Spicy Pumpkin Hummus

Pumpkin season is here and has been for a while. Personally, I wish it was here all year round. And I know people say that we wouldn't appreciate it as much if it was here year round, but I don't know... I still think I would love pumpkin just as much and be just as excited to make recipes with it! But that's just me. :)

I'm excited to share with you a pumpkin recipe that's not a baked goodie for a change! I think that this delicious pumpkin hummus could be a great addition to your Thanksgiving appetizer spread.

The recipe came from Hollie's Hobbies blog.

Ingredients:

-1 can (15 oz.) chick peas

-1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin

-4 garlic cloves

-2 tsp. chili powder

-1/2 tsp. cumin

-1/2 tsp. ground ginger

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-1 tsp. salt

-3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil

-2 Tbsp. honey

-1/4 cup beer (I used Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale)

-2 Tbsp. lemon juice

-1 Tbsp. pepitas (optional)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients, except pepitas, in a food processor. Process until the hummus is smooth. Taste it, and if needed, add more spices (of your choice) and olive oil. Put hummus into a serving dish, top with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and pepitas. Serve with veggies, pita chips, etc.

As you can tell from the photos, I didn't add the pepitas, as I didn't happen to have them on hand. Otherwise, I had all the ingredients on hand so this was a breeze to make - no need to go to the store for anything special!

And although I used a pumpkin beer, I bet many different styles of beer would work well with this, so feel free to use your favorite. Or, if you'd rather, you can omit the beer; just add a little more olive oil.

This hummus definitely has a kick to it! I am not a huge fan of spicy foods, and for me, the spice amount was just right. It had a kick, but it wasn't too strong. Definitely taste as you go. If you don't care for spicy foods, you may want to add less of the chili powder to start. And if you love spice, go ahead and add more!

In addition to being a great dip for veggies or pita chips, this hummus would be an awesome spread on a sandwich too!

It was so easy to put together. In less than 10 minutes, you have a delicious, healthy appetizer. As I said earlier, this would be a fantastic addition to your Thanksgiving appetizer spread this year!