Beet Hummus (Oil-Free)
Creamy, flavorful, and cute, this Beet Hummus is a healthy dip for raw veggies, crackers, and more. This beet hummus recipe comes together in just 5 minutes and is truly delicious. You can also use it as a sandwich spread or salad dressing!
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I have another new hummus recipe joining the ranks of my butter bean hummus and spinach artichoke hummus today: beet hummus! (I think that’s the most I’ve ever written hummus in a single sentence.)
But this beet dip is REALLY good! It’s loaded with flavor from packaged steamed beets (which make things a little faster, but you could totally steam your own beets!) and protein from the garbanzo beans (chickpeas!).
I make a batch of hummus every 3-4 days, so naturally I love to mix up the flavors. This beet hummus is a household favorite. Every time I make it, my partner looks at me and says, “this is really good, Liz.” Which, to me, a compliment about my food is even better than telling me I’m pretty.
Anyway, this easy-to-make chickpea beet dip might become your new favorite hummus recipe. I prefer to dip raw veg in mine, but it would be great on brown rice cakes, crackers, toast, on a sandwich, in a wrap, or as the basis for a salad dressing, like in my kale sweet potato salad.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
- Chickpeas (AKA Garbanzo Beans): You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas and cook them yourself (I often cook mine in an Instant Pot). If buying your chickpeas in a can, I usually recommend buying no-salt-added ones. But if you’re not concerned about sodium, go ahead and use what you want.
- Aquafaba: This is the liquid that the chickpeas are cooked in. It’s the same liquid in the can. Whether you’re using canned chickpeas or you made them yourself, make sure to save that aquafaba as it will help make our oil-free hummus smooth and creamy.
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh squeezed lemon juice but I have to be realistic and tell you I don’t always have it. Or sometimes I’m honestly too lazy to squeeze it. I LOVE the Italian Volcano brand of lemon juice (it’s organic and so much better than any other brand I’ve tried), which I often purchase in a 2-pack from Costco.
- Steamed and Peeled Beets: You can use prepackaged steamed and peel beets (I often see them marketed as “baby” beets) to save time and effort for this recipe, or you’re welcome to cook and peel your own beets. You can also use canned beets, though I recommend finding a no-salt-added brand in a can with a BPA-free lining.
- Sesame Seeds or Tahini: Even though I limit my intake of dietary fat, I do always use sesame seeds or tahini in my hummus. If you have a high powered blender, you can use sesame seeds for slightly less fat. Some folks prefer to grind the sesame seeds first in a spice grinder. I blend my hummus for 90 seconds to 2 minutes so I don’t have the issue of gritty hummus, but if you do not have a Vitamix, you may want to either use ground sesame seeds or tahini. Or leave it out and it will still be a delicious dip.
- White or Yellow Miso Paste: This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. Please feel free to omit or use a pinch of salt if that is what you prefer.
- Granulated Onion and Granulated Garlic: For flavor!
Substitutions
- Chickpeas (AKA Garbanzo Beans): Any other white bean will work well in this dip. You could also use kidney beans!
- Aquafaba: If you forgot to reserve the liquid from your can of beans (or if you cooked them yourself), a good substitute is ice water. Let the water get cold from the ice, but don’t add the ice itself to the blender.
- Lemon Juice: You can use a vinegar you enjoy if you don’t have any lemon juice on hand.
- Beets: Beets are sort of the point of this beet hummus recipe. If you don’t enjoy red beets, try golden beets as they are more mild. I will tell you though, I am not a huge beet fan, like I wouldn’t eat them by themselves, but I love this hummus. If you really don’t love beets, try another steamed and peeled root vegetable like carrots, parsnips, or sweet potato.
- Sesame Seeds or Tahini: If you can’t have sesame at all, try a different neutral nut or seed. Sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter would be lovely, as would hulled hemp seeds.
- White or Yellow Miso Paste: If you’re fine eating salt (or if you eat the potassium chloride salt substitute) you can go ahead and use that. If you are totally avoiding added sodium, you can leave it out. Maybe add a tablespoon of extra lemon juice!
- Granulated Onion and Granulated Garlic: If you can’t have either of these, just leave them out. You can always season with other spices you can have. Paprika or nutritional yeast are also lovely in beet hummus.
How to Make Beet Hummus
- Note about the sesame seeds: You may want to pre-grind your sesame seeds in a spice grinder (or use tahini) if you do not have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec to ensure smooth texture. I’ve even heard some people who have a Vitamix found that the sesame seeds didn’t get blended all the way, though I’ve never had that problem so I have to wonder if they were blending long enough. I always blend for at least 90 seconds to a full 2 minutes to get super creamy hummus.
- Add ingredients to the blender and blend: Place all the ingredients in the blender. Blend on high for about 90 seconds or as long as two minutes for next level creamy beet hummus. If it is too thick, add a tablespoon of the bean liquid at a time and blend until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- No high-powered blender? If you do not have a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec), you may need to either stop and scrape down the sides every so often with a spatula, or you may need a bit more liquid to blend. Try adding another tablespoon of aquafaba and using a spatula (stop the blender first!) to move the hummus to allow the liquid to get down to the blades.
- Taste test: Taste and adjust the flavors as needed, then re-blend until you have really delicious hummus.
- Storage: Transfer the beet hummus to an airtight container. I like cold hummus, so I put mine in the refrigerator before serving. You’re of course welcome to serve it room temperature if that’s what you like! It will last in the fridge for about 5 days.
Expert Tips
- Taste and Adjust: Though I’ve tested this recipe many times and fed it to other people, I can’t account for everyone’s tastes. Before removing the hummus from the blender, taste it. Does it need more saltiness? Add more miso. More tang? Add more lemon. Does it taste too much like beets and you don’t like that (lol, it happens)? Try adding more seasonings or a little nutritional yeast. Make this recipe your own! And write down what you change, so you can make it again at a later date!
- Individual Portions: Taking your hummus to work or school? It makes a delicious snack with red peppers, cucumbers, etc. Place your individual portions of hummus in small containers and throw one in your lunch box each day! The next time you need a quick snack, simply grab some baby carrots and a little container of your healthy homemade hummus!
- Change Up The Spices: Customize the flavor by using the spices you like! Play around with combinations and write down your experiments. Eventually you’ll find some you really enjoy and you can make them on a regular basis!
- Cooking Dried Beans: If you are using dried beans instead of canned, you can make a big batch and freeze what you don’t use.
Serving Suggestions
One of my favorite things about hummus is that you can use it in so many different ways. I most often serve beet hummus with a large plate of raw vegetables such as cucumber, red/orange/yellow bell pepper, celery, carrots, sugar snap peas, etc.
A great appetizer for a party could include a large bowl of this beet dip (maybe a double batch!) and pita chips or warmed pita bread (you can usually find both at any grocery store).
Use it as a spread on sprouted whole grain toast like Ezekiel bread to make a sandwich. Or dilute it with a little water, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard for a delicious salad dressing like in my kale sweet potato salad recipe.
More Whole Foods, Plant-Based Recipes
- Butter Bean Hummus
- Spinach Artichoke Hummus
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Portobello Pizzas
- Potato and Cauliflower Soup
- Cabbage Mushroom Soup
- Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Date Energy Balls
- Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats
- 3-Ingredient Plant-Based Chocolate Sauce
Beet Hummus Recipe
Beet Hummus
Equipment
- 1 Blender High-powered blender like Vitamix or Blendtec recommended, but not required. A food processor may also be used.
- 1 Blender spatula Not a necessity, however I love my blender spatula because I feel like it helps me get every bit of deliciousness out of the blender!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups 15-ounce can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, (AKA chickpeas) or other white beans, drained (but save the liquid) and rinsed
- 1/2 cup aquafaba, liquid from the can or leftover from boiling them if you made them from dried, see notes below for substitution
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed preferred, to taste
- 8 ounces steamed and peeled beets, see notes below for tips
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds or tahini, grind with a spice grinder if you wish (or do not have a Vitamix), or use tahini, soaked cashews, cashew butter, etc.
- 1 tablespoon miso paste optional, see note below
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Instructions
- Note about the sesame seeds: You may want to pre-grind your sesame seeds in a spice grinder (or use tahini) if you do not have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec to ensure smooth texture. I've even heard some people who have a Vitamix found that the sesame seeds didn't get blended all the way, though I've never had that problem so I have to wonder if they were blending long enough. I always blend for at least 90 seconds to a full 2 minutes to get super creamy hummus.
- Add ingredients to the blender and blend: Place all the ingredients in the blender. Blend on high for about 90 seconds or as long as two minutes for next level creamy beet hummus. If it is too thick, add a tablespoon of the bean liquid at a time and blend until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- No high-powered blender? If you do not have a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec), you may need to either stop and scrape down the sides every so often with a spatula, or you may need a bit more liquid to blend. Try adding another tablespoon of aquafaba and using a spatula (stop the blender first!) to move the hummus to allow the liquid to get down to the blades.
- Taste test: Taste and adjust the flavors as needed, then re-blend until you have really delicious hummus.
- Storage: Transfer the beet hummus to an airtight container. I like cold hummus, so I put mine in the refrigerator before serving. You’re of course welcome to serve it room temperature if that’s what you like! It will last in the fridge for about 5 days.
Notes
- Aquafaba: If you forgot to reserve the liquid from your can of beans (or if you cooked them yourself), a good substitute is ice water. Let the water get cold from the ice, but don’t add the ice itself to the blender.
- Beets: You can use prepackaged steamed and peel beets (I often see them marketed as “baby” beets) to save time and effort for this recipe, or you’re welcome to cook and peel your own beets. You can also use canned beets, though I recommend finding a no-salt-added brand in a can with a BPA-free lining.
- White or Yellow Miso Paste: This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. Please feel free to omit or use a pinch of salt if that is what you prefer.
- Sesame Seeds or Tahini: If you can’t have sesame at all, try a different neutral nut or seed. Sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter would be lovely, as would hulled hemp seeds.
- Taste and Adjust: Though I’ve tested this recipe many times and fed it to other people, I can’t account for everyone’s tastes. Before removing the hummus from the blender, taste it. Does it need more saltiness? Add more miso. More tang? Add more lemon. Does it taste too much like beets and you don’t like that (lol, it happens)? Try adding more seasonings or a little nutritional yeast. Make this recipe your own! And write down what you change, so you can make it again at a later date!
thanks for an interesting sounding recipe. what was the serving size used for the nutrition calculation? thanks.
Hi Jacquie, thanks for your comment. The serving size is about 1/4 cup.
In your recipe above I am not seeing how much beet to use in the hummus. Please advise…
Hi Judy, in the recipe card section at the bottom of the recipe, you can find full amounts for every ingredient. For this particular case, the recipe calls for 8 ounces of steamed and peeled beets. You can always add less or more according to your preferences. Thank you!