Elote-Inspired Sweet Corn Hummus
Welcome to the best hummus, ever.
Just in time for the weekend.
Hummus has always been a love of mine, but over the past few months I’ve developed a rather deep obsession with elote, otherwise known as Mexican street corn. It all started during my 30th bday celebrations in Tulum where I ate THE BEST elote I’ve ever had. The corn was perfectly charred, the chili powder extra spicy, the cotija super creamy, and the lime mayo particularly tangy — In a word, it was magic. So since returning home I’ve been desperately trying to recreate that elote experience, but no matter where I ordered it or how I made it myself, that Tulum “oomph” just wasn’t there.
Until, of course, I turned it into hummus.
If you can imagine what a bite of elote would taste like when blended into a smooth, creamy dip, then congratulations! That’s exactly what this tastes like.
It all starts with sautéing some freshly cut corn kernels + minced shallot in butter until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. While that cooks you prepare a lime aioli, which is a simple mix of mayo, garlic, EVOO, and lime juice. Now I know there may be some initial trepidation to putting mayo in hummus — I honestly hesitated on the idea myself — but if you’ve ever added greek yogurt to a hummus recipe then you know that a liiittle extra creaminess goes a hell of a long way, so get on board the aioli train. It’s creamy, citrusy, garlicky notes really allow that classic elote flavor to shine through, so it’s 100% necessary.
Once the corn + shallots are cooked and the aioli is prepped the recipe is basically over, so happy eating to you. I’ve written about this in another post, but when it comes to homemade hummus I almost exclusively work with white beans — To me white beans render a creamier consistency and are more mellow in flavor vs. chickpeas, so they’re better for letting complex tastes shine through, like the elote ones here. When you’re ready, simply puree all ingredients in your food processor for a good 5 minutes, watching it turn from a lumpy mess into velvety smooth canary gold.
And then?
Hummus to the face.
For that authentic elote flair I topped this with a chili-lime seasoning (just chili powder is fine too!), extra corn, chopped cilantro, and tons of crumbled cotija. This tastes great when paired with veggies — carrots, peppers, you get it — but it’s at its absolute BEST when dunked by pita bread, so that’s my top recommendation. And you can comfortably eat this straight out of the food processor, cold outta the fridge, or warmed to room temperature!
Just like summer, it never lets you down. xo
Elote-Inspired Sweet Corn Hummus
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tbsps Salted Butter
- 3 ears of Corn, cut from the cob
- 1 Shallot, minced
- pinch of Salt
- 1/4 cup Low Fat Mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsps Minced or Crushed Garlic
- 2 tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Lime, juiced
- 1 cup White Beans (about 3/4 of a 15 oz can)
- a few handfuls of Cilantro, chopped
- Cotija Cheese
- Chili Lime Seasoning
- Pita wedges and/or crackers for serving
Directions:
- In large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add in the corn, shallots, and a pinch of salt, sautéing for ~10 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally as needed.
- Meanwhile, in small mixing bowl combine the mayo, garlic, EVOO, and lime juice, whisking well until smooth.
- Once the corn is tender, allow to cool for a few minutes. When ready, combine the corn, mayo mixture, and white beans in food processor, then blend until completely smooth (this took me about 5 minutes). Add additional salt if needed, then transfer hummus to serving dish. Top with cilantro, cotija cheese, chili lime seasoning, and additional corn, then immediately serve! This lasts in the fridge for about 5 days.
you know you want this.
Really loving the corn and chickpea mixture to make this into a unique flavored hummus!! I bet it tastes amazing!
thanks Julie! xo
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