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This vibrant pink and deliciously healthy Beet Hummus is smooth, creamy and slightly sweet. It takes just minutes to make by blending all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pairs perfectly with colorful veggies and warm pita.
Beet hummus is, quite possibly, the most beautiful recipe you will ever make. I love to make it year-round, but it has been an especially welcome break from the bleak grey fog that has covered much of California the past few weeks.
But beet hummus is so much more than just a pretty face. It’s a nutritional powerhouse! I mean, the beets alone come with huge health benefits, while chickpeas pack in healthy plant-based protein and fiber. And lucky for us, beet hummus is incredibly easy to make. You can use canned chickpeas or cook your own. These instant pot chickpeas are ready in less than an hour and require no soaking beforehand. And it’s the perfect excuse to cook beets, be it steamed, boiled, or roasted. You can even cook beets in the instant pot. Use any leftover beets in salads of all shapes and sizes or tossed into a refreshing beet smoothie for breakfast.
And if you’re wondering what beet hummus tastes like, first allow me to squash any concerns about it tasting too earthy. The beets do add a mild earthy sweetness, but it’s perfectly balanced by the richness of tahini and creamy chickpeas. Even beet-haters will love digging in to this delicious hummus recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in Beet Hummus
This beet hummus recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients, each one adding flavor, balance, and creaminess to the finished dip.
Beets: You can use store-bought cooked beets (found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) or roast your own at 425F until fork tender. Roasted beets offer the deepest flavor, while store-bought cooked beets are the most convenient.
Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas work perfectly and keep this recipe quick and easy, but home-cooked chickpeas will give an even creamier texture if you have them on hand.
Tahini: A smooth and creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds. It adds richness and helps balance the sweetness of the beets. I do not recommend making hummus without it.
Tip: Be sure to choose a high-quality brand of tahini. I personally like Soom Tahini and Kevala Tahini (both available on Amazon). You can also make this 3-ingredient homemade tahini recipe ready in just 10 minutes.
Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and zest brighten the hummus and balance the earthiness of the beets. Concentrated or bottled lemon juice is not recommended.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic provides clean, sharp flavor. Garlic powder will not deliver the same result.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Helps create a smooth, creamy texture. Choose an EVOO that you enjoy the taste of, especially if you plan to on drizzling a little extra over the top for serving.
How to Make Beet Hummus
Add the peeled and cooked beets to a food processor (1) and pulse until finely chopped (2), then add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, and olive oil (3). Process for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add a small splash of cold water if it’s too thick and adjust the lemon juice, salt, or tahini to taste (4).
For the creamiest beet hummus, use a food processor and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. A high-powered blender can also be used, but you may need to stop more often and add a small splash of olive oil or water to help everything blend evenly.
Tips for this Recipe
Color tip: The color of your beet hummus will vary depending on the type of beets used and how they are cooked. Roasted beets create a deeper, richer pink, while steamed or packaged cooked beets will produce a brighter, less intense color.
Roast or steam whole beets for best flavor: For the best taste and texture, roast or steam whole beets rather than using canned or pre-cooked store-bought beets. Check out how to cook beets (steam, boil, or roast).
Note: Small to medium-sized beets tend to be sweeter, more tender, and less earthy-tasting than large beets.
Wear gloves: Beets stain easily, so wearing gloves while peeling or handling them will help keep your hands from turning pink.
Cook dried chickpeas for the creamiest hummus: While canned chickpeas work well, cooking dried chickpeas from scratch results in a smoother, creamier beet hummus with a cleaner flavor.
Tip: If you’re short on time but you still want that “freshly” cooked chickpeas taste and texture, you can simmer your canned chickpeas for 20-30 minutes to soften them up.
What to Serve with Beet Hummus
You can enjoy this beet hummus just as you would your favorite traditional hummus recipe.
- As part of a mezze platter – Serve alongside pita bread, olives, fresh vegetables, cheeses, and other dips like homemade tahini or baba ganoush for an easy appetizer spread.
- With fresh vegetables – Pair with sliced cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, radishes, or snap peas for a light, healthy snack.
- On sandwiches and wraps – Spread it on sandwiches, wraps, or flatbreads in place of mayo or other spreads for added flavor and color. I like to use it as a base for avocado toast with crumbled feta cheese and microgreens.
Tip: Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top and sprinkle with different toppings like za’atar seasoning, pine nuts, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs to add extra texture and flavor. If you prefer a sweeter tasting hummus, try drizzling with a little honey.
Frequently Adked Questions
This usually comes down to blending time and/or the type of chickpeas you use. First, you’ll probably need to blend longer than you think, especially if you’re using store-bought canned chickpeas. Also, remember to scrape down the bowl often, that way every little bit gets blended properly. And, if restaurant-quality creaminess is important to you, I highly recommend cooking dried chickpeas rather than using canned.
Absolutely. Beet hummus can be made up to 4-5 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stir before serving.
Yes, beet hummus freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and stir or re-blend to restore its creamy texture. Learn more about freezing hummus here.
Beet hummus may deepen in color as it sits, especially after refrigeration. This is normal and does not affect the flavor or quality.
More Favorite Beet Recipes
If you try making this Beet Hummus Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
Beet Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 small cooked beets, approximately 1 cup chopped beets
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained (approx. 1.5 cups)
- ¼ cup tahini, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2-4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1-2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 2-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for a richer taste
Instructions
- Add 2-3 small, peeled, and cooked beets to the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped.
- Add ¼ cup tahini, 1 (15-oz) can (or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas), 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (you can add more to taste), 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Process for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, until smooth and creamy.
- If needed, add additional olive oil or a small splash of water to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt, or tahini if desired.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and add toppings if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Honestly, I’m really disappointed with this recipe. I was so excited to try it because I love my home grown red beets and I love hummus. But it ended up being a total waste of ingredients. It tasted awful. I used less garlic than called for and it was still way to garlicky. And I like garlic. The idea was cool, but execution, not so much.
Thank you for your feedback – I’m so sorry the garlic overpowered the recipe for you. Sometimes, depending on the size and freshness of the cloves, garlic can end up much stronger than expected, especially when blended raw. If you try it again, you might start with just half a clove or roast the garlic first for a milder flavor. I appreciate you sharing your experience for others who might be sensitive to strong garlic.
Can I use pickled beets?
Certainly! Using pickled beets in your beet hummus recipe is a great idea if you enjoy a bit of extra tang and a vibrant flavor profile. The pickled beets will add a unique twist to the hummus, infusing it with a slightly acidic taste that complements the creamy texture. Just keep in mind that pickled beets might be a bit saltier than cooked fresh beets, so you may want to adjust the amount of additional salt in the recipe accordingly. Enjoy experimenting with this tasty variation!
I love the idea! So I made it per the recipe. It was bland at first. So I heavily modified. I doubled the lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and garlic (maybe a little more than doubled on the garlic). Added 4 teaspoons or so of salt (I lost track, just added a little at a time.) I think a drizzle of honey as a garnish really pulled all the flavors together. Depends if you want more of a sweet or savory.
I am unsure of what a “small” beet is since this is my first time cooking with a fresh one. I think the one I used is considered large, that’s why I only used one. It was the size of a baseball. I read while researching how to determine best size, that small beets are more flavorful. Even so, I like the taste of a lot of the stuff I doubled in the recipe so much that I needed to modify it a lot.
I served it with some warm homemade sourdough bread
Excellent recipe.
I found it tasted like a lot of tahini, lost the sweetness of the beets, any suggestions on how to fix my large batch with some added sweetness?
To enhance the sweetness in your large batch of beet hummus, consider adding a bit of honey or maple syrup, which can gently elevate the natural sweetness of the beets without overpowering the other flavors.
Another option is to roast additional beets until they’re caramelized and blend them into the existing batch, as roasting can intensify the beets’ inherent sweetness.
Also a splash of balsamic vinegar could also complement the beets’ flavor while adding a subtle sweet and tangy note to your hummus.
Excellent recipe. Thank you for sharing this.
Could I do this recipe with beets from a can? I found some in my pantry!
Hi Johnny,
Yes, this recipe should work fine with canned beets, just make sure you drain it 🙂
I think this recipe could be extremely yummy yet have yet to try it because the picture shows the use of pie nuts, black sesame seed and I think parsley or maybe cilantro hard to tell but pretty sure it’s parsley yet the recipe doesn’t call for this.
Hi!! Really love the recipe! Thinking on making it, but I have a doubt: with lemon zested you mean the zest of 1 lemon or the whole lemon without the zest?
Perhaps a stupid question… but Im new in this 🙂
Thanks!!!
Hi Clara,
For this yummy beet hummus recipe, I use one single lemon for the portion size listed in the original recipe. From that single lemon, I both fully zest it and I use all the juice from it.
Enjoy!
Recipe 5 Star – my execution of it 4 stars! Just have to learn how to adjust taste of salt and lemon for that zing! Easy to make and tastes great though!