beans to a food processor or high-speed blender. Add in the remaining Chipotle Hummus ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.
Depending on how smooth you prefer your hummus depends on whether or not you use a food processor or high-speed blender.
If you use a food processor, the hummus may be slightly looser than if you use a high-speed blender. I also do not to add any oil when making hummus. I honestly don’t think hummus needs any oil at all. But because I don’t add oil, I sometimes need to add a little water to my hummus, to thin it out a little, but only if needed. This also depends how thick or thin you prefer your hummus. I like mine a little thicker. If you like yours thinner, add a little water.
The flavor power in this Chipotle Hummus is a canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Please acknowledge that this recipe calls for one (possibly two) chipotle pepper – not the entire can of chipotle peppers. It’s also important to note that chipotle peppers vary in size. Some are really small and some are quite a bit larger. Another important aspect is that the chipotle peppers contain seeds which may add a bit more heat.
For this reason, I typically remove the seeds and use a medium-sized pepper. I like my Chipotle Hummus full of flavor with a medium amount of spiciness.
But since peppers and people vary greatly, I recommend making this recipe as it is written, then tasting it to see if it’s where you like your spiciness. If you prefer a spicier hummus with a bit more zip, that’s fantastic! Simply add in another chipotle pepper or a larger chipotle pepper, with or without seeds, and process until fully incorporated. You can also add in a little chipotle chili powder.
In addition to chickpeas and chipotle pepper, this Chipotle Hummus uses tahini, herbs, and spices.
Tahini is ground sesame paste that adds depth and flavor to hummus. In fact, I think the tahini lends some creaminess to the texture and contributes greatly to the consistency. If you can’t get tahini or don’t like it, you can substitute sunflower butter or cashew butter, though the flavor will be slightly different. You can also roast and grind your own sesame seeds to make tahini.
Other flavors are contributed by a little fresh garlic, cilantro, and sun-dried tomatoes. I typically peel and smash the garlic and roughly chop the cilantro and sun-dried tomatoes (if they’re whole) to help the process along a little. I don’t want to find big unprocessed chunks of garlic, cilantro or sun-dried tomatoes when enjoying my hummus.
I also typically don’t use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, though they would work well in this hummus. Use whatever you have access to. As a helpful note, if your sun-dried tomatoes are a bit dry or hard, you should soak them in hot water to soften them a bit. Then, you can use the soaking water to thin out the hummus a little, if needed. The sun-dried tomato adds a little color and umami.
And finally, I like adding in a bit of fresh lime juice, smoked paprika, and a dash of chipotle pepper. These flavors enhance the chipotle pepper well. Once fully incorporated in the food processor, taste the hummus and adjust seasonings to taste, including chipotle pepper, lime juice, salt and pepper, if desired.
You can garnish your Chipotle Hummus with a sprinkling of smoked paprika or chipotle pepper, chopped cilantro, or crushed red pepper flakes. It’s delicious served with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, in sandwiches or wraps, veggie bowls, or as a dip for fresh vegetables, and more. Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
As I mentioned, I love using it as a dip for vegetables, pita bread, and crackers. But I also enjoy using it as a spread in sandwiches and wraps. You can add it to a variety of salads and dressings instead of mayonnaise as well. It’s not only much healthier, but it really amps up the flavor.
This Chipotle Hummus keeps very well for about a week when stored covered in the refrigerator. So you can definitely make it the day before you want to serve it. It’s normally best when served at room temperature, which makes it fantastic on a crudite platter for parties, holiday meals, or as an appetizer.
I hope you enjoy this Chipotle Hummus as much as I do.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dry garbanzo beans (or 2 – 2½ cups cooked)*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- enough to cover the beans twice*
- 2 Tbsp tahini**
- 1-2 canned chipotle pepper(s) in adobo sauce***
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder (optional)
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- garnish (optional): crushed red pepper, chipotle pepper, minced garlic, or fresh lime juice
Instant Pot Chickpea Instructions
- Rinse the dry beans well in water.
- Transfer the beans to a bowl and pour in at least four cups of water and 1 tsp baking soda, and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Rinse the soaked beans well.
- Transfer the soaked beans to the Instant Pot, cover with water, and secure the lid.
- Cook for 10 minutes using the High Pressure setting, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
- Remove the lid and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Remove and discard any loose skins.
Instructions
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine all of the ingredients together, starting with 1 chipotle pepper.
- Then process until whipped and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides a couple of times.
- Add in 1-3 Tbsp water, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. It should be mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Add in another chipotle pepper or a little chipotle chili powder if you prefer it spicier.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, or chipotle chili powder, if desired.
- Serve with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches or wraps, veggie bowls, as a dip for fresh vegetables, and more.
- Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
* I like using garbanzo beans because hummus is traditionally made with garbanzo beans. You can easily substitute them for any kind of pale bean, including navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans. 1 can is equivalent to 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas.
I use dry beans because they store well, are inexpensive, and do not contain salt. I like soaking them in water overnight to increase their digestibility and improve nutrient retention. I also like cooking them in a pressure cooker since they take less time and come out perfectly cooked every time. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, rinse, soak, and cook according to the package directions.
Whenever making hummus, adding some baking soda helps soften the garbanzo beans, resulting in a creamier hummus.
** Tahini is roasted sesame seed paste. If you don’t like tahini or can’t eat sesame seeds, you can use another neutral seed or nut butter, such as sunflower butter or cashew butter. You can also omit it altogether, though this will affect the flavor and consistency.
*** Chipotle peppers can be quite spicy. I recommend starting with 1 pepper, seeds removed, unless you like spicy foods. You can always add more.
Chipotle Hummus
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry garbanzo beans or 2 cups cooked and drained*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Enough to and cover the beans twice*
- 2 Tbsp tahini**
- 1-2 (canned) chipotle pepper(s) in adobo sauce***
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1-2 limes
- 1-2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder optional
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste optional
- garnish optional: crushed red pepper, chipotle pepper, minced garlic, or fresh lime juice
Instructions
Instant Pot Bean Instructions
- Rinse the dry beans well in water.
- Transfer the beans to a bowl and pour in at least four cups of water and 1 tsp baking soda, and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Rinse the soaked beans well.
- Transfer the soaked beans to the Instant Pot, cover with water, and secure the lid.
- Cook for 10 minutes using the High Pressure setting, allowing the pressure to release naturally.
- Remove the lid and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. Remove and discard any loose skins.
Chipotle Hummus Instructions
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine all of the ingredients together, starting with 1 chipotle pepper Then process until whipped and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. You may need to scrape the sides a couple of times.
- Add in 1-3 Tbsp water, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. It should be mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Add in another chipotle pepper or a little chipotle chili powder if you prefer it spicier.***
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, or chipotle chili powder, if desired.
- Serve with oven-roasted corn tortilla chips, pita chips, toast, rice cakes, sandwiches or wraps, veggie bowls, as a dip for fresh vegetables, and more.
- Store any remaining hummus covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.