Pop quiz: How do you feed beets to a baby? I had gotten to beets on my list of foods to introduce to M when she was a baby. I figured I could steam or roast and puree them, but that seemed to be a liquid mess. I was reluctant to give her cut up pieces of soft beet because they would stain her hands, her face, her tray, her clothes and everywhere else they ended up in the kitchen as she fumbled to get them to her hungry little mouth. No thanks on the extra cleaning. That’s when I decided on beet hummus. I had recently given her plain hummus and she loved it. Of course she did! Hummus is divine. Creamy, smooth, a slight nuttiness from the tahini, a little fruitiness from the olive oil. And it’s ridiculously easy to make yourself at home - just throw everything into the food processor and let ’er whirl. And I love that hummus is so nutritious. So many good fats for a growing baby. Yes, hummus was the way to go for the beets. She agreed. And at almost 4, still does. She and now her little brother J as well both love, love, love this beet hummus. I can’t give them enough. They don’t even dip, they just take to it with a spoon. Personally, I prefer some cut veggies or pretzels or crackers - this delicious hummus isn’t just for babies and toddlers! (I did however feature it in my Healthy Quick and Easy Homemade Baby Food cookbook; it was a must!) You might also want to check out Mediterranean layered hummus dip, hummus pita pizzas and chicken hummus bowls for more hummus love. But back to this recipe. Now, I’ve got a few notes and tips coming up below on this beet hummus recipe. If you want, you can scroll on through the rest of the text to the recipe card. It’s at the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Beets: I love using the packages of peeled and steamed beets (such as Melissa’s brand) that you can find in the refrigerated section of the produce area of the grocery store. Or you can roast your own raw beets in the oven then peel them and cut into small chunks. Chickpeas: Use store-bought canned chickpeas or homemade cooked chick peas. Tahini: This is a sesame seed paste that can usually be found near the peanut butter in the grocery store. It’s traditional in hummus. Salt: I omit this when I’m making the recipe for baby food (babies don’t need salt), but I’ll add some if I’m enjoying it or serving it to adults.
Also, this recipe makes a lot! It’s a double batch because my kids truly go through it so fast. Details below on storing. But of course, you can also make a half batch if you don’t need quite as much.
Storage Tips
-Beet hummus can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. -You can also freeze it! I use small ice cube trays to freeze the beet hummus. When they’ve hardened, pop the frozen hummus cubes out of the tray and transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. (Be sure to label and date it!) Freeze for up to 4-5 months. -Thaw however many cubes you need in the refrigerator overnight then stir well and serve. I hope you - and your little ones as well - love it as much as we do! XO, Kathryn Beets: I love using the packages of peeled and steamed beets (such as Melissa’s brand) that you can find in the refrigerated section of the produce area of the grocery store. Or you can roast your own raw beets in the oven then peel them and cut into small chunks. Chickpeas: Use store-bought canned chickpeas or homemade cooked chick peas. Tahini: This is a sesame seed paste that can usually be found near the peanut butter in the grocery store. It’s traditional in hummus. Salt: I omit this when I’m making the recipe for baby food (babies don’t need salt), but I’ll add some if I’m enjoying it or serving it to adults. Yield: This recipe makes a lot! It’s basically a double recipe because my kids truly do go through it so quickly. You can easily halve the recipe if you prefer. Storage: Beet hummus can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. You can also freeze it! I use small ice cube trays to freeze the beet hummus. When they’ve hardened, pop the frozen hummus cubes out of the tray and transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. (Be sure to label and date it!) Freeze for up to 4-5 months.
title: “Beet Hummus” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-20” author: “Arlene Yearout”
4.43 40 Published Oct 24, 2021, Updated Oct 03, 2023 Which is exactly how this beet hummus came about. I needed an appetizer for a girls night and found a big bag of beets as I was rummaging through the fridge. So I decided that beet hummus would be the perfect appetizer for this group! I loved the extra nutrients and pop of color it added to the table of appetizers and the flavor is delicious – like regular hummus with a hint of sweetness.
Beet Nutrition
Beets are nutritious little vegetables! They’re a great source of fiber and packed with folate, potassium, iron and vitamin C. Consuming beets has been linked to reduced blood pressure and improved exercise performance… pretty cool! (Source)
Here’s What You Need
beet – see my note below on what type of beet to use. You can roast or boil a fresh beet or use pre-cooked beets. chickpeas – I prefer to use canned chickpeas for ease, but you can definitely cook your chickpeas from scratch. lemon juice – I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor! tahini – an important ingredient in hummus! Tahini is ground sesame seeds and adds a delicious, balanced, nutty flavor to hummus. You can find it by other nut and seed butters in most grocery stores! Since it’s a key ingredient in this hummus recipes I highly recommend using a good high-quality brand when making this recipe. Here are some brands to look out for: Soom, Seed + Mill, Once Again, 365 by Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. extra virgin olive oil – helps your hummus have a light, airy texture! Use high quality olive oil for optimal flavor. garlic clove – I love adding garlic to my hummus for an extra boost of flavor. If you don’t love garlic you can skip! sea salt – brings all of the flavors together! baking soda – this is totally optional, but results in super creamy hummus. Sharing more on this below! cold water – this is also optional, but if your hummus is too thick and not smoothing out, just add in some cold water. Using ice cold water results in light and fluffy hummus.
What Type of Beet to Use in Hummus
Surprisingly there are different options when it comes to the best type of beet for this hummus! I obviously used a red beet to give it that gorgeous color but you can experiment with other varieties. Here are the different beet varieties:
Golden beets – I love golden beets! They are sweeter and less earthy than red beets. Chioggia beets – these beets are pink and white striped… so fun! Also sweeter and less earthy tasting. White beets – I haven’t tried these but they are also sweeter. Some claim that they lack some nutrients compared to the colorful variations but I can’t say for sure! Red beets – what most people think of when they hear “beets”. A delicious, slightly sweet vegetable!
How to Cook Beets
You can either boil or roast your fresh beet for this hummus. I like the flavor of roasted beets but either will work! Roast: First, prep your beet by scrubbing it really well to get all of the dirt off. Then cut off the stem and taproot. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beet and wrap in aluminum foil. Place beet on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until cooked through and fork-tender, approximately 75-90 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of your beet. Remove beet from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes and then peel and use as directed below. If needed, you can run the beet under cold water to it cool down faster. Boil: Prep your beet by scrubbing off the dirt and trimming the leaves, leaving about 2 inches of the stem. This will help reduce the amount of red beet juice that leaks into the water. Place cleaned beet in a large pot and fill with water so that your beet is covered with at least 1-2 inches. Bring water to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer and cook beet until fork-tender, approximately 30-45 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of your beet. Cool beet by running it under cold water or by transferring it to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Once cool enough to handle, peel your beet and use it as directed below.
Can I Use Pre-Cooked Beets?
Yes! A lot of stores will have pre-cooked beets that you can use. If you’re looking for a shortcut, I definitely recommend this route. Just make sure there aren’t any extra ingredients or seasonings in the beets and they are just vacuum-sealed, boiled beets.
How to Make Beet Hummus
Once your beet is cooked, this hummus couldn’t get any easier to make! Just add chickpeas, cooked beet, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, garlic and sea salt to a food processor and blend until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out to reach your desired consistency. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with pita chips, carrots, and cucumbers (or any other veggie/chip of choice).
How to Make Super Creamy Hummus
This step is optional, but if you want to make super creamy hummus I highly recommend boiling your chickpeas with baking soda before adding them to the food processor with the rest of your ingredients. The baking soda helps to break down the chickpea skins, which results in uber creamy hummus. Here’s how to do it:
How to Serve Beet Hummus
With pita chips or fresh veggies – I love enjoying hummus as a snack with pita chips or fresh veggies! It’s also a great addition to any mezze platter! As a spread – hummus is delicious used as a spread on pretty much anything! Some ideas: vegan tortilla pizzas, egg, spinach and feta breakfast wrap and hummus avocado toast. Falafel – the perfect dip for baked falafel! Israeli Salad – if you’ve never added hummus to a salad, you’re missing out! I like to spread hummus across the bottom of my bowl and then top with this Israeli salad for deliciousness in every bite. Za’atar Chicken Bake – make this simple sheet pan meal and serve it with hummus! Quinoa Tabbouleh – another salad that’s delicious paired with hummus.
How to Store Leftovers
This is the perfect meal prep recipe thanks to how well it stores! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-7 days. Enjoy this hummus as a snack and with meals all week long!
More Beet Recipes
Beet Salad Beet Power Salad Pear and Beet Salad Sautéed Beet Greens with Roasted Beets Roasted Beets Simple Beet Greens Instant Pot Beets
More Dips and Spreads
Creamy Hummus Everything Bagel Dip Yogurt Fruit Dip Healthy 7-Layer Dip Guacamole with Frozen Peas Almond Pesto Dip (or Sauce) Healthy S’mores Dip 4-Ingredient Smoked Salmon Dip Sweet Potato Hummus Whipped Cottage Cheese Hot Honey Whipped Cottage Cheese
Be sure to check out all of my appetizer recipes here on EBF!
