Cashew Hummus
If you’re on a paleo, Whole30, or legume-free diet, you’ll love this recipe for Cashew Hummus. Creamy cashews replace chickpeas in this creamy dip recipe that has classic hummus flavors. Everyone loves this bean-free hummus recipe.
Hummus is traditionally made with the humble chickpea, making it off-limits for the paleo and Whole30 diet (learn more about the differences between paleo, keto, and Whole30).
This paleo version of hummus is made with soaked cashews in place of chickpeas. Since nuts like cashews are high in healthy fat, they’re the perfect base for a creamy dip like hummus.
Cashew hummus makes a delicious spread for sandwiches, a perfect dip for veggies like carrot sticks cucumber slices, or snap peas, or a sauce for a Mediterranean salad. It’s also perfect for scooping onto lean protein like cooked chicken, steak, or tofu. Fifteen minutes and five ingredients are all you need to whip up a batch of this delightful spread.
See my entire list of gluten-free and dairy-free healthy snacks.
Cashew Hummus Recipe Benefits
- You can make this recipe raw and unprocessed by making your own tahini or purchasing raw tahini.
- Cashews are high in protein, heart-healthy fats, and a good source of fiber. This Cashew Hummus recipe is perfect for paleo, vegan, and Whole30 diets, or for people who cannot eat beans.
- Serve this at your next party! I love to serve this at the holidays with my Christmas Holiday Vegetable Wreath Shaped Tray or my Vegan Charcuterie Board.
Ingredients
- Cashews – Be sure to buy unsalted, raw cashews. To get a creamy texture, you need to soak the cashews first.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is essential for good, homemade hummus. Be sure to buy a lemon and not the bottled juice. I have nothing against kitchen shortcuts (in fact, I love them), but the bottled juice isn’t as good, and lemons are cheap.
- Tahini – Tahini is a paste or butter made from ground sesame seeds. It’s often found in Middle Eastern dishes and is one of the main ingredients in hummus. It gives hummus its distinct flavor.
- Garlic – If you don’t like the flavor of raw garlic, you can leave it out. One clove gives this hummus a very mild garlic-y flavor.
- Salt – Don’t forget to season the hummus with salt. Seasoning is the difference between good food and amazing food!
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Drain the soaked cashews and place them into the base of a high-speed blender or bowl of a food processor.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and sea salt. Process on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step Three
You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl once during the blending process.
Step Four
For a thinner consistency, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the and blend again.
Step Five
Transfer the cashew hummus to a small bowl and and sprinkle with paprika. Enjoy immediately or chill for later.
Recipe Tips
- You can easily double this paleo hummus recipe depending on how many servings you want.
- Tahini is a type of seed butter made from sesame seeds. Look for it in the same section of the grocery store where you can find the peanut butter or buy tahini online.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- If you don’t like garlic, you can leave it out.
Whole30 Cashew Hummus FAQs
No, you don’t want to soak cashews longer than 2 hours. If you soak them too long, they will smell bad and become slimy.
It’s best to use raw cashews because you will end up with a creamier texture. Roasted cashews are often salted, which may make the end result too salty.
Traditional hummus recipes do use olive oil, but this recipe is made oil-free.
The list is almost endless. See my list of what to eat with hummus.
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Cashew Hummus
If you’re on a paleo, Whole30, or legume-free diet, you’ll love this recipe for Cashew Hummus. Creamy cashews replace chickpeas in this creamy dip recipe that has classic hummus flavors.
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in a bowl of hot water for at least 30 minutes
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Smoked paprika (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Drain your soaked cashews and place them in the base of a food processor or high speed blender.
- Add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and sea salt. Process on high for 25-30 seconds, or until the mixture is creamy and fully combined.
- You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl once during the blending process.
- If you want the hummus to have a thinner consistency, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the mixture and blend again.
- Transfer the cashew hummus to a small dip bowl and sprinkle the top with smoked paprika (optional).
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe depending on how many servings you want.
- Tahini is a type of seed butter made from sesame seeds. Look for it in the same section of the grocery store where you can find the peanut butter.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- If you don’t like garlic, you can leave it out.
- This recipe is great for serving with chopped vegetables for a healthy snack.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Paleo
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 150.2 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.8 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
This creamy dip hits the spot!