This keto hummus is surprisingly satisfying and authentic tasting! A wonderful low carb substitute for a classic hummus made with chickpeas, this keto hummus made with cauliflower can be flavored in an infinite amount of variations! This is the original cauliflower hummus recipe, and still the best in my opinion!
I have been missing hummus in a major way lately, and finally got around to trying this keto hummus experiment with cauliflower to stand in for the chickpeas. I noticed recently that my low carb cauliflower puree has the consistency of hummus when cold, and thought if I added just the right ingredients I could mask the cauliflower flavor enough to convince people that it was the real thing.
Um. You guys? IT TOTALLY WORKED. And I mean for real! If you put my keto hummus up against a store bought classic hummus, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Even I was surprised at how well this experiment turned out!
It did take a little fussing to get the flavor where it needed to be for this keto hummus. I had to keep tweaking it to hide the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower, but with just the right amounts of lemon, garlic (raw and cooked), and tahini paste, it turned out incredibly delicious. Almost dangerously addictive if I do say so!
When I finally got around to making this keto cauliflower hummus, I didn’t have a lot of low carb dipping options hanging around, so I improvised with some rolled up radicchio leaves and thinly sliced Granny Smith apple. The radicchio leaves are pretty for the photos, but the bitterness wasn’t my favorite. The apple slices however tasted AMAZING with it!
I ate the remainder of this low carb cauliflower hummus the next day with celery sticks, lower in carbs than the apple slices, and just as delicious in their own way. Another great keto dipping option would be radish slices, or my HOP crackers.
And of course, this keto cauliflower hummus would be amazing with my Low Carb Cauliflower Falafel and a side of my Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad!
As an added bonus, this keto hummus is super healthy for you! It is full on Paleo friendly – even Whole 30 compliant! It’s also egg free, grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free (tahini is made from sesame seeds), so it fits into pretty much any eating plan.
This low carb cauliflower hummus recipe makes a great base for all kinds of other hummus flavors if you want to get creative.
I love Trader Joe’s jalapeno cilantro hummus and you could totally do that with this. A roasted red pepper version would also be delicious. Or sun-dried tomato and Kalamata olives, if you’re into that.
Pretty much any strong flavors will go well in this keto hummus recipe. I’ll probably experiment with some of these ideas and post the results sometime in the future. Update – my first book Keto for Life has several new keto hummus recipes with different flavors and they are all delicious!
Meanwhile, get your dip on and make this low carb hummus IMMEDIATELY! Then report back because I’m dying to hear what you think of it!
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Keto Cauliflower Hummus
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Six servings
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This keto hummus is so delicious that you’d never know it was grain free and made with super healthy cauliflower! Keto, Atkins, and Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1.5 tablespoons Tahini paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 raw garlic cloves, crushed (in addition to above)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- smoked paprika and extra olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cauliflower, water, 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 whole garlic clove to a microwave safe dish.
- Microwave, uncovered, for about 10 minutes – or until softened and darkened in color.
- Put the cauliflower mixture into a magic bullet, blender, or food processor and blend.
- Add the tahini paste, lemon juice, 2 raw garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Blend until mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- To serve, place the hummus in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.
- Use thinly sliced tart apples, celery sticks, raw radish chips, or other vegges to dip with.
Notes
Approx. nutrition info per 1/4 cup: 141 calories, 14g fat, 3.5g net carbs, 2g protein
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: keto appetizers
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 141
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Katy says
This is delicious! I added a good slug of extra virgin olive oil and a fair amount of extra lemon juice at the end. The taste is like a rich nutty houmous. I think the extra oil helps a lot with making a lovely silky texture, and the lemon juice really perks up the whole thing and masks any socky aftertaste from the cauliflower. Thank you so much :)
Donna says
I’ve been doing whole30 (or mighty close to it) for 40 days now, and tried the hummus today. I was so skeptical that I made it at a time when I knew I’d be at home alone, & only made 1/3 of the recipe. I am SOOOO thrilled over having a good quality snack!! It was soooo delicious, and I can hardly wait to make the WHOLE recipe when my hubby’s here to enjoy it with me. I ate it alongside tabouleh, jicama slices, celery, and walnuts. YUMMY!! I never add comments, but just HAD to say “THANKS” for this recipe!!
Chantel says
Hi! Your recipe looks great. Can’t wait to try it. I was wondering, if I don’t have tahini paste, just plain tahini, will that work? How much should I use? Thank you!!
Linda says
I never leave comments but feel compelled to leave one about this recipe. Just made is and it is amazing. So delicious, can’t wait for the family to try it on our home made souvlakis. Thanks so much Melissa.
Mellissa Sevigny says
So thrilled that you enjoyed it Linda and thanks for taking the time to let me know! ☺️
Jackie says
Do you cover the dish when you microwave in the first step?
Mellissa Sevigny says
No Jackie, you want the moisture from the cauliflower to evaporate out so leave it uncovered!
Megan R says
Just made this – my first cauliflower substitute recipe and it is delicious! Thank you thank you!
Lynn says
Thank you for this recipe, it’s great! My favourite faux cauliflower recipe ever!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Lynn, so glad you liked it!!!
Beatrice says
Mellissa,
I love this recipe! I hope you are ok that I posted it on our food group website – with a link and credits to your website of course.
Thank you for creating and sharing your wonderful foods with us!
Dominique says
Delicious and mostly vegetable! Thank you!
Oralia Martinez says
I tried mashed cauliflower just yesterday for the first time and it was so good! I have leftovers so I think I’ll use them as the base for this recipe. I’ve had cauliflower hummus drizzled with curry infused olive oil and it’s DIVINE!