Pizza Hummus
This incredibly flavorful Pizza Hummus might become your new favorite hummus recipe! It’s oil-free and low fat yet still loaded with tons of herby, cheesy, tomato-y flavor. Use this amazing pizza hummus as a delicious dip, or spread it on sandwiches, flat breads, or mix it into pasta and cooked veggies!
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I’ve mentioned… a few times… how much I love hummus on here. I already have a bunch of oil-free hummus recipes on here like my Butter Bean Hummus, Spinach Artichoke Hummus, Beet Hummus, and my classic Creamy Oil-Free Hummus (traditional flavor).
You also already know I like to do lots of things with my homemade hummus, such as dipping raw veggies in it nearly every single night (I’m serious), using it as a spread in my Hummus Veggie Sandwich, spreading it on whole grain crisp bread and topping it with veggies and home-grown sprouts, AND using it as a base for salad dressing like in my Kale Sweet Potato Salad.
But I was experimenting with oil-free hummus recipes recently (I kinda just do it all the time, since I make hummus at least 3 times a week) and I came up with a new flavor: Pizza Hummus!
This pizza flavored hummus is incredible. My partner and I LOVE pizza (it was one of our favorite things to eat when we were junk food vegans, and even before we went vegan) and this definitely satisfies a pizza craving.
There aren’t really any pizza options in town, so if we want a pizza we have to make our own. I love making my Portobello Pizzas, but sometimes I need something that’s less work, you know?
Plus, having pizza in oil free hummus form makes it a lot easier to inhale eat lots of veggies. Like last night, I had had enough bell peppers that day since I had a Plant Based Burrito Bowl for lunch. So I chopped up carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes and dip them in my pizza hummus and it was an amazing appetizer before dinner.
Have I convinced you to make this delicious oil-free hummus yet? If so, please proceed to the next section so you know what you need.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, please please please please try this amazing hummus recipe.
Okay? Let’s go.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
- Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, you’ll need about a can’s worth (or 1 ¾ cups) of chickpeas. I like to buy chickpeas in a can with non-BPA lining and with no salt added. If you can’t find no-salt added chickpeas, you can also make your own from dried garbanzo beans! In fact, I do typically make my own chickpeas from dried in my Instant Pot. And save that cooking liquid!
- 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.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Ya gotta have tomato in pizza! I buy sun dried tomatoes in the vacuum sealed bags (not in a jar with oil). Trader Joe’s has a very nice product that is one of the lower sodium ones out there, or these sun dried tomatoes are also great.
- 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: 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.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is to give our pizza hummus that cheesy flavor!
- Granulated Onion and Garlic: I use granulated onion and granulated garlic in my hummus because I like the flavor it adds.
- Dried Basil and Dried Oregano: These add the herb flavors that would usually be in pizza sauce. I like to pulse them in after the pizza hummus is blended so that you can still see them.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Optional: If you like a little heat, you can pulse some crushed red pepper flakes into your pizza hummus with the dried herbs or just serve them on top.
Substitutions
- Chickpeas: White beans (navy beans, Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, butter beans (like my butter bean hummus!)) work very well instead of chickpeas.
- Aquafaba: If you forgot to reserve the liquid from your can of beans (or if you cooked them yourself and don’t have the liquid anymore), a good substitute is ice water. Let the water get cold from the ice, but don’t add the ice itself to the blender.
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice: Bottled works too! You can use a vinegar you enjoy if you don’t have any fresh or bottled lemon juice on hand.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Alternatives include 1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste or 2 teaspoons tomato powder.
- 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 an extra tablespoon of lemon juice!
- Sesame Seeds: If you can’t have sesame seeds or tahini (which is just blended sesame seeds), try soaked raw cashews or raw sunflower seeds, or try cashew butter. Hulled hemp seeds also work well. If you are really watching your overt fats, you can omit them from the recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast: If you can’t eat nutritional yeast, try a little extra miso, onion, and garlic.
- Granulated Onion and Garlic: You can use other spices you enjoy. Fresh garlic is also nice in oil free hummus (use 1-2 cloves and go from there, or try 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic).
- Dried Basil and Dried Oregano: Dried Italian Seasoning is a good substitute. You can use fresh herbs too if you prefer (I would just garnish the finished hummus with them instead of blending them in.
How to Make Pizza Hummus
- Add ingredients to the blender except herbs: Add the following ingredients to the blender: chickpeas, aquafaba, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes, miso paste, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, granulated onion, and granulated garlic. Place the lid on tightly.
- Blend it up: Blend oil-free hummus on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. If your blender came with a tamper, that can be helpful to use here. 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 (or ice water) and using a spatula (stop the blender first!) to move the hummus to allow the liquid to get down to the blades.
- Taste and adjust: Remove the lid and taste the pizza hummus. Does it need more saltiness? Add a teaspoon of miso (or a quarter teaspoon of salt). Does it need more acidity? Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or tomato paste. Experiment!
- Add herbs: Add the dried oregano and basil now (and crushed red pepper flakes, if using), and pulse them in or just blend on low for 5-10 seconds until thoroughly mixed.
- Serve or store: Pizza hummus can be enjoyed immediately if you don’t mind it slightly warm from blending (which can be nice if you’re serving it with toasted pita wedges, just saying). If you prefer it chilled like I do (because I usually eat mine with raw veggies), then add place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 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. Try adding more seasonings or a little more 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 pizza hummus to work or school? It makes a delicious snack with red peppers, cucumbers, etc. Place your individual portions of creamy 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 garbanzo beans instead of canned, you can make a big batch and freeze what you don’t use.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy pizza dip is delicious on its own with raw veggies or crackers! My favorite veggies to dip in hummus are cucumber, fennel, radishes, sugar snap peas, carrots, celery, and red/orange/yellow bell peppers (and I always serve with a big handful of grape or cherry tomatoes. My favorite oil-free crackers are Wasa Light Rye Crispbread, Mary’s Gone Crackers, or brown rice cakes/crackers.
I also frequently use oil-free hummus as a sandwich filling. If you blend it until it’s smooth, you can still spread it on your toast and add your favorite toppings. Try this pizza hummus in my Hummus Veggie Sandwich.
Oil free hummus is a great topping for a baked potato or a sweet potato too. I’ve also often mixed roasted vegetables with hummus and eaten that as-is. So tasty.
It’s also great on pasta! I’ll show you what I like to do with this pizza hummus and pasta in a future post.
More Great Plant Based Recipes To Try
- Spinach Artichoke Hummus
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Edamame Guacamole
- Portobello Pizzas
- Beet Hummus
- Plant Based Burrito Bowl
- Classic Creamy Hummus
- Bell Pepper Nachos
- Butter Bean Hummus
- Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
- Butter Bean Scramble
Pizza Hummus
Equipment
- 1 Blender or a food processor may be used
- 1 Blender spatula This is optional but it helps me get every last bit of deliciousness out of the blender.
Ingredients
- 1 + ¾ Cups No-Salt-Added Chickpeas, 15-ounce can, drained (but save the liquid!)
- ½ – ¾ Cup Aquafaba, chickpea liquid from the can or leftover from boiling them if you made them from dried, if you don't have enough, use ice water for the rest
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed preferred but bottled is fine
- 3 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomatoes, look for sun dried tomatoes in vacuum sealed bags (not in a jar with oil), see Notes section below for substitutions
- 2-3 Teaspoons White or Yellow Miso Paste, to taste, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds, or tahini (use tahini or ground sesame seeds if you do not have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, feel free to omit if you are eating very low fat or see Notes section for substitutions
- 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, see Notes section below for substitutions
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Onion
- 1 + ½ Teaspoons Granulated Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste, optional, If you like a little heat, add these with the dried herbs in Step 4.
Instructions
- Add ingredients to the blender except herbs: Add the following ingredients to the blender: chickpeas, aquafaba, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes, miso paste, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, granulated onion, and granulated garlic. Place the lid on tightly.
- Blend it up: Blend oil-free hummus on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. If your blender came with a tamper, that can be helpful to use here. 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 or two of aquafaba (or ice water) and using a spatula (stop the blender first!) to move the hummus to allow the liquid to get down to the blades.
- Taste and adjust: Remove the lid and taste the pizza hummus. Does it need more saltiness? Add a teaspoon of miso (or a quarter teaspoon of salt). Does it need more acidity? Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or tomato paste. Experiment!
- Add herbs: Add the dried oregano and basil now (and crushed red pepper flakes, if using), and pulse them in or just blend on low for 5-10 seconds until thoroughly mixed.
- Serve or store: Pizza hummus can be enjoyed immediately if you don't mind it slightly warm from blending (which can be nice if you're serving it with toasted pita wedges, just saying). If you prefer it chilled like I do (because I usually eat mine with raw veggies), then add place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
Notes
- Chickpeas: White beans (navy beans, Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, butter beans (like my butter bean hummus!)) work very well instead of chickpeas.
- 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.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: I buy sun dried tomatoes in the vacuum sealed bags (not in a jar with oil). Trader Joe’s has a very nice product that is one of the lower sodium ones out there, or these sun dried tomatoes are also great. Alternatives include 1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste or 2 teaspoons tomato powder.
- 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: 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. If you can’t have sesame seeds or tahini (which is just blended sesame seeds), try soaked raw cashews or raw sunflower seeds, or try cashew butter. Hulled hemp seeds also work well. If you are really watching your overt fats, you can omit them from the recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast: If you can’t eat nutritional yeast, try a little extra miso, onion, and garlic.
- Less Sodium: If you can’t have any added sodium at all, omit the miso and increase other seasonings/lemon juice.