Hosting parties is a privilege, not a right. If you’ve ever hosted a decent-sized group of people at your house, whether for a dinner party or game night, you know it’s no easy feat. Making sure the place is tidy, entertaining your guests, making sure they don’t burn the place down, cleaning up afterward… it can all be a lot of work!

Especially if you’re serving food, chances are you want to offer your friends something that’s both delicious and at least *minimally* healthy.  But unless you’re going all-out gourmet, you don’t want to spend another 20-30 minutes preparing your appetizers. Probably the most common solution is to throw out some chips or crackers and something to dip them in.

Thankfully, when it comes to dips for chips and crackers, hummus is the perfect solution. This super-popular Mediterranean dip has transformed the appetizer plate through its amazingly easy preparation, variety of delicious flavors, and healthy nutrient profile. Premium hummus makes for happy guests—and happy guests make for a happy host!

Thankfully, we’re not just going to leave you with that.  If you’re looking to host a gathering soon, we have a few suggestions that will help. The question is, what kind of party are you throwing?

The Sophisticate: Dips and Spreads for Crackers

When you’re hosting a fancy get-together, you want to impress your guests with interesting taste combinations.  In order to emphasize the flavors of your hummus, fruit, or cheese, avoid using crackers that have too many herbal or seed infusions. Plain sea salt crackers work best. And what to pair with them? Try these appetizer spreads for crackers:

Black Garlic – The mellow flavor of caramelized, slow-roasted garlic has won over the world’s top chefs… and it doesn’t overpower the taste buds.  Mixes well with cheeses.

Thai Coconut Curry – An exotic blend of curry, lime, and coconut, this hummus adds a tangy/sweet twist to your appetizer plate.

Jalapeño Cilantro – Perfect for adding a little kick to your cracker plate. Jalapeño heat and cilantro freshness taste great with veggies or crackers.

Kale Pesto – This novel combination always wows guests with its novel approach and smooth pesto flavor.

Game Night Goodies: Yummy Dips for Chips

When your buddies are crowding around the appetizer table, you definitely don’t want to make them stand around while Frank is building a smoked salmon and sweet pickle croquette.  No, you just want a quick chip and veggie dip with a more intense flavor, so your friends can load up a plate and sit down quickly. Select your favorite brand of tortilla chip, a veggie tray, and a few of these awesome flavors:

Buffalo Bleu – Wait, this is a hummus?? Watch your guests’ faces light up as they try this take on the tangy, creamy chicken-wing classic.

Spicy Avocado – Two staples in the game-night lineup, avocado and jalapeño, combine for a dip with some kick!

Jalapeño Red – Bring some more heat with this colorful and tangy dip. Careful, though; it goes fast!

Guacamole – Probably the most well-recognized healthy dip for chips ever. But don’t just serve a plain guac for the guys… try Green Chile, Spicy Green Chile, or Spicy Mango flavors for a more creative flair.

If you’re looking for dips and spreads for crackers and chips, we’re there for you. HOPE Hummus is committed to creating the healthiest, most delicious hummus on the planet—which we fulfill by using quality USDA Certified Organic ingredients like organic extra virgin olive oil, and by High Pressure Processing all our products so we don’t have to add any unnatural preservatives or additives.

Hosting can be hard.  But finding dips for crackers and vegetables doesn’t have to be. Try a container of HOPE and make your next party a hit.

As always, cheers and happy eating!