The 'what-the' dessert trend that's about to hit our plates is ... hummus

Forget everything you know about hummus – the chickpea dip is now being dished up for dessert, in flavours like brownie batter and orange-ginger, with Australia about to see Turkish delight and dulce de leche versions.

Snickerdoodle hummus puts a new spin on pancakes. Source: Delighted By

It’s hard to remember a time when hummus wasn’t a permanent fixture in Middle Eastern eateries and supermarket dip aisles. Understandable. We love the versatile Middle Eastern spread, with its savoury, garlicky or chocolatey goodness. Wait – chocolatey? Yes, you read right; dessert hummus, once only found as a creative oddity on a few food blogs (and in some of our dreams) is now officially a thing. 

Even Nigella Lawson is on the dessert dip bandwagon:

US company Delighted By claim to make “The Original Dessert Hummus”, debuting their four ice creamery-inspired flavours at New York’s Fancy Food Show this month. Chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, brownie batter and orange-ginger hummus make up the range.

The sweeter side of hummus. Source: Delighted By

While tahini and chickpeas still form the base of Delighted By’s creations, they’ve replaced the garlic with organic Turbinado sugar and added creaminess with coconut milk, before loading it up with trimmings.

Given the company’s geographical locale, we’re not surprised they’ve taken their hummus to these sugary heights – in fact, the flavours remind us of a Ben & Jerry’s freezer (they also happen to be gluten-free and vegan). It begs the question: what will dessert hummus look like once it lands on our shores?

“I've made some choc hazelnut hummus in the past using a base mix of tahini and halva blended with chickpeas,” tells Colin Wilson, executive chef at Oasis Bakery in Murrumbeena and Mornington, Victoria. “Then I added Nutella or chocolate hazelnut ganache and some crushed hazelnuts. It's delicious.”

Famous for their rich shawarmas, Oasis also makes 100s of kilograms of hummus each week. Wilson thinks the branch out into dessert dips - their range will be available in the next few months - is a natural progression and is currently at work on several sweeter versions.

Turkish delight, Dulce de Leche, orange blossom and pomegranate are other flavours Wilson has in the pipeline. As for his take on how to best enjoy the sweet hummus?

“They are great as an indulgent dip or just eaten with a spoon – just ask my wife!” he says.