Buffalo hummus with vegan blue cheese

And of course, everyone loves hummus.

Those two popular tastes come together in this delicious dip.

It’s made with a few hummus essentials. Chickpeas, tahini, and garlic. Then it gets the bonus of hot sauce and cayenne for a kick of heat.

(I leave out the lemon juice that’s in traditional hummus. Because the vinegar in the hot sauce has enough acid without adding more.)

Finish it with a drizzle of vegan blue cheese dressing for a lovely finish that tempers the spice.

It doesn’t take much longer to make than your standard homemade hummus. But it has some real party appeal that will go over well at your next gathering.

In this post:

Here are the ingredients you will need for buffalo hummus recipe.

Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, you can use canned chickpeas that have been drained. (Save the liquid from the can. You’ll need it for the recipe.)

Or use homemade chickpeas, cooked from scratch. (Again, you’ll want to use some of the cooking liquid for the recipe.)

Tahini: Look for this sesame seed paste by the nut & seed butters, or with Mediterranean ingredients. My favorite brands are Soom and Seed + Mill.

Hot sauce: For the most buffalo-like flavor, I recommend Frank’s RedHot Sauce. It’s available at most mainstream grocery stores, Target, and Walmart.

Garlic: Freshly minced is best. But if you’d prefer, you can replace it with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.

Cayenne pepper: The hot sauce gets pretty mild once it’s mixed with the other ingredients. A little cayenne brings the heat back up. This ingredient is optional, but recommended.

Vegan blue cheese dressing: A topping of homemade vegan blue cheese dressing really sells the buffalo experience.

Cilantro or chives: This optional garnish adds a colorful pop of green.

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Put the following in a food processor:

• Chickpeas
• Tahini
• Hot sauce
• Minced garlic
• Cayenne pepper

Blend until smooth.

In a separate bowl, make the vegan blue cheese dressing recipe.

Transfer hummus to a bowl.

Top it with:

• Splashes of hot sauce
• A few whole chickpeas
• A couple spoonfuls of vegan blue cheese dressing
• A smattering of chopped cilantro, parsley, or chives for optional garnish

Put the remaining dressing to the side in its own separate bowl.

That way people can add their own to their serving, even after the first layer disappears off the buffalo hummus.

Serve buffalo hummus with any of these dippers.

• Toasted pita chips - store-bought or homemade pita chips
• Toasted crostini or warm bread
• Potato chips (My personal favorite!)
• Pretzels
• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks
• Bell pepper wedges
• Add it to a veggie platter

Make this dish your own by varying the ingredients or serving method.

• Sensitive to heat? Leave out the cayenne pepper.
• Vary the type of hot sauce. (If yours is super hot, you may want to leave out the cayenne.)
• If you’re into truffle hot sauce, replace Frank’s with Truff. (Omit the cayenne & dressing.)
• Instead of making your own dressing, use store-bought.
• Instead of blue cheese dressing, top with vegan ranch dressing.
• Assemble the hummus ahead of time on toasted crostini, crackers, or pita chips. Finish each one with a dollop of vegan blue cheese dressing.

Store vegan buffalo hummus in the refrigerator in a covered container. It will last 3 or 4 days.

If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, I recommend leaving the hummus & dressing portions separate until you're ready to serve them for the best appearance.

Leftovers are great on tortilla pinwheels!

📖 Recipe

Buffalo hummus with vegan blue cheese

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 5 votes

Of course, hummus is welcome at any gathering. It's easy to make ahead of time, and always delicious.

But this buffalo hummus takes things a step further. It's got those spicy buffalo flavors + a cooling dollop of vegan blue cheese on top. Sure to be a crowdpleaser!

Serve with pita bread, potato chips, celery sticks, and/or carrot sticks for dipping.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 people

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: dip, easy, spicy

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas drained** (3 cups)
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons tahini
• ▢ ¼ cup Frank's red hot sauce Plus extra for garnish
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional but recommended
• ▢ 1 recipe vegan blue cheese dressing
• ▢ Small handful of cilantro or chives, chopped (Optional garnish)

Instructions

• ▢
  Start by setting about 5 whole chickpeas aside for garnish.
• ▢
  Put the remaining drained chickpeas in the food processor along with tahini, Frank's red hot sauce, garlic, and cayenne pepper (if using).

  The hummus is surprisingly mild without the addition of the cayenne pepper. If you prefer a milder appetizer, leave out the cayenne. However, it really amplifies the buffalo flavor, so I do recommend using it.

  Blend until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
• ▢
  Some chickpeas are drier than others. So if the hummus seems too dry, you may need to add a little liquid.

  Add one or two tablespoons of aquafaba (chickpea liquid), water, or extra virgin olive oil, if needed. Combine until smooth.
• ▢
  Make a batch of vegan blue cheese dressing.
• ▢
  Move the buffalo hummus to a bowl. Top with a few additional dashes of Frank's red hot sauce, a few spoonfuls of vegan blue cheese dressing, the leftover whole chickpeas, and a smattering of cilantro or chives for garnish (if using).

Notes

**When draining the chickpeas, save the chickpea liquid (also known as aquafaba). Some chickpeas are drier than others. Usually, no additional liquid is needed for buffalo hummus. However, if your chickpeas are on the dry side, you may need some. Add one or two Tablespoons of aquafaba, water, or extra virgin olive oil if your hummus isn’t getting smooth in the food processor.

Storage instructions

Save leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will last 3 or 4 days. If possible, store the hummus separately from the vegan blue cheese dressing.

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Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Content updated April 4, 2025. Originally posted May 14, 2019.