A healthy fall or winter appetizer - great for Thanksgiving, the holidays, or just for snacking! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
I hope you need a last-minute Thanksgiving appetizer because this butternut squash hummus dip is so insanely good! While I was making it, I couldn’t stop eating it. Now that the leftovers are in the fridge, I can’t walk by the kitchen without grabbing a cracker for a quick swipe.
It’s easy to make, especially if you’re roasting butternut squash for another recipe – just roast an extra cup of cubed squash and swirl this hummus together in no time. It’s thick, creamy, tangy, and nicely spiced from the cumin, coriander, and a bit of cayenne.
Now the important part – what REALLY puts this dip over the top is serving it all fancy with feta and pomegranates. The feta adds a nice salty bite and the burst of sweetness from the fresh POM POM pomegranate arils brings such a delicious pop of flavor, as well as a contrast to the feta. Plus that ruby red color is so pretty for the holidays!
Today we’re partnering with POM Wonderful, because we really really love pomegranates and ’tis the season for them (October through December). The little arils not only delicious but they’re packed with fiber and antioxidants. I love the convenience of the little ready-to-eat packs because they’re great for snacking or sprinkling and, let’s face it, I’m sometimes just too lazy to open up whole pomegranates 🙂
I served my dip with crackers, pita, sliced black radish, and chopped up romanesco – I think the little green romanesco trees look so festive for the December holidays that are just around the corner!
For more appetizer ideas, check out this post with 50 easy appetizers.
Butternut Squash Hummus w/ Feta & Pomegranates
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash (½ inch cubes)
- 1 large or 2 medium garlic cloves
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cayenne, less if sensitive to spice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cup water, or as needed
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup POM POMS pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons microgreens, optional
- drizzle of olive oil
- pita, crackers and/or veggies
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash on the baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Let cool slightly.
- In a food processor, combine the roasted squash, roasted peeled garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and sea salt.
- With the blade running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add water, as need, to blend to a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Note: this is a bit spicy before you add the olive oil - the olive oil tones down the spice.)
- Scoop the hummus into a serving bowl and top with pomegranate arils, feta, parsley, microgreens, if using, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with toasted pita, crackers, and/or chopped veggies.
Special thanks to POM Wonderful for partnering on this post!
This recipe is just wonderful. I even cheated once and made it with frozen cubed butternut and it was still terrific! Definitely a delicious and very pretty dip ❤️
Loved this recipe!!
I was looking for a nice holiday snack for a party of really healthy eaters. And I love all things butternut squash!! This was perfect! Made this as written but thought that it needed a bit more squash so I roasted some more to add before finishing the hummus!!!! Yum!!! I served it with homemade sourdough crackers and sliced English cucumbers and it was a hit! I’ll be making this to have on hand for myself since I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. Wonderful dip and beautiful for the holiday’s.
Hi Elizabeth, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Hi! Wondering how long this keeps in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Lori, the hummus will last up to 5 days. I’d assemble the garnishes when ready to serve.
Outstanding!!!! Absolutely delicious!!!!
This was my first successful hummus recipe! In all fairness, it’s only my second try. Couldn’t find pomegranate the time of year I made it. Even as a standalone it’s delicious. Adding the feta and mixed greens were a bonus.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I made this as written for a Thanksgiving appetizer. It was perfect and got rave reviews. I will be making more for the Christmas holiday parties
What are your thoughts on using acorn squash instead (since it’s what Inhave on hand)? And roasting either?
Hi Trista, I think it would work fine. Roast halves cut side down, then remove the skin (it’s easier than peeling it first). You’ll have to kind of eyeball the amount.
This turned out so thick and creamy! Such a yummy hummus with holiday-vibe garnish. I didn’t have tahini so I added chili powder for an extra kick.
Wow, really a mouthwatering dish it is. Can it be served as dessert?
I just made this, minus the cayenne because my four year old child can’t stand spicy food, and it turned out perfect.
To speed things up, I cooked the squash in an Instant Pot.
To create a silky smooth texture, I combined the ingredients in my Vitamix, which worked out lovely.
Plus, to keep it vegan, I omitted the feta cheese and sprinkles extra salt on top.
Hi Laurie, I’m glad you enjoyed the hummus!
This was delicious! I roasted the squash a few days in advance so it came together really quickly on serving day. Everyone loved it!
I’m a serious hummus connoisseur and I’m suspicion of “flavored” hummus. Trust me when I say … this hummus is amazing! And beautiful when topped with the feta and dried cranberries (I couldn’t find pomegranate but this sub worked perfectly). YUM!
I didn’t have any coriander, so I used 1 tsp of garam masala and no additional cumin. It still turned out wonderfully! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you loved it!
This recipe is loosely adapted from the Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Jerusalem. I looooove this cookbook and I reach for it often whenever I’m craving anything with middle eastern flavors.
This is great! Don’t shy away from the cayenne.
Hi Lori, I’m so glad you loved it!