Spicy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Hummus

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This Spicy Walnut Hummus with Roasted Garlic is made without tahini and the nutty walnut taste is balanced perfectly by the spicy red pepper and mellow garlic flavor. 

**This post was sponsored by California Walnuts. I was compensated for my time. All thoughts & opinions are my own**

This Spicy Roasted Garlic Walnut Hummus is heart-healthy and full of flavor! Makes a great appetizer or snack!

Hi Friends!

In case you didn’t know, February is American Heart Month! Heart disease is the #1 killer of men and women in the United States. While there are some non-controllable factors that put you at increased risk for heart disease (gender, genetics, ethnicity, etc), there are several things you CAN control. Along with being physically active and not smoking, what you eat can have a big impact on your heart health. Making healthy food choices can help you manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and and blood sugar levels, all of which can reduce your risk for heart disease.

As an RD, I love sharing heart-healthy food choices so when California Walnuts reached out to me about partnering with them to spread the word about walnuts and heart health, I jumped at the chance. Did you know walnuts are certified by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food? An ounce of walnuts (approx 12-14 halves) gives you 4g of protein and 2g of fiber and they’re only nut to provide a significant source of alpha-linoleic acid (the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid).

More than two decades of research has shown that walnuts may help lower cardiovascular risk factors by decreasing LDL  cholesterol by 9-16%, and diastolic blood pressure by 2-3 mmHg. These two factors are major contributors to heart disease risk, and cutting them is a critical step toward a healthier heart.

Spicy Roasted Garlic Walnut Hummus

This Spicy Roasted Garlic Walnut Hummus is heart-healthy and packed with flavor. Makes the perfect snack or appetizer!

Sounds pretty good, right? Even though California Walnuts has a GREAT recipe section on their website (check it out if you’re looking for some creative ways to add walnuts to your diet), I wanted to share a recipe of my own with you guys today as well!

As you know, hubby and I are big hummus fans. We always have some in the fridge, along with some chopped veggies, for snacking. I’ve made several different varieties of homemade hummus but I’ve never tried adding nuts! Walnuts have a definite nutty flavor so I decided to add a mellow garlic flavor thanks to some roasted garlic to help balance it out and then, as per usual, I kicked things up a notch by making it spicy!

Here’s how you make it:

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Spicy Roasted Garlic and Walnut Hummus

Spicy Roasted Garlic Walnut Hummus 2
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 3 reviews

A simple homemade hummus that’s the perfect balance of nutty and spicy with hints of garlic flavor throughout.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 can chickpeas, low-sodium or no salt added (1¾ cups)
  • ¼ cup reserved liquid from can of chickpeas
  • 1 medium bulb roasted garlic (8–9 cloves)
  • ¾ c raw walnuts
  • 1 – 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon water or lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Roast garlic and let cool slightly*
  2. In a food processor, combine walnuts and garlic and pulse until well chopped.
  3. Drain and rinse chickpeas, reserving ¼ cup liquid and add both to food processor.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
  5. Add an additional Tablespoon liquid if you want an even smoother consistency.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

While I think hubby prefers to keep eating his daily nuts by the handful, this may be my new favorite way to enjoy them. I loved the flavor combo and the fact that you could actually taste the nuts in the hummus!

This Spicy Roasted Garlic Walnut Hummus is heart-healthy and full of flavor. Makes the perfect appetizer or snack!

Let’s chat:
Are you a walnut lover? What’s your favorite way to use them?

Mine’s a three-way tie between toasting them to add to a salad, adding them to a banana muffin or this hummus!

[Tweet “A heart-healthy snack: Spicy Garlic Walnut Hummus from @LeanGrnBeanBlog and @CAwalnuts!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. I agree. I’ve always assumed that making hummus would be a lot of work but it’s really not. This motivates me a lot to actually make it. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  14. Adding nuts to hummus is SO good!! I become hooked after I added the Wasabi and Soy Sauce almonds to my hummus a couple of weeks ago. SO, so delicious! I’m actually not a HUGE walnut lover on their own, so this would be the most perfect way for me to incorporate them into my diet!

    Reply

  22. This looks great! Im actually not a huge fan of tahini and the consistency weirds me out a little bit, so this is a great option. I have about 4 bulbs of garlic bc whenever I get a delivery from Blue Apron they always send a whole bulb instead of only the 2 or 3 cloves I will need, so I was just wondering what to do with them the other day!

    Reply

  26. I love walnuts in my salad, or with yogurt, but the best way to eat them is in brownies or banana bread! I love the idea of putting them in hummus, and I have also seen them in pesto instead of pine nuts.

    Reply

  29. This sounds absolutely wonderful! I love that it doesn’t include tahini – hate having to buy an ingredient that I only use for one recipe and then store until I want to make it again!

    Reply

  31. Okay I’m a seriously obsessed with hummus and I’m loving your combo here. I haven’t though to add nuts to my recipes before, but this is far too tempting to not try 🙂

    Reply

  37. Would have given this 5 stars, but 1 – 2 tsp of Cayenne pepper is a bit much. 1/2 to 3/4 tsp is all you need. Otherwise, great recipe!



    Reply

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