My vegan Pumpkin Hummus recipe is the perfect Halloween Snacks because have protein, fibre and healthy fats to fuel our kids before trick or treating!
I have a solid strategy for dealing with Halloween candy (read about it here), but I still like to switch it up and include non-sweet festive snacks. Both E and O are big fans of my pumpkin hummus recipe, especially when I make Jack-o-Lantern rice cakes.
Pumpkin hummus rice cakes are amazing for kids Halloween parties, or trick-or-treating fuel. Who doesn’t want an adorable Jack-o-Lantern rice cake, am I right?!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
My pumpkin hummus recipe always comes out around Halloween, and for good reason:
- Budget friendly – so much cheaper than store-bought hummus
- Protein, fibre and healthy fats
- Packed with Vitamin A
- Fun and festive for Halloween
Key Ingredients
Chickpeas – Chickpeas are a great source of plant based protein. They contain ~10 g of protein per cup and also give you a whopping 9 g of fiber.
Pumpkin – Not only is pumpkin festive and delicious, it’s a great source of fibre and vitamin A. You might be used to seeing it in pumpkin pie, but it’s amazing in savoury recipes too.
Olives – These are key for making our adorable Jack-o-Lantern faces. If your kiddos aren’t a fan, feel free to opt out.
Rice cakes – My vehicle of choice because they’re the perfect size and roundness for our Jack-o-Lanterns. If you’re not feeling rice cakes, go for a crusty piece of bread. The vehicle is up to you!
How To Make This Recipe
Step One: To a food processor, puree the chickpeas, pumpkin, garlic, tahini, lemon, olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Step Two: Add a few tablespoons of hummus to a rice cake. Top with a piece of celery as the stem, and some black olives cut into eyes, nose and a mouth.
Expert Tips
For the smoothest hummus ever, you can remove the skins of the chickpeas before you add them to the food processor. I find the best way to do this is by gently rubbing the chickpeas between my hands to loosen them. This can be time consuming, so you can always skip and add a little more olive oil + more pureeing to ensure your hummus is silky smooth.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I love pumpkin hummus because it’s a naturally plant-based protein source so it’s great for our kiddos who often are not fond of meat (or for families who choose not to eat it).
Yep! Rice cakes are gluten free, and this pumpkin hummus is as well!
You bet! There’s no nuts in them so that’s good. Unless you have a kid in your kids class with a sesame allergy, you should be good to go. If you DO have a sesame allergy, you could leave the tahini out.
The pumpkin hummus will last about 5 days in the fridge, and if you assemble the rice cakes the night before, they should be fine in lunches.
Yes! Make the hummus up to 5 days ahead, and for the prettiest and crispiest kids Halloween snacks, I recommend assembling them the day you plan to eat them.
More Recipes You Might Like
I LOVE Halloween. Check out some of our favourite kids Halloween snacks and treats like:
- Banana Ghosts and Clementine Pumpkins
- Apple and Almond Butter Alien Smiles
- 18 Healthy Halloween Treats for Kids
- Smoked Salmon Pumpkin Sandwiches
Have you made my pumpkin hummus recipe? Let me know what Halloween snacks your kids love!
Vegan Pumpkin Hummus Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans no salt added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Plain rice cakes
- Celery cut into small stem pieces
- Black olives cut into face shapes
Instructions
- To a food processor, puree the chickpeas, pumpkin, garlic, tahini, lemon, olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Add a few tablespoons of hummus to a rice cake. Top with a piece of celery as the stem, and some black olives cut into eyes, nose and a mouth.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Stephanie McKercher says
What a cute idea! I love the idea of pumpkin hummus. Sounds so flavorful and delicious!
Abbey Sharp says
it’s so delicious!
Leslie says
This is a great idea and super cute! I love that it’s an option for school lunches as well. I always struggle to find creative ideas for school lunches.
Abbey Sharp says
Totally. You’ll love this