Now listen, I understand the point of recipes but I also understand that if never break free from following the directions, you will never explore your own abilities to learn what you are capable of creating on your own.
I felt like whipping something up the other day. I didn’t know what, just had a basic idea of the ingredients I felt like using.
Somehow I found myself with an awesome and easy recipe for Apple Peanut Butter Pie Hummus, which defined by me is an appetizer, snack, dessert, topping, sweet tooth satisfying yet meal worthy creation all in one.
Warm cinnamon apples diced up and pureed with peanut butter and chick peas. Aside from a drop of pure maple syrup, that’s it!
This Apple Peanut Butter Pie Hummus creation of mine is so good you will find yourself licking the spoon which was used to scoop it out from the food processor.
You will then figure out a way to lick the sides of the food processor clean. Whatever you can’t reach with the spoon, will require you to use your fingers. Trust me, you won’t let any of it to go to waste.
Since this recipe involves chick peas, we are referring to it as a hummus of sorts which means it can be served as a dip or spread (warm or cold!).
It is perfect on a snack plate which my son enjoyed yesterday for lunch (did I mention he was home sick from school? Uh huh. Yeah. It’s been fun around here.)
It’s both sweet and savory so it works real nice with your veggies yet satisfies the need I always have to eat something more like a dessert.
I love it for lunch on top of Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel bread or served in scoop fashion on a salad.
It also makes for a great sweet potato topper and the chick peas give us a nice boost of plant-based protein and fiber.
I believe that the trick to bringing out the natural flavors in apples is to heat them quickly with cinnamon prior to combining them with the peanut butter and chick peas in the food processor (I use a mini food processor in case you were wondering.)
Heating apples naturally enhances their sweetness without the use of additional sugar which I think some people forget when cooking/baking with apples.
You hardly ever need to add sugar to fruit. Fruit is nature’s candy you know.
You can either puree it all together until nice and smooth, or, as I did, blend it up and then add extra apple chunks to give it some more texture.
- 2 apples (either Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honey Crisp)
- 1 can organic chick peas, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 Cup nut butter of choice (I used a mix of Crunch Time and Mighty Maple)
- 2 tsp. Pure Maple Syrup (you can use even less!)
- Cinnamon
- Dice up one apple (peel it if you want, not necessary) and place in microwave safe bowl.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Microwave on high for two minutes.
- Place chick peas, peanut butter and softened apples in food processor.
- Drizzle with pure maple syrup.
- Pulse until blended (it’s super quick).
- Dice up half of another apple (or whole thing), sprinkle with cinnamon and microwave for one minute.
- Add apples to the mixture already in food processor and puree for only a few seconds to create a chunkier hummus.
- Serve warm or cold with salads, on bread, with apples, veggies or cookies!
If I am counting correctly, I have now shared three recipes in one week. Must be a record.
In case you missed them:
Three-Ingredient Butternut Squash Pancakes
On a side note, a reader emailed me the other day to ask if my recipes are “pinnable” —-Yes! Just hover over each image in order to pin and/or check out my pinterest boards for more food fun.
I think I need a day off from the kitchen. Good thing it’s Friday!
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Are you a recipe-follower or do you break free on occasion and do your own thing?
Who is running a race this weekend?!
Favorite type of hummus?
The Cookie ChRUNicles 
This sounds awesome!! Can’t wait to try it!
Brilliant flavor combination! Pinning for later.
Aw thank you for thinking my combo is brilliant : ).. Definitely try it out and let me know what you think.
I usually start out following a recipe but after the first time I make it my own, meaning I pretty much don’t measure things or do it exactly as the recipe says. The hummus sounds very interesting! I’ll need to give that a try one of these days.
Definitely try it. It’s really easy and super good.
Oh my I need to make this! You have been coming with great apple recipes this week. I think my ‘soft’ apples will work perfectly for this one too
I thought of your apples for this! Yes! Definitely try them in this recipe for sure. I thought of you last night as I cut into a new type of apple which to me were flavorless and too mushy but my son enjoyed them.
Oh my, that sounds amazing! I knew it had to be something good from your picture! I know what you mean about licking the food proessor clean, I HATE leaving any food left on there….and i have cut up so many of my spatulas trying to get every single piece off the blades haha! I want this, NOW! By the way, I have some exciting news for you….I think…… ;P
Ohhh, I am going to text you shortly – I think I know what it is?!
I think that I am the anti-recipe follower! I hardly even follow my own recipes! I bet this would be great if you took it even a step further and made cookies out of it!
I did actually bake them as cookies! I just didn’t love it as much as eating it with a spoon. The cookies were good since the flavor is great but I didn’t care for the texture enough to share it. Definitely try making it though, you will enjoy the taste.
I definitely break free from recipes, including my own, because I really believe it’s not necessary to follow them too closely. I like experimenting! Your flavor combo looks delicious 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!
I usually just use recipes as a guide or inspiration but don’t really follow them. I’d rather enjoy my time in the kitchen than have to worry about following every step.
That’s exactly it – the not worrying about following every step.
I am so intrigued by the idea of sweet hummus! I am ALL about the sweet things, so I am sure I would absolutely love it. Apples + PB = always a winner!
It’s beyond delicious. You can’t even figure out what you are eating, if it’s sweet or savory, all I know is that it is satisfying!
Since I now officially love dipping my apple slices in hummus, this sounds awesome! Way to get creative 🙂
It’s really good, I hope you make it! It’s so easy that I don’t know why I never did it before lol.
I had the hardest time wrapping my head around the fact that chickpeas could be used in sweets, but they really do make an amazing base for both savoury and sweet. Aaaand some of my best creations actually came about when I deviated from recipes… so yeah — I’m definitely an experimenter.
I can relate to your recipes…I never measure and just toss things together plus you don’t shun the microwave (: I micro and/or toaster oven everything since I don’t really have a kitchen just those appliances and a fridge!
And yep, warming up apples (any fruit really even melons) just a bit makes them so good.
so i made something like this once with nuttzo and dried apple and chickpeas… uh. It’S CRACK! so good. Need to try yours next
Such a brilliant idea! I want to try it with banana too… amazing!
You just reminded me that I did make something extremely similar to this recipe using bananas. It’s listed under my banana bread crumble recipe. It combined bananas, cinnamon, peanut butter and chick peas if I am remembering correctly!
Now this is unusual. You get extra bonus points for creativity.
I’m definitely a deviator. Also a taste and tweak as you go kind of cook.
Wauw this is crazy hhaahaha I had no clue that you can give this flavour to hummus xD I am curious now, gotta try it soon 🙂