Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
Roasted cauliflower hummus is a delicious chickpea-free version of hummus that’s low-carb, keto, paleo and Whole30 friendly. It’s creamy, savory, veggie-packed and I think you’ll love it just as much as my authentic hummus recipe.
Cauliflower Hummus
When it comes to hummus recipes I love them all. I love my authentic hummus recipe that’s spot-on with all the hummus I enjoyed in Israel. I love my antioxidant-packed roasted beet hummus that turns a vibrant, electric pink. I love my herb-packed green hummus. And I love this cauliflower hummus that trades chickpeas for roasted cauliflower, resulting in a low-carb hummus recipe.
So take your pick on hummus recipes, but if you’ve never tried cauliflower hummus before you should definitely give this recipe a try. It’s easily digestible (as it’s legume-free) and a great way to sneak more veggies into your daily routine.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables as it’s incredibly versatile. You’ve seen me rice it and make cauliflower rice. And you’ve seen me mash it and make cauliflower mashed potatoes. Now, we’re gonna roast it and make creamy, smoky, garlicky, cauliflower hummus.
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus Recipe Video
This recipe is easy to make in your blender, but it always helps to watch a quick step-by-step video tutorial. Give it a watch below!
Should You Roast or Steam the Cauliflower?
I highly recommend roasting the cauliflower in this recipe rather than steaming it. Cauliflower on it’s own is quite bland and neutral in flavor and while that’s great for making it a versatile vegetable, it can also make it boring to the palate.
To jazz up the flavor in this hummus recipe, roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes. It will make it soft and easy to blend while also imparting a bit more flavor.
How to Make Cauliflower Hummus
You’ll notice many ingredients in this cauliflower hummus recipe are similar to my traditional hummus recipe – including tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin. It’s truly a matter of replacing the chickpeas with cauliflower and adding a dash of ground coriander for extra flavor.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
- Remove the florets from the head of cauliflower (see my easy method to do this on the video below) and place them on a sheet pan. Drizzle a little olive oil or avocado oil and roast for 20 minutes or until they’re slightly golden.
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a Vitamix or food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Then, just blend until it’s creamy, place it in a bowl and add sunflower seeds and parsley for garnish.
To keep this recipe gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, keto and Whole30 friendly, remember to serve it up with sliced vegetables rather than chips or crackers. I personally love scooping the cauliflower hummus up with celery, but carrots and cucumber are also great. Enjoy!
For More Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
- Mashed Cauliflower with Garlic and Herbs
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Dates, Pine Nuts and Thyme
- Asian Cauliflower Rice with Ginger Shrimp
Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, approx 5 cups florets
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tbsp water, or more for desired consistency
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- pinch of ground coriander
- pepper, to taste
- garnish with olive oil, sunflower seeds and chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
- Remove the florets from the head of cauliflower and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or avocado oil) and toss to combine. Place the baking tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the cauliflower to your Vitamix or a food processor. Add the tahini, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, cumin and coriander. Add pepper to taste. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sunflower seeds and chopped parsley.
Lisa's Tips
- I love making hummus in my Vitamix as it's ultra creamy. But you may need to scrape down the sides of the Vitamix container on this recipe. That's when I put my under blade scraper to good use!
- If your cauliflower hummus is a bit thick, just add more water (a teaspoon at a time) until it's your desired level of creaminess.
- Make sure to check out all of my other Vitamix recipes (I use my blender way more than my food processor).
I have looked at this cauliflower hummus for months and finally decided to make it.
I made it but it wasn’t smooth. I blended it for ages and also switched blenders and it still wasn’t smooth. I didn’t do all the tahini, but should I add all of it and and blend the hummus for longer?
Thanks
Yes, make sure to blend the recipe (with the proper ingredients), and use a tamper so that everything gets blended together.
Can I share your recipe on my blog and IG?
Hi Karolina – no, I don’t allow my recipes to be shared. Sorry.
Thank you. I served on crackers and it was awesome!
Glad you loved this cauliflower hummus Therese!
Have you tried freezing the cauliflower humus?
Yes, you can do that!
Hi Lisa
I love hummus, but not the effect it has on my body. This version is satisfying and light and so easy to make. I roasted the cauliflower with lemon-infused olive oil and chucked the garlic clove in the oven too. DELICIOUS!
I’m going to try freezing this one as the recipe makes a little too much for just me to eat in a few days. I might try making smaller batches too in future. Thank you for such a great recipe and for all you create and share with us :)
So glad you found a hummus alternative Janelle! :)
Hi Lisa,
I love your recipes. But I now need to track my calorie intake. Are your nutritional facts for 1 serving or the whole recipe?
Hi Nicole – the nutritional information will always be per serving.
Hi Lisa,
I’ve been using this recipe during Whole 30 and I can’t even tell difference with ”regular hummus”.. I strongly recommend giving it a try!
I was wondering if your recipe of ”Chocolate Hummus” would work with Cauliflower.. have you tried that variation?
Thanks.
Hmm, haven’t tried it. But, not sure how it would taste.
This has been my go-to hummus recipe for months and I absolutely love it! I don’t even consider buying hummus in a store any more. I’ve started adding in a touch of paprika to the mix just to change it up. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Happy to hear you love this recipe Roxanne!
I had such high hopes for this recipe… and wasn’t disappointed! It was delicious. Using cauliflower as a substitute for the chicken peas never crossed my mind. Thanks for your creativity! The roasted cauliflower adds a touch of unexpected sweetness.
Happy to hear this reached your expectations Kateri!
How long does it stay fresh in the fridge?
Hi Janet – this will keep for a few days in the fridge!
Would the hummus hold up to freezing? Wanted to make a big batch to have for a while instead of having to make it all the time. Thanks!
Hi Jess – that’s a great question. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe yet. Frozen vegetables can sometimes change in texture. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Easily one of my favorite whole 20 snacks!! It is so so good. I make this weekly and my whole family loves it. Thanks for the recipe!
Happy to hear everyone enjoys this cauliflower hummus Sarah!
Just made it and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe :)
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Stella :)
Loved this recipe! I will never buy store bought hummus again! I’m doing the Whole 30 and this has been an amazing snack with carrots and flax seed crackers! I roasted about 6 cloves of garlic and added those in, turned out wonderful. Thank you Lisa! Your recipes have been AMAZING!
Hi Lauren- So glad you enjoyed this cauliflower hummus!
Can you make the cauliflower hummus without tahini? I don’t have any at the moment or anything to make tahini with, however I would still like to try it!
I do think this recipe is best with the tahini, otherwise it’s just more of a cauliflower mash at that point.
I understand that this would be better with tahini, which I used to love, but I developed a bunch more allergies as an adult! (I’ve always been allergic to legumes– soy, peas, beans, peanuts, garbanzos, etc.) Sesame, sunflower seeds and cashews are now out, too. ☹ I Google searched hoping to see if I could find any hummus substitutes, since it always sounds so good. Do you have any ideas/ suggestions? I can handle some almonds, but almond butter is fairly bland. Could I blend pecans? Or, too bland, as well?
Hi Lissy – You could certainly try it with a nut butter of your choice. As I haven’t tried it, I’m not sure how it would turn out. But I say give it a go!
PS I’m really excited to try this!
I’m allergic to sesame, flax, black pepper, cinnamon and a bunch of small seeds/spices stuff too – but not a single allergy in the seafood, vegetable, fruit or meats. Adulthood stinks sometimes! All this too say is that you might try subbing pine nuts for the sesame/tahini. Cauliflower, pine nut, lemon, garlic, and parsley are frequently used in combination in traditional middle eastern food – sometimes even with dates. Might be worth a shot — though I have not tried it myself just yet in hummus form. : )
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa- This hummus should last about 5 days in the fridge :)
This looks so good! What a fun alternative to bean hummus! Cauliflower such a versatile veggie!
Hi Suzanne – It really is! And you won’t miss the chickpeas in this.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times now and it always turns out perfect.
Wonderful! Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe so much!
Question: How far in advance of eating should this be made? Is it better to be made fresh or do the flavours need time to meld together? Going to make this for hosting this weekend and wondering when I should prep it. Thanks!
Hi Erin – This hummus tastes best when it’s fresh! But it can be made a day in advance as well :)
This will be my go to hummus from now on. Made it per the original recipe and then again with roasted red peppers. Both were delish!
Hi Leslie – Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed both hummus recipes :)
Maybe I missed it but hour long would this hold in the fridge ?
Hi Toran – this hummus will last about 3-5 days in the fridge :)
This is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 😊
Hi Katie – So glad you enjoyed this hummus recipe :)
Can I use cauliflower rice instead?
You can, but I do recommend roasting the cauliflower first (so florets would be needed) as it adds more flavor. :)
This may be a silly question, but do I need to use a Vitamix or food processor with this recipe, or is my mid-grade blender adequate to make both the tahini and hummus?
Hi Kelli – I do recommend a high powered blender to ensure these recipes come out ultra smooth :)
Just a quick question, I made this but it didn’t go creamy in the blender. I blended it for ages and still didn’t go smooth. Any idea why?
I am really excited about making this, I just need to get it smooth!
Hi Danelle – did you make sure to use a tamper?
Clearly this is popular among, many but I’m a huge hummus lover and personally didn’t like this at all. I do like cauliflower and love it roasted but for some reason just couldn’t get down on this. Was pretty disappointed. It was a lot of work to end up throwing it away.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe Whitney. We do all have different flavor preferences. Hopefully you love my traditional hummus recipe better!
Just what I’ve been looking for after not being allowed to eat chickpeas anymore!!!! Thank you
You’re welcome! It’s a great alternative to the classic hummus recipe that’s chickpea-free. Hope you love it!
So tasty — would have thought it was traditional hummus, had I not made it myself. Very quick and easy, and warm, freshly-made hummus is so much more enjoyable than store-bought, refrigerated hummus. Fantastic, healthy recipe that I will make over and over again — thank you!
You’re welcome Nancy! I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe. It’s definitely a staple in my house as well. :)
Fantastic taste! I don’t have a vitamix so I used my Cuisinart food processor and it turned out great! I think I will try this with the romanesco cauliflower I have too (pretty green color). I will keep this recipe on hand as a go to snack for sure!
Yay, I’m glad you loved it Megan! And that would be an awesome color with the Romanesco cauliflower. I’ll have to try that myself!
Yummy!! I just made with about 8 cloves of roasted garlic and a pinch of smoky paprika. This is a great substitute for chickpeas! Very impressed.
Yum, I love roasted garlic as well. I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe Danielle!
Hi Lisa,
wonderful recipe and love it ‘as is’ … as I have been making it weekly I thought I would change it up … my last batch I replaced the water with roasted red pepper which gave it a nice change … thanks again … loving your recipes and meal prep advice as well … cheers … Claire
That sounds like a great change, Claire! It’s always good to switch things up. :)
Do you have a complete cookbook?
Hi Kathleen – not yet. But I hope to in the future! :)
So quick and easy and I’m so happy to have a perfect substitute for hummus, something I have been missing so much. Thanks!
I happy you loved it Jennifer! Yes. it’s a great hummus substitute if you’re avoiding legumes and gives you an extra veggie boost at the same time. :)
Why no tahini?
Hi Sharon – not sure I understand the question. There’s tahini in the recipe.
I added some nutritional yeast in it to add a cheesy flavour! Stongly recommend! Thanks for a lovely recipe
That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to try that myself next time. :)
Read about preparing this on another food blog (can’t quite remember the blog) and the process is a little more complex and different from yours. Thanks for making it simple.
Hi Brooke – no problem! I definitely prefer simple recipes myself. And this one is so darn easy in a Vitamix! I’m also slightly addicted to all the variations of hummus. ;) x
Just started my first whole 30 today so this was a great choice to have with me at work! How long do you think this lasts in the frige?
Awesome! Congrats on your first Whole30. This cauliflower hummus will stay good up to a week in the fridge. Though you can freeze it as well if you’d like to keep it longer.
I just made this, added some broccoli as well as the cauliflower as it needed using up. WOW! What a great alternative to ordinary hummus. Will so be making this again. Thanks Lisa for your continued inspiration.
You’re welcome Trevor! I’m glad you enjoyed this cauli hummus!
This looks like a great alternative for those following a low-carb lifestyle, and I’d be interested to taste it in real life. I’m wondering if the tahini and spices effectively overcome the cauliflower flavor, (of which I am not a fan).
I personally don’t think it has too much of a cauliflower flavor, just a creamy, garlicky, savory flavor. You could always add more spices to the recipe as well!
Loved the roasted cauliflower addition! I was badly looking for something new to add to my low carb diet, that I’ve recently started following.
Awesome! I’m happy you got some new inspiration with this cauli hummus recipe!
I’ve been having a craving for hummus, but I’ve been following a low-carb diet plan so it didn’t seem like the best idea. But this cauliflower hummus is a great substitution and I can’t wait to try it.
Yes, there’s no need to give up some of your favorite items…you just have to tweak them a little. ;) Hope you enjoy this recipe Vicky!
This hummus looks incredible! I haven’t tried it with cauliflower before. I especially love how you garnished it.
Thanks Tara! I’m all about the garnishes. ;) x
Wow, I’m so glad I came across this! I really love hummus (who doesn’t) but the carbs are a no go for me now. This is such a great idea and you still get that great tahini flavor. For a second I said “I wouldn’t eat a 1/2 cup serving” but who am I kidding? I totally would.
And that 1/2 cup serving disappears really fast when you scoop up large amounts with those celery sticks. Lol! Enjoy the recipe!