Spiced Pumpkin Hummus

How much to I love pumpkin? Oy, can I even count the ways? I’ve used it for breakfast bakes. I’ve slurped it down in a smoothie. I’ve eaten it straight out of a can. And yes, I’ve used it in a Bento Box Snapshot. In conclusion, pumpkin (seeds included) is a wonderful food. It can be put into practically anything you can think of, and it’s perfect for both sweet and savory delights, so you can very well assume that anything that could be done with pumpkin likely has already. 

This isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it just means there’s a cornucopia of inspiration out there waiting for you! If you’re dying to try something out with pumpkin in mind, but have no idea where to start, do some research. There’s probably someone out there who has made the mistakes, found an aha! moment or five, and ended up with the recipe you’re looking for. I do that sometimes, like with the vegan oatmeal pumpkin bars I made this weekend. 

The original recipe can be found at Jessica’s blog Clean Green Simple. Although the modifications I made to it resulted in something tasty (as I was told by my friends), I do want to make it again and perfect it before posting the recipe. For one, the pepitas I used (as opposed to walnuts) gave it a particular earthy flavor, and I used half of the sweetener she called for (I used maple syrup instead of agave nectar) the oatmeal crust, so I included three ounces of almond milk to moisten it up. I also think if I put it through the food processor a pulse or two I would have been satisfied.

Jessica was right, though. They taste even better the next day.

Along with that recipe, my weekend was filled with pumpkin. And this one was as savory as the bars were sweet. It’s perfect for any leftover pumpkin you may have, and it’s not only packed with protein… it’s vegan!

Spiced Pumpkin Hummus

2 15 oz Cans Garbanzo Beans
1 15 oz Can Pumpkin puree
Juice of 1 lemon (< 1 oz)
1 oz Tahini
3 Garlic cloves
0.5 oz Fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp. Garam Masala (Curry powder works here too)
1 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Cracked pepper

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor in its largest bowl.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a week.

Makes a ridiculous amount of the stuff. Garnish with black and white sesame seeds, olive oil, and cayenne pepper.