This Festive White Bean Hummus is all dressed up for the holidays. It’s loaded with dried cranberries, infused with garlic and rosemary olive oil, and topped with chopped pecans. A quick squeeze of orange juice lends a light sweet and sour effect.
There’s so much to love about healthy appetizer dips, especially if they are quick to whip up. In addition to irresistible cheese laden dips, I’ll always have a healthier, usually vegan option available.
Check our family’s favourite Baharat Roasted Beet Hummus or the seasonal Pumpkin Hummus with a generous hit of spice from Thai red curry paste.
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White Bean Hummus
Once you start dipping into this white bean hummus you’ll want to finish the whole bowl off. This addictive savoury garlic and rosemary dip has a touch of sweetness from dried cranberries and just a squeeze of orange juice for some acidity.
White cannellini beans make an excellent substitute for chickpeas in this tahini free hummus. They have a neutral flavour that is the perfect vehicle for the more prominent flavours in this white bean hummus recipe.
This hummus is an impressive vegan dip option for any holiday table or any time you feel like a healthy snack. Since the ingredients are available year round, you can whip it up whenever the craving hits.
This Is Not a Traditional Hummus
If you’ve come here for a traditional hummus recipe, my apologies. While I love (and eat plenty of) classic hummus with chickpeas, tahini olive oil, and lemon juice; sometimes I like a change.
While beans may not be a common ingredient in traditional hummus, many Mediterranean cooks have a white bean dip they make on a regular basis. This recipe contains beans instead of chickpeas, orange juice instead of lemon juice or lemon zest, and absolutely no tahini. It’s gluten free and perfect for those of us with an allergy to sesame seeds.
There are so many flavoured hummus dips available now, including the much debated chocolate hummus and even birthday cake hummus. While they may not be to everyone’s tastes, their existence solidifies this dip as one of the all time greats, the GOAT of appetizer dips.
Let’s just not forget where it came from.
Ingredients
- Fresh Rosemary
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- White Beans
- Orange Juice
- Salt
- Dried Cranberries
- Pecans
Rosemary is hands down one of my favourite herbs. It goes so well with the white beans and also looks festive. Fresh is best for this recipe, however if you have dried, feel free to use it in the dip but not as a garnish.
Use your best extra virgin olive oil. It really makes a difference in recipes with few ingredients. There’s nothing more delicious than a dip finished with a surface swoosh of olive oil.
Dried Cranberries are an absolute must in this recipe. Fresh will not work as they will be too tart. If you must use a substitute, I highly recommend dried cherries.
White bean varieties that work best in this recipe are: Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or Butterbeans (white are basically Baby Lima beans). The key to avoiding any digestional discomfort is to drain and rinse the beans well before use.
Why Beans Make a GREAT Hummus
Beans often get a bad wrap. However, this misunderstood legume contains a myriad of health benefits when compared to chickpeas. They’re both high in dietary fibre but that’s where the similarities end.
White beans contain fewer calories than chickpeas. They are also higher in protein. lower in carbohydrates, and contain less fat. Next, let’s talk minerals.
Both are great sources of calcium, iron, and Potassium. Beans give a slightly higher nutritional value of Vitamins E & K plus B1 (Thiamin) and B5 (Pantothenic Acid).
Besides being the best ‘bang for your buck’, beans also make a great vehicle for absorbing flavour and have a smooth, creamy texture.
How to Make White Bean Hummus
The best part is that this yummy dip only takes about ten minutes to make! To get the creamiest texture, I highly recommend that you use a food processor.
Begin by heating the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the fresh rosemary and peeled garlic cloves. Stir a minute, until just fragrant. Keep a close eye on the garlic and rosemary. It only needs to get a little fragrant and will burn quickly in the hot oil.
Add the drained beans, half of the cranberries, garlic, oil, fried rosemary, orange juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, adjusting the consistency by adding more water as needed.
Scoop the hummus into a serving bowl then garnish with chopped pecans and the rest of the cranberries (plus more rosemary for garnish). Serve with pita bread, crostini or crackers.
How to Store White Bean Hummus
This dip is a great ‘make ahead’ appetizer as it will keep in the fridge for up to five days. When making ahead of time, leave the toppings off until you are ready to serve the hummus.
If you make this White Bean Hummus recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making! Thank you so much for reading my blog.
Festive White Bean Hummus
This Festive White Bean Hummus is all dressed up for the holidays. There's a touch of sweetness from dried Cranberries and a whole lot of savoury from Rosemary and garlic in this irresistible appetizer dip.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (plus more for garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic; peeled
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 (14 oz) cans white beans; drained and rinsed well
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup pecans; chopped
- 1/4 cup* water (or more for thinner consistency)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the fresh rosemary and peeled garlic cloves. Stir a minute, until just fragrant.
- Add all of the ingredients (except pecans and half of the cranberries) to the bowl of a food processor and blend until very smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more water as needed.
- Top with chopped pecans and the rest of the cranberries (plus more rosemary for garnish) and serve with crostini or crackers.
Notes
Keep a very close eye on the garlic and rosemary in the hot oil. It just needs to get a little fragrant and will burn quickly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 185Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
I’m a big fan of hummus and love this festive take on the dish. Perfect for the holidays!
You bet Moop. I’ll be making a few batches this holiday season for sure.
This white bean hummus is so flavorful and delicious! It is so perfect and festive!!
Glad you enjoyed it LaKita! Happy holidays.
I made this delicious hummus for our Thanksgiving snacking. Everyone loved the addition of the cranberries and nuts to the hummus. Thanks for sharing!
Great to hear Amy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
What a great idea for using white beans instead of garbanzo beans. The rosemary is a nice touch as well. A festive dip for the holidays.
Oh yeah, the rosemary oil…so good! Thanks for stopping by Silvia.
Hummus is my jam, I eat it all the time. But, I don’t think I have ever had it made with white beans. I feel like I am going to HAVE to make this festive hummus this week, as it looks like something I would love! Have you ever added blue or blackberries in place of cranberry?
No I haven’t but I bet they would be just as delicious as cranberries.
Made this for the Thanksgiving snack table and it was a hit! The cranberries and pecans made this do special
Super! Glad to hear it. Happy Thanksgiving Brianna.
I love making hummus with white beans, they create such an irresistibly creamy hummus! I love that you garnished your white bean hummus with cranberries and walnuts. Great textures, lovely sweet touch, and beautifully festive look!
Yes, you are so right!! They have such an amazing smooth texture. Thank you for stopping by Marie.
Wow! This is so delicious, and I love how easy to make this. I love it!
A little too easy….hahaha!
This recipe is so easy to make and is a delicious appetizer for entertaining! I love it!
So glad you loved it Gywnn!
It’s always fun to change up hummus once in a while! Love that you subbed chick peas with white beans. I dipped my carrots in it and devoured it.
That would be delish! I also like it with peppers and snap peas.
I love how easy this white bean hummus is to make.. It will be the perfect addition to the holiday table this year!
I’ve already made a few bowls full!
i love hummus and this white bean version is no exception!
Thanks Nancy. Happy holidays!
This was the perfect holiday appetizer! It was gone before we knew it!
Great to hear Kayla. It doesn’t last long here either!