This homemade chocolate dessert hummus dip is made with chickpeas, cocoa powder, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, blended until thick and silky like brownie batter.

It tastes like a chocolate treat, but it’s packed with fiber and protein from the beans.

Serve it as an after-school snack, a dessert board centerpiece, or a sweet dip for parties. Nobody guesses there are chickpeas in it, and I love serving it with fruit and pretzels or next to this 3 ingredient peanut butter dip.

If you’re into healthier sweet dips and snacks, these are worth bookmarking too:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Peeling the chickpeas takes a few extra minutes, but it’s the secret to the smoothest, creamiest texture. Any nut or seed butter works, so use what you have.

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 5 tablespoons milk or water, as needed
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, for topping
Strawberries, apple slices, pretzels, graham crackers, and banana slices, for dipping

Directions

Drain and rinse the chickpeas well under cold water.
For the smoothest dip, pinch each chickpea to slip off the thin skin.
It takes about 5 to 10 minutes, and honestly, it’s a little tedious, but the result is noticeably silkier.
Shortcut for peeling: put the chickpeas in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and cover with hot water for 5 minutes.
Rub them between your hands and the skins float to the top.
Rinse well afterward so no baking soda taste remains.
Add the peeled chickpeas to a food processor and blend for 1 minute until they form a thick, crumbly paste.
Scrape down the sides with a spatula, getting into the corners under the blade.
Blending the chickpeas alone first helps break them down completely.
Add the cocoa powder, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.
Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides a few times.
The longer it blends, the smoother it gets.
If your food processor gets warm, give it a 1-minute rest, since a hot motor can make the dip slightly oily.
With the processor running, add milk or water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dip is smooth and scoopable.
It should look like thick frosting or brownie batter.
Most batches need about 4 tablespoons, but it depends on how wet the chickpeas were.
Too much liquid makes it runny, so add slowly.
Taste and adjust.
Add another tablespoon of maple syrup for sweeter dip, a little more cocoa for deeper chocolate, or a pinch more salt to bring everything together.
Blend again for a few seconds after any changes.
Spoon the dessert hummus into a bowl and swirl the top with the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
Chill for 30 minutes if you have time, since it thickens and the flavor gets richer.
A few flakes of sea salt on top is a nice touch for grown-ups.
Serve with fruit, pretzels, and graham crackers and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Peel the chickpeas. Chickpea skins make hummus grainy. Peeling them is optional, but it gives you a truly smooth, bakery-style dip.
Blend longer than you think. Three to four minutes of total blending is normal. Stopping too soon leaves a gritty texture.
Use a food processor. A high-speed blender works too, but you’ll need more liquid and frequent scraping. A food processor handles thick dips best.
Dutch-process cocoa is milder. It gives a smoother, darker chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa works fine but tastes slightly sharper.
Nut-free option. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of peanut butter. Tahini makes it taste a little more grown-up.
Don’t skip the salt. A pinch of salt keeps the dip from tasting flat and makes the chocolate stand out.
It thickens in the fridge. Stir in a splash of milk if it gets too firm after chilling.
Rinse the chickpeas well. The liquid in the can (aquafaba) has a beany taste. A good rinse keeps the dip tasting like chocolate, not chickpeas.
Sweeten to your taste. Maple syrup gives a smooth, round sweetness, and honey is a little more floral. Start with 1/4 cup if you prefer a darker chocolate dip and add more after tasting.
Storage. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make it for lunchboxes. Spoon a few tablespoons into small lidded containers with apple slices or pretzels on the side. It holds up well until lunchtime with an ice pack.
Freezing. Freeze in small portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well before serving.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving Serve the chocolate dessert hummus cold or at room temperature in a bowl surrounded by strawberries, apple slices, banana, pretzels, and graham crackers. It’s also great spread on toast, swirled into oatmeal, or used as a fruit pizza base. For parties, put it in the middle of a dessert board.

Storing Store it in a sealed glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It firms up as it chills, so let it sit out for 10 minutes or stir in a splash of milk before serving. Press plastic wrap on the surface to keep a skin from forming.

Customizing Swap the peanut butter for Nutella for a chocolate hazelnut version. Add a pinch of cinnamon or espresso powder for deeper flavor. For a brownie batter twist, stir in a tablespoon of rolled oats and extra chocolate chips.