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
Tammi L. Coles says
Made three batches for different parties: one very close to the recipe and two variations based on comments. Roasted cauliflower in all cases, based on the comments. The last batch with the roasted red pepper looks and tastes fantastic. Definitely a keeper recipe!
CB says
I tried this because I am on a keto diet and going through hummus withdrawal lol. Its absolutely amazing! I cooked mine on the stovetop in a pot. I left it covered most of the time, then took the lid off at the end to boil off the liquid. I only added one raw clove of garlic to the food processor and the end, and good thing because it was a harsh clove and definitely gave the hummus a bit of a bite! Luckily I love garlic, but my family probably aren’t appreciating my breath haha. I will absolutely be making this again soon! Oh and also, I used regular tahini – as I have never seen it in a paste form anywhere near where I live. For those of you who asked about leaving our the tahini – its pretty much crucial for the “hummus” flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
Torey Weston says
Awesome recipe! If you look up the recipe for parmesan garlic flax crackers it is perfect for your dipping needs!
Johanna says
Thank you!
Yum! I tweaked by adding artichoke hearts and cumin seeds – delicious!
Teresa says
This recipe is amazing!!! We all loved it and will make it on a regular basis. Thank you.
Ann Opinion says
Amazing recipe! Can’t believe the creaminess Thanks! Had to make myself stop eating it!
I added onion powder and 1 tsp of smoked paprika to replicate the flavor
Of a hummus I use to eat. Worked perfectly.
RACHEL L BOSTIC says
Thank you for another great recipe! I love the name of your website!! You rock!
StanFL says
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. I was surprised that the volume of cauliflower shrunk so much when it was microwaved. Moisture, I guess. I blended it in a magic bullet and that didn’t work well at all. I had to take it off and shake it maybe 50 times before it got smooth. I need to get a different blender for hummus because it’s so thick. Thanks again for coming up with great tastes!
Judi says
I am wondering if I could make this raw. I don’t microwave my food & I guess I could steam it but I’m thinking about the extra benefits of doing it raw. Not sure if it would turn out right. Have you ever tried it raw, just processing it until it is very fine?
Sherry says
I love cauliflower! However, I wonder how the flavor would be to mix half hummus and half cauliflower? I may give that a try!