The Untold Truth Of Delighted By Hummus
When Delighted by Hummus released its first dessert hummus in 2015, it stirred up lots of hype, according to Insider.
Its founder, Makenzie Marzluff, originally invented a sweet, dessert hummus as a healthy party snack in 2014. She simply threw some chickpeas and other sweet ingredients into a blender to create a deliciously smooth "dip," which had evolved into multiple different flavors, according to Insignia. The varieties include oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, and brownie batter. But no matter what flavor you get, you can enjoy it smeared on some graham crackers, on top of an apple, or the way Marzluff intended, alone on a spoon.
Years later, many other brands have come out with their own varieties of dessert hummus, including Trader Joe's, Sabra, and Boar's Head.
But without Marzluff's innovation, who knows if we would have this many options for this healthy snack today? Here are some fun facts to pay homage to the first dessert hummus company out there, which started the craze for this now popular, sweet treat.
Delighted By operates on a full e-commerce model
Delighted By recently shifted to a full e-commerce model, which means it is no longer sold in stores. According to a statement released on the company's website, Marzluff stated that it made this change to create a "heart-center community and meaningful connection every step of the way."
Delighted By has always been based on the premise of creating a vast network of people, so this change made sense for the former food startup. Marzluff stressed that the company's increased investment in a high-quality food facility and talented artist placed Delighted By closer to what her vision was for the brand several years ago.
Previously, you could find Delighted By products at your local Walmart, Target, or Publix, according to Insignia. We're not complaining though — because now you don't have to leave your couch to have delicious dessert hummus delivered straight to your doorstep.
All of the hummus is vegan
If you have any allergies, chances are, you can still enjoy Delighted by Hummus, which is vegan and gluten-free. However, its website does note that some of its products are made in the same facilities as tree nuts, and the snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip flavor contain almonds. Nonetheless, Marzluff's mission for the brand was to always use organic and naturally-sourced ingredients, a promise listed in its mission statement.
In addition, Delighted By's hummus has all the health benefits of its prime ingredient — chickpeas. Dessert hummus only contains roughly 60 calories per serving and is packed with omega-3 fats, calcium, and B vitamins, per Mashed. This warrants the hummus' title given to it by Insider as a "guilt-free brownie batter."
But also maybe try not eating one tub in one sitting? You're going to have days just to savor this smooth, sweet treat before having to place another order on the same day you bought a new tub.
It was featured on Shark Tank
A big moment for Delighted By was when its products were featured on the hit show "Shark Tank." In 2017, Marzluff pitched her startup to our favorite panel of sharks, asking for an offer of 600,000 for 12% equity. During her presentation, she allowed the judges to try different samples of her dessert hummus, ranging from the brownie batter hummus on a pretzel to the vanilla bean hummus on a graham cracker (via Gazette Review).
Marzluff did receive an offer, which was $600,000 for 25% equity, according to Shark Tank Tales. All the sharks were impressed by her sweet concoction, but it was ultimately Mark Cuban who decided to invest in Marzluff's business, according to the article by the Gazette Review. The post goes on to state that Cuban was skeptical about certain aspects with marketing the product, but believed that Marzluff had a great idea at the time. Now, years later, we can all be happy that Cuban ended up taking a chance on Delighted By.
The company also offers other items
Marzluff stated that with Delighted By's rebrand, there would be an increased focus on developing other products as well. With the website for the company having the url delightedbydesserts.com, we can't say we aren't completely surprised about the brand's desire to grow beyond just selling dessert hummus.
One newly released item includes dairy-free, gluten-free brownies that are infused with "creativity and rainbow codes," according to Delighted By's website. Like with the dessert hummus, they are made with 100% organic, plant-based ingredients. In addition, according to the company's website, the recipe for these brownies came from a secret family recipe from a cafe in Australia.
Likewise, in Marzluff's statement about the company's rebranding, she hints at other products that Delighted By hopes to develop in the future. We can't be more excited about the goodies to be announced (and to buy them in bulk).
Not everyone is a fan of dessert hummus
Though many cannot deny its delicious taste, a lot of people were taken aback that this normally savory, culturally-significant food could be enjoyed as a dessert and even be labeled as "hummus" to begin with.
Many people of Middle Eastern descent, where hummus originated, aren't too pleased with the concept, according to a Denver Post article. In one editorial article in Tablet Magazine, the writer states that the idea of dessert hummus is in "bad taste," despite it being "delicious," but alas, "no hummus." The issue the writer had with labeling this dessert a "hummus" was people in the food industry using it as a trendy word to market the product. Despite also being made with chickpeas, this new dish simply does not bear any of the same cultural significance as hummus bi tahina. According to an article by The Guardian, calling and using hummus as a dip isn't traditionally correct either, so where would dessert hummus fall on this spectrum?
Though the dessert has many people standing behind it, it is still up for debate if dessert hummus should be labeled as "hummus" after all, or just a tasty, chickpea alternative for cookie dough.