A Nutritious Dip Even Picky Eaters Love!
Do your kids like dips? If so, they will love this nutritious, flavorful Creamy Kid-Friendly Hummus! Full of healthy ingredients like chickpeas, sesame seeds, and lemon juice, it is nutrient-packed on its own, but you can dip all kinds of vegetables in it to take things to the next level. And, it’s vegetarian and vegan-friendly!
The Best Kid-Friendly Hummus Recipe
Children often prefer simple flavors, which is why this hummus recipe is made with nothing more than traditional, basic ingredients, without adding spices, toppings, or anything that might cause picky eaters to rebel.
If you want, you can skip the garlic clove, or just use a small one, and use less tahini paste. That being said, a lot of kids like garlic (think garlic bread!) and you might be surprised to find that they are more than willing to gobble up this Creamy Kid-Friendly Hummus recipe!
Is Hummus Safe for Toddlers and Children?
If your children are not allergic to any of the ingredients below, hummus is fine for kids ages 2 and up. Chickpeas are loaded with essential nutrients that are great for growing bodies, like protein, folate, calcium, iron, and unsaturated fatty acids.
Some pediatricians recommend plain, mashed chickpeas as a good weaning choice once babies start solids. Talk to your doctor, who might have good ideas for adding beans in general to your little ones’ diet.
Sesame seeds might trigger allergies in some people, so you will want to wait a little before adding tahini paste to their meals.
What Can You Serve with Hummus?
This Creamy Kid-Friendly Hummus goes great with all kinds of raw vegetables, like carrot sticks, sliced cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and even little romaine heart boats. It is delicious sprinkled with toasted pine nuts, finely chopped olives, or drizzled with olive oil.
You can also serve it with pita bread, pita bread chips, corn or cassava tortilla chips, and more. Just like adults, children like to see a beautifully presented plate, and this is your opportunity to get them to try something new by surrounding it with some of their favorite ingredients.
Hummus also goes great in sandwiches with grated veggies, between 2 slices of their favorite bread. My Creamy Kid-Friendly Hummus is mildly flavored but packed with vitamins and minerals. Served with fresh veggies and bread, it is a complete meal that many children love.
Hummus in general keeps well, so don’t hesitate to make it the day before, or even to double the recipe. It also freezes well, but it can be prepared so quickly that it really isn’t worth taking up freezer space.
Just be sure to wash the food processor’s container as soon as you’re done for easy clean-up, and you won’t have to scrub dried-up hummus later on!
And if you are trying to get your children to eat more, don’t hesitate to snack on this Kid-Friendly Hummus with them while reading an uplifting and inspiring book like Beautiful… That’s Me!
Creamy Kid-Friendly Hummus
Ingredients:
1-14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tahini
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup water
Pinch salt
Directions:
- In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, garlic clove, and salt into a paste.
- Add the lemon juice, tahini, and a quarter cup of water.
- Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor a few times.
- Taste, adjust for seasonings, and add a little water as needed.
- Spoon the hummus into a bowl, smooth it out to your liking, and add toppings if desired as well as a thin drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.
Popular toppings include pine nuts toasted on a hot pan, whole or chopped black kalamata olives, and sweet paprika. Some like to add ground beef or lamb as well.
Hummus will keep well in a tightly closed container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
