Sweet and Smoky Pumpkin Hummus

Easy Autumn Entertaining

Tis the season for cozy entertaining and this sweet and smoky pumpkin hummus will check every box. It comes together so quickly, doesn’t require a stove or oven to be turned on, and has all of the Autumn flavors we’re craving this time of year. The main flavor of this pumpkin hummus comes from the addition of chipotle chiles in adobo. It’s a spicy, smoky flavor that pairs beautifully with the earthy flavor of the pumpkin and chickpeas. Add in a few savory spices and a spoonful of maple syrup for sweetness and you have a perfectly balanced dish that any spice lover will be into!

Homemade hummus is a dish that’s so delicious and worth the extra few minutes as opposed to store bought. It’s so fresh and allows for so much customization. If you’ve not tried making homemade hummus before, but are interested in trying, this is officially the sign to do so!

What You’ll Need

Ingredients

To make this sweet and smokey pumpkin hummus, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Tahini
• Garlic cloves
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Canned chickpeas
• Olive oil
• Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• Pumpkin puree
• Ground cumin
• Smoked paprika
• Ground cinnamon
• Maple syrup
• Toasted pumpkin seeds for serving

For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Equipment

In order to make this pumpkin hummus, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Food processor
• Silicone spatula or spoon
• Serving bowl or plate

Pumpkin Hummus Recipe Tips

When you make this sweet and smoky pumpkin hummus, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out delicious:

• Don’t rush the first step of blending the tahini. If the base isn’t thoroughly blended, the entire hummus dish will taste lackluster.
• To (literally) spice this recipe up, look for seasoned, roasted pumpkin seeds for the garnish. I’ve seen pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds or spicy pumpkin seeds at the store. It makes for an extra layer of fun flavor!
• Note, this hummus is on the slightly spicier side. Anyone with a sensitive palette may find this too intense for them. If that’s the case, feel free to reduce the number of chiles or amount of adobo added to the dish. It will lighten the spice up a bit and let the pumpkin and maple syrup flavors shine more.
• Rinse the chickpeas until all of the foamy bubbles have washed away. The liquid in a can of chickpeas is called aquafaba and will foam up when it comes in contact with water. Aquafaba has several great uses (like making vegan meringue), but we do not need any of it in this recipe.
• If there’s any hummus leftover, it will last for several days in the refrigerator. Store the remaining hummus in a glass, airtight container. The adobo chiles will stain plastic, so avoid the headache of ruining a container! 
• Speaking of leftovers, pumpkin has a lot of water content. If the hummus is stored in the fridge for more than a day, it may need to be stirred to reincorporate the ingredients before serving.

Recipe Details

Build the Pumpkin Hummus Base

All that’s required to have a perfect sweet and smoky pumpkin hummus is fifteen minutes and a food processor. I love how simple it is! To begin, add tahini, cloves of garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse it on high for a minute or two. The result should be a paste-like consistency with no discernable chunks of garlic remaining.

To the tahini paste, add drained and rinsed chickpeas, olive oil, and chipotle chiles. Pulse these ingredients together until the chickpeas have broken down and are creamy. Finally, add the pumpkin puree, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, adobo sauce, and maple syrup to the food processor. Give the hummus a few more pulses until the pumpkin and seasonings have incorporated. Taste the hummus to make sure it’s they way you want it and then remove the bowl from the base of the processor.

Finish and Serve

Spoon the pumpkin hummus onto a serving plate or bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, extra adobo sauce, or both, and then sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds. This recipe is best enjoyed right away, but it will last for 3 days in the refrigerator in a glass, air tight container. When reserving, stir the hummus to reincorporate any liquid that’s separated, and enjoy!

Craving more pumpkin recipes?  How about my curry carrot pumpkin soup or pumpkin bread with chocolate chip cream cheese swirl!

If you make this sweet and smoky pumpkin hummus, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating - I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!