Hummus “Brains” Appetizer

A ghastly fast snack to prepare for a halloween crowd

This post is more of a technique than a recipe to make a show-stopping  (or heart-stopping) appetizer to serve at Halloween. Great for a zombie party or mad science party, these brain-shaped, hummus-topped pita crisps require minimal prep time to get snacks out to ravenous ghouls. I developed these for our 2024 Haunted High Tea to serve as an hors d’oeuvres while finishing final prep in the kitchen. 

Ingredients:

• Hummus*

• Pita

• Paprika

• Olive oil

Equipment:

• Food safe silicone molds

• Baking sheet

• Spoon

Place silicone molds on a baking sheet for easier transfer to the freezer. Here, I used a small brain-shaped mold to make individual bites, but a large mold could also be used to create a dippable centerpiece.

*Homemade or store bought hummus can be used for this recipe. If using homemade, it should be well emulsified to minimize the potential for separation during the process. Here, I used a classic hummus and a cilantro flavored hummus to produce two different colors.

Use a spoon to press the hummus into the molds. Drop the molds on the tray a few times to help the hummus settle into crevices. Scrape off any excess hummus from the molds once filled.

Transfer the molds to the freezer to set. The single-bite sized molds are ready in as quickly as 30 minutes. Larger molds will take longer.

While the hummus is freezing into your desired shape, cut pita into triangles. Bake on 350F until just crisp (approximately 10 minutes) flipping halfway through baking.

Unmold the frozen hummus and transfer onto pita triangles. Drizzle with olive oil and/or sprinkle with paprika to garnish.

Allow hummus to defrost at room temperature before serving. Hummus may lose some definition but will retain mold shape.