Sweet Potato Hummus

This sweet potato hummus recipe is made with sauteed sweet potatoes infused with spices. Made with only 7 ingredients, you can serve it just like hummus with crackers, pita bread, air fryer tortilla chips, or use it as a topping with your favorite vegan Mexican dishes.

Two bowls hold sweet potato hummus surrounded by tortilla chips.

I’m a hummus lover. It’s one reason I make my Green Hummus recipe so much. So, when I started making this dip, I decided it’s really a sweet potato hummus without chickpeas. The flavors are amazing and the sweet potatoes really shine through with color and tastiness.

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Sautéing sweet potatoes tenderizes them and adds caramelized flavor
  • Cooking the garlic with the sweet potatoes helps mellow the garlic flavor
  • Smoked paprika is the star of the show, adding smoky flavor to every bite
Ingredients are sitting on a white table. The labels next to them read, olive oil, spices, garlic, sweet potato, tahini, and lime juice.

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Olive oil — We’ll be using a bit of olive oil. You can substitute any neutral oil, such as refined coconut oil or avocado oil.
  • Sweet potato — You’ll need one medium sweet potato, roughly 5 inches long by 2 inches wide.
  • Garlic — You’ll need 3 cloves of garlic.
  • Tahini — This sesame paste is traditional in hummus for adding creaminess. You can find it in the international aisle of most grocery stores, health food stores, or online. To make sweet potato hummus without tahini, substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or even peanut butter.
  • Chili powder — Most people prefer the mellow flavors of chili powder. If you want a little more kick, you can substitute cayenne pepper powder.
  • Smoked paprika — You can find smoked paprika with the spices in most grocery stores or online.
  • Lemon juice — You can use fresh-squeezed lemon juice or bottled.

How to Make Sweet Potato Hummus

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons olive in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes.
  3. Add the cubes to the skillet and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender.
    Sweet potato cubes are being sautéed in a skillet.
  4. Remove from heat, stir in the garlic, and let it sit for several minutes until the garlic is tender.
  5. Add the remaining ingredients and the reserved olive oil to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
  6. Pulse in the sweet potato and garlic until smooth.
    Ingredients are in a food processor, such as sweet potatoes, garlic, and other ground up ingredients.
  7. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until you achieve a nice consistency.
  8. Garnish with drizzles of olive oil and smoked paprika.

You can microwave the sweet potatoes to get them tender, but sautéing them in a pan adds flavor.

Looking down on a bowl of sweet potato dip surrounded by tortilla chips.

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. This dip can be frozen in appropriate freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this sweet potato dip with any of the following:

A close-up shot of sweet potato hummus in a bowl. It's topped with chopped cilantro, olive oil, and paprika. There's another bowl and tortilla chips in the background.

Frequently-Asked Questions

What flavors go well with sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are so versatile, meaning many flavors go well with them. For example, you can use chili powder, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, and garlic with sweet potatoes. In addition, you can pair sweet potatoes with onions, limes, walnuts, thyme, and even pineapple.

Can you eat the skin on sweet potatoes?

Yes, you can eat the skin on sweet potatoes; however, they can be a little chewy. If you’re making sweet potato fries, oftentimes the skin doesn’t get as crispy. However, sweet potato skins are a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

More Dips and Appetizers

This sweet potato hummus is amazing! If it’s whetted your whistle for even more vegan dips and appetizers, be sure to try these:

A hand holds a tortilla chip with dip on it. It hovers over a bowl with more of the dip and there's another bowl in the background.
A close-up shot of sweet potato hummus in a bowl. It's topped with chopped cilantro, olive oil, and paprika. There's another bowl and tortilla chips in the background.

Sweet Potato Hummus

Prepare this sweet potato dip for your next party and enjoy the oohs and ahhs of guests as they dip into this smoky vegan, gluten-free snack!
5 from 3 votes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 118kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika shredded
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Heat 2 teaspoons olive in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes. Add the cubes to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic. Let this sit for several minutes until the garlic is tender.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and the reserved olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add the sweet potato and garlic mixture and pulse until smooth. Add water, one tablespoon at a time until you achieve a nice consistency.
  • Garnish with drizzles of olive oil and smoked paprika. Serve with toptortilla chips, corn chips, or chopped veggies.

Recommended Equipment

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Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 8259IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

17 Responses to Sweet Potato Hummus

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLindsey Reply

    Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made this for dinner tonight… with a few substitutions based on what I had in my pantry… it tastes a million times better than the typical 7 layer dip.. and healthy its to boot! This is definitely my new go-to appy for parties!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I LOVE substitutions based on a pantry. That’s when things get really creative. So glad you liked this recipe as a foundation!

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