Roasted cauliflower is the perfect stand-in for chickpeas in this Eastern Mediterranean inspired dip. Swapping out the garbanzo beans makes this tasty cauliflower hummus recipe paleo, keto, low carb, vegan, and Whole30-friendly.
This roasted cauliflower hummus is my take on the classic Greek dip. Roasting the cauliflower gives it a nutty sweetness that blends well with the traditional hummus ingredients — tahini, garlic, and lemon. I love it drizzled with olive oil, and served with fresh vegetables for dipping.
Is hummus paleo, keto or Whole30?
No, it's not. Hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Legumes are not allowed on Whole30 or a paleo diet. And because beans are higher in carbs, they are not low carb or keto-friendly. Roasted cauliflower replaces the chickpeas in this paleo, keto and Whole30-friendly version of hummus.
Cauliflower hummus recipe
Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables. You can use it as a keto rice substitute, a paleo sub for beans in chili, or a low carb sub for flour in thickening gravy. In this case, roasted cauliflower is a perfect sub for garbanzo beans.
Once you roast the cauliflower, this dip comes together very quickly. Just put the roasted cauliflower florets into the bowl of the food processor and add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Blend until it's the consistency of hummus and season to taste.
It's important to use fresh cauliflower in this recipe. I will take a shortcut sometimes, and use frozen cauliflower for mashed cauliflower or cauliflower soup. But frozen cauliflower won't get the right caramelized texture when it roasts. That's the secret to this roasted cauliflower dip recipe.
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It's also important to use a tahini like this one that's made from just sesame seeds to keep this dip paleo and Whole30 compliant. There should not be any other ingredients listed on the label. The oil will naturally separate in the tahini (just like it does in natural almond butter). A nut butter stirrer makes stirring the oil back into the tahini easy.
Roasted cauliflower hummus is a perfect game-day dip. Top your cauliflower dip with a drizzle of olive oil, whole pitted olives and maybe a sprinkle of sesame seeds. This hummus is great served next to a bowl of baba ganoush---the flavors compliment each other and you can use all of the same dippers for both dips! My favorites are sliced cucumbers and red peppers.
More easy healthy snacks
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- juice of 2 lemons
- ½ - 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Toss cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until fork tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
- Add roasted cauliflower, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil to food processor. Process until mixture reaches hummus consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add water, if needed, to thin.
Mary-Irene Marek (@MaryIrene)
Looks delicious! Cauliflower is the "it" vegetable!
Lisa
Thanks Mary-Irene! I agree, I think I make something with cauliflower every week.
Laura Dembowski (@piesandplots)
I love cauliflower but have never been a big fan of hummus. I am so excited to try this!
Lisa
I love love both, and I've missed hummus since I went paleo. This one really hit the spot for me - hope you like it.
Lena
Can you use something else in place of the tahini?
Lisa
Hi Lena, I have only tested this recipe with tahini. I think the sesame seed flavor of the tahini adds to the hummus flavor. If you try it with something else let me know how it turns out!
Table for One: Big Bites on a Little Budget
Fabulous recipe! We are going to be using this in the next couple of weeks at our farmers' market for Food $ense. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Thanks! Food $ense sounds like a great program - I'm glad you are using the recipe!
Esa
I have made this with almond butter in place of tahini, because I'm not a fan of the taste of tahini. It was yummy!
Lisa
Yay! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Manya
I made a batch of your delicious hummus yesterday and have been eating it with paleo sesame crackers. Amazing!!!
Lisa
Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, Manya! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Michelle
Sounds delish! Pinned to try 🙂
Ginger Wroot
Love this idea, and can see how it might a little lower carb and calorie since you are replacing the chickpeas with cauliflower. Pinned it and hoope to make it soon. Thanks, and Happy Easter!
--G
gingerwroot.com
Letha
Mmmmm. Made this last night. Love this stuff! Snacking on it with carrots sticks, cucumber slices and red peppers right now. So satisfying.
Nina A Alvarez
Just made this. It is delicious. I knew Lisa when she was just starting this site. So proud of your work, Lisa. And with an autoimmune condition of my own now, an easy Paleo Diet is super important for me
Sabrina B
thank you for paleo-ing this! Nice dip!
Madison @ Keto Diet
I want to try this. this is awesome!
Lori FM
Doing low carb, so this fit the bill perfectly - it was delicious, and I'd be plenty happy to eat this even when not watching my carbs! I didn''t really measure anything - just used your concept, and adjusted "to taste" but I am loving this cauliflower idea!
Nicole
Just wondering what the serving size is? I was thinking it was 2 tbsp, just wanted to make sure! Fantastic looking recipe and I'm really excited to try it!