Recreate Target's Brownie Batter Hummus With Just A Few Pantry Staples

Tasted Target's brownie batter hummus and loved its chocolatey flavor and texture? You'll be pleased to know that you can recreate it at home with a handful of pantry staples (just don't tell the hummus purists who reckon this Middle Eastern dip should stay in its savory lane).

The key ingredients in Target's recipe are cooked chickpeas, cocoa powder, cocoa chips, dates, agave nectar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt. And while you might not have all of them on hand, you likely have the majority in the cupboard (or have something that can act as a useful substitute).

To make your own version of this chocolatey dip, it's as easy as blending all the ingredients in a food processor (saving the chocolate chips to scatter over the top). However, keeping a couple of culinary tips in mind will truly make your hummus sing. For example, soaking your dates in hot water first will plump them up and soften them, resulting in a hummus with a smoother texture. Plus the heat and moisture in their flesh will encourage any clumps of brown sugar to dissolve more readily. You should also rinse your chickpeas to remove any salty residues from the water they've been packed in and use a premium cocoa powder with an intense personality to maximize the chocolatey notes in your dip.

While chickpeas and cocoa powder are a must, you can be more flexible with your choice of sweetener. The natural sugars in the dates will lend your hummus a caramel quality (and give it a rich texture, like fudgy brownies) but if you don't have any, try using almond butter instead. Then you can sweeten things up with maple syrup, honey, or molasses. Just bear in mind that darker syrups tend to have a richer quality and aroma that could overpower the chocolatey notes in your hummus. Alternatively, omit the extra sweeteners and allow the flavor of the dates to shine — if the final result is too thick, add a dash of milk. In fact, Target's recipe contains whole milk powder, which lends the hummus a creamy texture. Seeing as this ingredient isn't as common as the other featured pantry staples, consider using a small measure of regular milk to acquire that same dippable consistency.

Amplify the creaminess of your hummus by adding an ice cube as it blends. The air bubbles inside the ice will mix into the chickpeas as they're processed, resulting in a final product that's soft and fluffy. It may take a minute or two for your brownie batter hummus to whip up to the correct consistency after you've added the ice so take your time with it. After the ice cubes crunch down, the heat from the movement of the blades will encourage it to melt and blend seamlessly into your homemade mixture.