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
Katie Harper says
Marvelous!!! Thank you!! I added a bit of crushed red pepper and smoked paprika. I will definitely be making this one again!
Ak says
Except you nuked the veggies! Not paleo At All!!!!
Patty says
I love hummus, but never add tahini when I make it. How integral is it to the final outcome in this version? Flavor? Texture?
Jenn says
You think frozen cauliflour would work?
Andrea says
This is really, really good…I added some red pepper flakes…YUM!
Danica says
I was hesitant to try this but after reading the reviews I decided to give it a whirl. Oh em gee!!! Seriously this was amazing! I’m in the middle of my first round of Whole30 so I will probably be making this over and over again. Thanks for the recipe!
Brenda Knight says
Made this tonight…my husband is a Hummus nut..me not so much. HOWEVER, after I made this I am!!!! This stuff is the B.O.M.B! It is going to be our Thursday night, TV watching dinner…that’s right…just the Hummus and some cucumber slices, radishes, some celery….I did add a bit more garlic, a couple of pats of butter, srihcha cause we like it hot. This is a great recipe and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you posting it.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad it was a hit Brenda and I love the Sriracha idea – going to add some to my next batch for sure!!!
Val Em says
I rarely leave comments, but this one it’s necessary. This stuff is amazingly good! I was on the fence because cauliflower is just such a strong taste and I love my hummus. It was perfect! I roasted 2 red peppers and added those along with some red chile. Thank you so much! My vegetarian daughter didn’t even notice the difference :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting me know that you liked it Val!!!
Yoli says
Hello, can I leave out the tahini paste? I can’t have nuts and seeds.
Thank you
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ll have to try that lemon trick Tina because my guys hate the smell of cauliflower when I’m cooking it!
Delphine says
Steaming in my tabletop steamer is the only way I don’t get that smell… about to make some of this with pre-steamed cauli :D