Butternut Squash Hummus: Major Snackcident Material
This, right here, is a snackcident waiting to happen.
You know exactly what I’m talking about–when you come home at 5 pm & dinner isn’t for a couple of hours but you’re starting to feel a little bit hangry. So! You look around the kitchen to see what you can take a few bites of to hold you over & you eat a couple of bites & a couple more bites & all of a sudden (whoops!) you realize you’ve eaten an ENTIRE container of said snack. We call them snackcidents at the PWWB House and I’m unfortunately (fortunately?) all too familiar with them!
This Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus? Major snackcident waiting to happen – when it’s in the fridge all bets are off! It’s so smooth & creamy, has the perfect balance of savory & sweet, & tastes delicious with just about anything.
Who needs dinner? Grab a spoon and dive into this easy homemade hummus!
Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus Recipe Highlights
You’ll love this roasted butternut squash hummus because it’s…
- SERIOUSLY LOADED WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH. Like, loaded! I originally tested this hummus recipe with half the amount of squash, but the flavor was overpowered by the roasted garlic, tahini, & chickpeas, so we doubled it up to a whopping 4-5 cups diced squash & it’s absolutely perfect.
- EASY TO MAKE. It takes 45 minutes to whip together, but most of that time is completely inactive while the squash & garlic roast to caramelized perfection. From there, the food processor does all of the work!
- PERFECT FOR FALL & HOLIDAY GATHERINGS! This roasted butternut squash hummus will make you the star of any party! While it’s amazing for everyday snacking, it’s also the perfect football party snack, a healthy & easy Thanksgiving appetizer, & a festive addition to a Christmas spread! Plus, it stores beautifully & is make-ahead friendly.
Cozy, autumnal goodness! ♡ Read on to learn more about this Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus, or jump straight to the recipe & get cookin’!
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Key Ingredients in this Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
You need just 6 basic ingredients, & almost all of them are probably already in your pantry!
You will need…
- Butternut squash – For best flavor, grab a small butternut squash that feels heavy for its size. If you’ve never done it before, whole butternut squash can be tricky to peel. I highly recommend grabbing a Y-peeler, which makes the job easy as can be! If you’re short on prep time, you can also opt for bagged, precut butternut squash from the store – you’ll likely need 2 bags, yielding 4 cups squash total.
- Aromatics – Namely garlic, which roasts alongside the butternut squash for the best caramelized flavor, & lemon juice, to balance out the natural richness & sweetness of the hummus.
- Chickpeas – Hummus purists will swear by cooking chickpeas from dried for the best smooth & creamy hummus, though in my experience canned chickpeas work great in this recipe.
- Tahini – Tahini is sesame seed paste & it’s a staple ingredient for any hummus recipe. You can find tahini these days in the ‘international’ aisle of most conventional grocery stores, or near the peanut butter & nut butters. For best results, look for a smooth & creamy tahini that has not separated – my go-to brand is Soom.
- Liquid ingredients – Namely olive oil for its rich flavor & ice water, which helps create the smoothest, creamiest hummus you’ve ever made!
How to Make Butternut Squash Hummus
One of the really nice things about this butternut squash recipe is the fact that it’s really easy to prep. It’s the creamiest, dreamiest hummus I’ve ever made, & it comes together in just 2 simple steps – it doesn’t get much easier than that!
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Roast the butternut squash & garlic. Lightly drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil, season, & spread it over a prepared baking sheet. For roasty-toasty garlic, place peeled cloves of garlic on a small piece of foil, season, & wrap tightly. Place the garlic packet onto the baking sheet with the squash. Roast until the squash is caramelized & super tender – you should be able to easily smash the squash with a fork. Why? ⇢ Roasting both the butternut squash & garlic gives the butternut squash hummus a deeply rich & caramelized flavor that is pretty hard to beat! As a bonus, everything gets super tender as it roasts, making it easier to break down into a super smooth & creamy hummus.
- Mix the hummus. Add the roasted butternut & garlic to the bowl of a food processor with the chickpeas. Pulse the mixture into small pieces, then add in the remaining ingredients & blend until smooth. The secret for SUPER creamy hummus? ⇢ Ice water! A trick I learned from Yotam Ottolenghi, a few tablespoons of ice water takes homemade hummus from smooth to smoooooooth, if you know what I mean. It’s such a simple hack, but it works every time!
What to Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
Because it’s so festive, serving is half of the fun of this butternut squash hummus recipe. It’s a snack table showstopper for any fall gathering or holiday party!
Butternut squash hummus serving suggestions:
- Toppings: Top it off with a swoosh of olive oil & a sprinkling of finely chopped fresh herbs – the fragrant flavors of rosemary & sage make for a perfect pairing! To make it extra festive, I also like to sprinkle pomegranate arils & pepitas over top. The extra pops of jewel-toned gorgeousness add some serious wow-factor!
- Dippers: Pita chips & crackers are an obvious choice, though I also love serving this butternut squash hummus with sliced fruit (try Granny Smith apples for a fun sweet/tart combination!) & veggies (rainbow baby carrots add so much fun color!). To take it to the next level, try pretzels or homemade bread (hello, Italian Herb Asiago No-Knead Bread!)
Other serving ideas:
- Spoon it in a salad! I love spooning it into a fall-inspired salad for an extra punch of plant-based protein & cozy flavors. Try it in these Autumn Grain Bowls or this Autumn Kale Salad, both of which are PWWB faves!
- Make a fall-inspired hummus bowl! Use it as the base of a hummus bowl, topping it with chicken (or veggie!) shawarma & roasted fall veggies for the perfect cozy fall meal.
- Or…just eat it by the spoonful, straight outta the tub. No judgement here, I told ya it was snackcident material! 😉
Creamy, dreamy, full-of-toasty-fall-flavors, this roasted butternut squash hummus is our fall obsession here at the PWWB House! I can’t wait for you to give it a try! If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
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Easy Homemade Appetizers
Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Appetizer Recipes, Snack Recipes
- Method: Oven, Roasted, Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This homemade Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus is loaded with butternut squash, roasted garlic, chickpeas, & tahini. Garnish with pepitas & pomegranate seeds for a festive touch, & it’s the perfect fall appetizer for game day, holiday parties, & everything in between! Naturally vegan & gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded & diced into 1-inch cubes (~ 4–5 cups diced)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 (one) 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup ice water
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: pomegranate arils, toasted pepitas, finely chopped fresh herbs, sliced veggies, pita chips, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Gather & prep all ingredients per Ingredients List, above.
- Roast the butternut squash & garlic: Place the butternut squash on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil & season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper. Toss to coat & spread out in a single even layer on the baking sheet. Place the garlic in a small piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil & season with a few pinches each salt & ground black pepper. Encase the garlic with the foil, sealing it tightly. Place the foil pack on the baking sheet with the squash. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the squash is very tender – you should be able to easily smash it with a fork. Remove from the oven & set aside.
- Prepare the butternut squash hummus: Add the roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, & chickpeas to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to break everything up into small pieces. Pour in the lemon juice & tahini, & season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Turn the food processor on. With the processor running, slowly stream in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Allow the processor to run for a good 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. At this point, the hummus will still have small chunks, but definitely begin to have a creamy texture.
- Finish the hummus: With the processor running, slowly add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. This is when the hummus will begin to really smooth out. Add more/less water until the desired texture is reached.
- Serve the roasted butternut squash hummus in a large shallow bowl or plate, topped with an extra drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh rosemary, pomegranate arils, and pepitas as desired. Serve with pita chips or veggies. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Storage: This butternut squash hummus will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. Make it ahead of time, or enjoy the leftovers later!
Keywords: butternut squash hummus, roasted butternut squash hummus, homemade hummus, thanksgiving appetizer, easy, healthy, hummus recipe, butternut squash
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Eat Love Eat
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This was great! I added some cumin and coriander. I needed more water and additional oil to get the consistency I wanted. This might matter depending on the water content of your squash.
★★★★★
Hi Cher! Thrilled to hear you loved this hummus just as much as we do 🙂 If you liked this recipe, check out our creamy & savory Pumpkin Hummus next!
We have made this recipe since PWWB first posted it…and it is a fav!….a triple fav! But, today, we had to use up a 40oz can of sweet potatoes. Just perfect!
★★★★★
AMAZING! Now, I need to stay out of it so that it lasts until tomorrow’s happy hour with the neighbors! Thanks for such a great recipe!!
★★★★★
Haha, thanks Tracy! Hope it was a hit at your happy hour! 🙂
Love this! Do you think it would work with canned butternut squash?
Yes! It won’t have the roasty flavor, but the texture will still be SUPER creamy.
I absolutely LOVE this idea and obviously love when snackcidents happen too… last night I tested triple coconut chocolate donuts and had to eat 2 – just to make sure they tasted right 😉
recipe testing is HARD business, lemme tell you… 😉
jess!! these photos looks fabulous! so impressed! love the recipe too…adam and i are both SO guilty of snaccidents! usually there’s a whole bag of harvest snap peas involved too ?
thanks so much, g! this was a fun one to shoot! xo