Easy Homemade Hummus Balls for Baby
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If you want something easy, healthy, homemade and yummy to feed your baby then hummus balls are probably something that you want to try out! My little one year old has absolutely just fallen in love with hummus ever since the first time that I gave it to her. It gets a little expensive to spend $4 on a little bowl of hummus that the two of us can eat in one sitting though, so I decided it was worth a try to make some homemade hummus.
I just made this homemade hummus in my Ninja--it was quick to make and it turned out smooth and yummy. After blending it up though, I realized that I had forgot to put the lemon juice in it! The taste was still spot on so I decided not to mess with it, and I found one unexpected perk--when I refrigerated the hummus it became firm enough that I could roll it into little balls for the baby! This was literally a lifesaver because up until this point I had been spoon feeding it to her--now I can just put 5 or 6 hummus balls on her tray and she can feed them to herself!
homemade hummus, easy hummus, hummus fobabies, healthy
If you want something easy, healthy, homemade and yummy to feed your baby then hummus balls are probably something that you want to try out! My little one year old has absolutely just fallen in love with hummus ever since the first time that I gave it to her. It gets a little expensive to spend $4 on a little bowl of hummus that the two of us can eat in one sitting though, so I decided it was worth a try to make some homemade hummus.
I just made this homemade hummus in my Ninja--it was quick to make and it turned out smooth and yummy. After blending it up though, I realized that I had forgot to put the lemon juice in it! The taste was still spot on so I decided not to mess with it, and I found one unexpected perk--when I refrigerated the hummus it became firm enough that I could roll it into little balls for the baby! This was literally a lifesaver because up until this point I had been spoon feeding it to her--now I can just put 5 or 6 hummus balls on her tray and she can feed them to herself!
Easy Homemade Hummus Balls for Baby
1 15 ounce can chick peas (garbanzo beans)--drained, rinsed, and peeled (just pinch the beans between your fingers and they'll pop out of their skins--this is what makes hummus creamy and is essential if you're just using a normal blender)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped red pepper, diced (I used small sweet peppers)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons water
The original recipe also called for the juice of half a lemon and 2 tablespoons of Tahini (sesame seed paste that you can buy or make yourself by lightly roasting sesame seeds and then blending them with olive oil). I made my own Tahini but then realized that my sesame seeds were rancid so I ended up not using it--I completely forgot to add the lemon juice. It tasted just great without these two ingredients (and ended up stiff enough to roll into balls once refrigerated--if you want creamier hummus and don't plan to roll it into balls for a wee one, add the lemon juice for sure).
I sauteed my red peppers with the garlic for a few minutes in a splash of olive oil, then I added all of the ingredients into my Ninja and pureed until smooth. After refrigerating, I pinched off pieces and rolled into balls--so easy, relatively not messy (unless she decides to smoosh a ball between her fingers, which sometimes she does :-P), and so much healthier then just giving her crackers! I'll give her some hummus balls with cut up fruit or vegetables and she goes crazy! She lights up as soon as she sees me pull the hummus bag out of the fridge :-)
"Hummus for me?"
"Maybe I'll just have oneeee more..."
"Who am I kidding? I'll eat as much as I want!"
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