Vegan and Gluten Free
Serendipity Jane
Original Recipe: Jane Fox
Dark Chocolate Hummus is decadent, guilt free, chocolaty, and it tastes delicious as a dip for veggies or fruit, and as a spread for gluten free crackers and cookies. It’s not only gluten free and vegan, it is relatively low on the glycemic index!
My Inspiration
When I began seeing recipes on-line for chocolate hummus, I was intrigued. It actually sounds too good to be true; a luscious chocolate spread made out of beans? I tried one version and was a little disappointed. It tasted… just OK, but the main issue I had was that the color was more of a dark tan instead of the deep velvety brown that I associate with a good fudgy chocolate. I ended up doing a complete makeover. So much so, that I debated if I could still call it hummus! I did an online search and discovered other recipes were still called hummus even though they used black beans. I also discovered recipes that substituted peanut butter for tahini, and they still called it hummus. I didn’t find any recipes that did both, but decided to call it hummus anyway. Whatever you call it, it’s still guilt free and delicious! It’s healthy enough to use for a sandwich spread! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
The Ingredients
Black Beans :
Black beans are full of protein, minerals, and because of their dark color, they are also a goldmine of antioxidants! The rule of thumb is the darker a plant is, the more nutrients it packs. I used black beans mainly to give the hummus it’s deep chocolate color, but they are super healthy as well! I don’t recommend using dried beans since you will be missing out on the aquafaba, that comes with the canned version.
Texture was my next hurdle. I wanted the hummus to be extra creamy. My solution was to use some of the aquafaba, the liquid in the can of beans that we usually discard. I’ve been curious about this protein packed liquid that can be whipped into dessert topping, and I decided to experiment by adding it to my hummus. It was a success! Not only does it help make a smoother texture, but it boosts the protein level as well. The best part is that you don’t have to find it in the grocery store. It already comes with the beans! Score!
Peanut Butter:
Peanut Butter makes a great substitute for traditional tahini and also helps maintain the deep dark chocolate color. Tahini is a white color and I didn’t want it to lighten the color of the mixture. Besides, I already had peanut butter in the cupboard! I suppose smooth peanut butter would have made more since, but I used chunky, and the blender smoothed it out. Use what you have.
Flavor:
For sweetness, I chose to use a granulated monk fruit sweetener from Lakanto. It is a one to one substitute for granulated sugar and it’s glycemic index (for blood sugar impact) is zero! Yes, Zero! The taste is great too. I experimented and found that if I used all granulated monk fruit, that the texture was a little more grainy than I liked. For that reason, I added agave nectar as well. Agave Nectar has a low glycemic number, but it’s not at zero. Of course, I added vanilla too because it always adds an extra layer of flavor!
The Process:
- Drain the black beans making sure to reserve the liquid from the can (the Aquafaba).
- Rinse the beans and drain well.
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender, except the aquafaba.
- Turn your blender on puree to blend the mixture. using a spatula, stop often to scrape down the sides of the blender. The blending time may vary depending on the power of your blender. I have a Ninja, which I describe as a medium speed blender and it takes about 10 minutes, with frequent stops. A Vitamix will be quicker and a standard blender will take longer.
- When the mixture starts to come together, add in one Tablespoon of the Aquafaba. Continue to add the Aquafaba, a little at a time until your mixture reaches the desired texture. I used a total of 2-1/2 Tablespoons. If you want a more liquid texture for your hummus, or you want it as a dip, you may want to add more aquafaba.
- While the mixture is blending, prepare the items to dip into the hummus. I used cut apples and celery sticks.
- Chopped peanuts make a nice garnish!
- Lundberg Thin Stackers, are like super thin rice cakes, and they make a nice sturdy gluten free cracker base. I like the Red rice and Quinoa version.
- Shredded coconut is a nice compliment as well!
- Enjoy!
Printable Recipe
Dark Chocolate Hummus
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 can Black Beans 15 ounce can, drained, reserve liquid (Aquafaba)
- 1/4 cup Peanut Butter either smooth or chunky will work
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- 2- 1/2 Tablespoons Monk Fruit Sweetener I used Lakanto brand, classic
- 2-1/2 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
- 2 Tablespoons Aquafaba Aquafaba is the reserved liquid from the can of beans
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Drain the can of Black beans, making sure to reserve the liquid from the can. this liquid is called aquafaba.
- Rinse the beans and drain well.
- Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
- You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides several times with a spatula. Depending on your blender,this could take about 10 minutes.
- When smooth, spoon the hummus into a small container and serve with gluten free crackers, or vegetables. Garnish with chopped peanuts, or coconut if desired.
- This recipe makes about a cup of Dark Chocolate Hummus, which gives you 8- two Tablespoon servings.
- Enjoy!
