Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Beet Muffins

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Cutting board filled with a batch of Vegan Double Chocolate Beet Muffins

When I was in high school my mom used to packed my lunch for me every day before I left for school. I know, I was totally spoiled. More on this fact here and here. But despite having a wholesome, homemade meal as mid-day fuel I always craved just a little something more. You know, something sweet. Something chocolate. Something like, an Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chocolate muffin.

Don’t mind if I do, eat-it-cold-with-my-bare-hands while my friends watch in horror. #truestory

Fresh beets for making our Chocolate Beet Muffins recipe

But here’s the deal. I don’t even want to know what was in those things. And I’m pretty sure each one had at least 400 calories and loads of fat and sugar. Knowing that now, I avoid them at all costs. But that doesn’t mean I don’t crave a moist, chocolate chocolate chip muffin once in a while.

My solution? Make them healthier.

Making beet puree in a food processor
Wooden spoons and a bowl filled with homemade beet puree

This recipe starts with one seriously healthy ingredient: Beet purée! An entire cup of beet purée — equals out to about two whole beets — goes into a dozen, naturally-sweetened, whole grain muffins that also happen to be vegan. I didn’t even know such deliciousness was possible without butter, sugar and milk.

Batter and completed product of our Roasted Beet Double Chocolate Muffins
Sprinkling chocolate chips onto muffin tins filled with Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Despite their intense appearance, these muffins are actually super simple once you get your beets puréed, requiring just one bowl and 30 minutes to prepare. And the ingredients are simple and wholesome:

flaxseed
beets
agave nectar
brown sugar
salt & baking soda
coconut oil
almond milk
cocoa powder
whole-wheat pastry flour
& dairy-free chocolate chips

If you have those things on hand, you’re in business. I mean, you’re in SERIOUS business. Look at these beauties!

Plate of Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
Healthy dessert of Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins made with beets

I was so pleased with how they turned out. They’re:

Moist
Fudgy
Super chocolaty
Filling
& Altogether satisfying

Way better than the muffin of my yesteryear, but with all of the satisfying, chocolaty taste I remember and love.

Batch of Healthy Chocolate Muffins resting on parchment paper

Another perk? Each muffin boasts just 170 calories! I’m not big on counting calories myself — I believe more in intuitive eating. But I couldn’t help but brag about how nutritionally dense yet calorically modest they are! That means you can eat at least 2-3 at any given moment, right? OK good, that’s what I thought.

Batch of our Double Chocolate Muffins recipe on a towel

Enjoy these muffins with breakfast, as a snack, or a late-night dessert. I personally chose to share mine with friends — a.k.a. in a safe environment where I wouldn’t inhale half the batch before I realized what just happened. Bake them, share them or keep them for yourself. Whatever you do, just make them! You’ll fall in hardcore vegan love with these little guys. Enjoy!

Showing to fudgy inside of our Double Chocolate Beet Vegan Muffins

Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Beet Muffins

Fudgy, vegan double chocolate muffins with a secret healthy ingredient: puréed beets! Healthy, easy to make, and satisfies a serious chocolate craving.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Tray of Fudgy Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
4.89 from 135 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 12 (muffins)
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
  • 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
  • 1 cup beet purée (or sub butternut squash, applesauce, or another hearty fruit purée)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose)
  • 1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

Instructions

  • See this recipe for instructions on roasting a beet. Otherwise, you could sub another fruit purée, such as butternut squash or applesauce.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line 12 muffins with paper liners, or lightly grease (as original recipe is written // adjust number of muffins if altering batch size).
  • Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Add beet purée, melted oil, maple syrup or agave, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk for 45 seconds.
  • Stir in the almond milk and whisk once more.
  • Add cocoa powder and flours and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be quite thick and NOT pourable – rather, scoopable.
  • Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11-12 as original recipe is written) and sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips (optional but recommended).
  • Bake for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, remove from tins and let cool on a cooling rack. Will keep covered for several days. Freezer for longer-term storage.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 muffin Calories: 171 Carbohydrates: 27 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 233 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 12 g

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  1. Alison says

    These are unbelievably delicious! It’s a treat I can give my kids and feel pretty good about.
    I used whole wheat all purpose flour and went a little light the sugar since they’re for my toddlers. It made 12 medium muffins.
    They turned out great and I ate 4 right away.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Alison! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo

  2. Jen says

    These muffins were delicious!! My 5-year-old, my partner, and I could not believe these chocolate muffins were made with beets. I modified the recipe to be gluten free by using a whole grain flour blend of 97g teff flour, 60g sweet rice flour, and 46g oat flour (borrowed from the Bojon Gourmet’s recipe for GF red velvet cake made with beets—which I also highly recommend). I didn’t bother with xanthan gum, and otherwise, I prepared the recipe as written. I did increase the bake time of my muffins to 24-25 minutes because sometimes GF baked goods need a bit longer in the oven. Fantastic texture and taste!

  3. Trisha says

    I’m trying not to eat added sugar so instead of sugar/maple syrup I used a ripe banana, and subbed oat milk for almond milk. I had to add a bit more milk at the end since it was too thick, and had to add more baking time, but they came out great and were delicious.

  4. Missy Kelly says

    MY GOD! These should be on everyone’s go to muffin recipe. You’d never guess these have beets in them, I used cacao powder instead of cocoa & they were AMAZZZZINGGG! These will be a weekly staple in my house

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Missy! Thanks so much for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  5. Eva says

    This turned out so delicious!
    I used: two eggs instead of flax eggs, home made cashew milk, 1 cup 1 to 1 GF flour and 1/2 cup almond flour. This is Oh my goodness Good! I have a friend coming by this afternoon, I can hardly wait for her to try it!

    Thank you for this recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad they turned out well, Eva! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  6. Fi says

    Just made these with raspberries
    I forgot the egg!!! But they were still awesome.
    I used spelt flour and butter as substitutes 😊

  7. Karen says

    Had to make the following substitutions based on ingredients available: used gluten free flour (Vitacost brand) with 1/4 t xanthum gum, used coconut sugar, used macadamia milk, used bitter sweet choc chips and the verdict: delicious. All other ingredients were per instructions. The muffins look weird (compared to yours) but taste great! Went on to make the beet hummus which is also delicious. Glad I took a chance on “other” ingredients.

  8. Kristy says

    Fabulous outcome every time. I love making these muffins for my family. They are loved by multiple generations. I mainly use applesauce or pumpkin purée or butternut purée because I rarely have beets on hand. I have used unsweetened soy, almond and oat milk with no trouble. I use white whole wheat flour because I never have pastry flour. They are moist and delicious! Try them.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your family enjoy them, Kristy! Thank you so much for the lovely review!

  9. Adriana Rodriguez says

    I liked it. Specially bc I love beets.
    The only thing I didn’t like it is too much “talking”. Next time go straight to the recipe please.

    • Rachel says

      Most blogs share a story behind the recipe before sharing the actual recipe. I know where you’re coming from, as it can be difficult on certain devices to have to scroll through a lot of text. Thankfully this blogger actually has a button right at the top of the page that says “jump to recipe.” So you don’t actually have to scroll next time. 🙂

  10. Shannon says

    My FAVORITE muffin recipe, period. Beets and chocolate are my two favorite things so obviously I’m obsessed, but I’ve made these for even the pickiest eaters and everyone has loved them!

    I used eggs and butter since I’m not vegan, used coconut sugar, used different kinds of milk and flour, ect. and every single time they come out amazing!

  11. Sherri says

    By far the best chocolate muffins I have ever had. Dana you are amazing. I love this website. Everything I’ve made has turned out amazing. The only downside to this site is it is too easy to use during quarantine times and I may gain some weight.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Simone, this recipe uses roasted beet. See instruction 1 for a link to roasting instructions.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Shivani, perhaps another puree such as butternut squash, applesauce, or another hearty fruit puree

  12. Camille says

    I love this recipe, but only have yellow beets on hand? Do you think this would work (aside from the colour being maybe a bit off) ?
    Thanks :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, maybe! They do have a different flavor though so we aren’t sure. Let us know if you give it a try!

  13. Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

    Thanks so much for sharing, Treena. We are so glad you all enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  14. AB says

    These were pretty good – and I have to say – better the day AFTER baking. The first day I baked them, the texture was a bit gummy ( I used WW pastry flour). The second day, these were fudgy, moist and dense. I rarely recommend waiting to eat a baked treat, but would recommend the second day for these ones!

  15. Treena says

    I had beets that I didn’t know what to do with. And I didn’t want them to go bad so I made these today. OMG! These were incredibly yummy! My husband and 8yo absolutely gobbled them up too. I think they had 4 mini muffins each. LOL. These are now my go-to recipe for healthy chocolatey muffin goodness. Thank you so so SOOOO much!

    P.S. the substitutes I made were (1) using regular/normal semi sweet chocolate chips as we’re okay with dairy; (2) using 2% milk; and (3) halving the amount of brown sugar as we don’t like things too sweet. Still sooooo good! And I also managed to make around 45 mini muffins/cupcakes.

  16. Rita May says

    Holy moly these are delicious! I often get beets in my CSA box, and I find that for me eating them by themselves just roasted up can be a little intense for me. Now that we’re on lock down I figured now would be the perfect time to use them. This recipe was just the ticket!

    The store was out of brown sugar so I used Dark Muscavado sugar, and I used Casava flour, and let me tell you, between two people we ate 8 muffins in less than 24 hours.

    I still have more beets so I will being making these again many many times.

  17. Samantha says

    In light of everything happening with Covid-19 I whipped up a batch of these muffins over the weekend as a special treat for my dad and his co-workers.

  18. Meredith says

    I used chicken eggs and regular milk (I’m not vegan) but otherwise followed the recipe/ingredients as written. These turned out amazing! Would definitely make them again.

  19. Amy Mackie says

    WOW!!!!

    Ok, i was a little sceptical at how nice a “beetroot” muffin could actually taste… but i had three huge Beetroots that i had to use and i have kids that love chocolate so thought why not try mix the two to make them something healthier to snack on…

    These are far far better than i had expected. its a 10/10 for me!

    The only substitutes i made were flax eggs for standard chicken eggs. Everything else was by the recipe. i also made mine into small bite sized muffins using a smaller muffin tray so should get at least 24 muffins!

    Thanks for a great recipe… i will be making these again…

  20. Anna says

    I’ve been making this recipe for about 5-6 years now, and it’s always been a favorite. I’ve made these both following the vegan recipe (flax egg, coconut oil, coconut milk) and using melted butter and cow’s milk. I’ve used precooked beets and roasted them on my own, and both work. It’s a very easily adaptable recipe. I even made it in Germany where I couldn’t find brown sugar anywhere. All the times I’ve made, they’ve turned out splendidly. Unless you tell people what is in them, no one would guess that they’re made with beets! This recipe does not taste 100% like chocolate and there is a hint of its vegetable secret for more discerning palates, but it doesn’t make them any less scrumptious. Fudgy, yet not too heavy, they make a perfect addition to anyone looking to add more nutrients to their baking roster. This recipe also works well as a cake, baking it in two 8-inch round pans.

  21. Ravidass says

    Mmmm, so so beautiful. My first vegan muffin-what a delightful treat. My 9 year old daughter made them-yummy x
    Thankyou x

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes, the flax eggs are being subbed for chicken eggs at a 1:1 ratio. Let us know if you give it a try!

  22. Nithya says

    I substituted the almond milk for regular milk, coconut oil with butter and maple syrup with raw cane sugar since I wanted more of an eggless recipe and my family is fine with dairy. My only hiccup was that I found the mixture a little heavy. I wanted to add some water but did not want to make any changes. At the end, the muffins tasted really good and rose well. But I found it to be a little on the dry side. So I topped it with some chocolate buttercream and it came out very well.
    Maybe I will add some milk/water during the next batch, just to thin it out a bit so that the muffins are super moist. Nonetheless, super happy with the recipe :)

  23. Amy says

    I love the idea of a beet cake for my son’s birthday but hard a hard time finding a recipe for one so I opted to try this one out. I used an 8″ round pan and using the whole recipe made 1 cake. So, to make my cake double tier, I made another batch but with pumpkin puree. With the beet cake I cooked it for 27mins but found it to be slightly overdone. With the pumpkin puree I cooked for 24 mins and it came out perfect! I can’t wait to frost and celebrate my son’s 3rd birthday with it!

  24. Melissa says

    Oh my gosh! Delicious!! Cakey and chocolate-y and just incredible! Thank you for this recipe. I will be making these every chance I get.

  25. Amy says

    These are just what I needed in my life!
    I have a whole list of dietary restrictions, so I replaced the flour with bobs mills gluten free flour 1:1, used chia seed egg replacement instead of flax seeds, used canned coconut milk instead of almond milk, 1 tsp of liquid stevia instead of sugar (but will probably use less next time), added around 4tbsp of collagen powder, and omitted chocolate chips all together (though I think I’ll splurge and add them next time!)
    Thank you again for this great recipe.

  26. Lia says

    This is by far my favourite “quick and easy but oh so YUMMY” recipe! I love the beet puree and the healthy kick it provides. I usually use white flour instead of whole wheat and the muffins turn out just fine.
    One day I wanna make a cake from that batter and spoil it with whatever frosting will come to my mind, and if it turns out well, I’ll name it “the Dana cake” in your honor!
    Thanks for all your great recipes :)

  27. Chelsea says

    Delicious recipe! Our family isn’t vegan so I just used regular eggs and milk, plus just regular whole wheat flour. I make this recipe using the beets and double it because otherwise we eat them up too fast! Delicious and chocolate-y! Have made a few times and need to copy the recipe for the recipe box :)

  28. Jenn says

    Love love love these!! I made some adjustments…I used bob’s red mill 1 to 1 baking flour (gluten free), used a combination of beet and apple sauce, and used a bit extra honey and no brown sugar, and coconut milk. Making some mini muffins now to send for school snacks!

  29. Erin says

    My husband told me, “these will not last long.” They came out great. I made it with the leftover pulp from the beet-carrot-apple-ginger juice, and although the batter tasted a bit gingery, the final product came out Amazing. Yay for vegetables in muffins!

  30. Dominika says

    Just made this recipe for the second time, they are so good! Love the cocoa flovor. Made them without the choco chips and with puree from cooked beets. They freeze really well, too. Really appreciate that you need just one bowl :)

  31. Michelle says

    This is AMAZING! Especially fresh out of the oven! You can’t even tell there are beets in here with all the chocolate. You also would never guess that it’s vegan! I can’t wait to make this again next time I have beets and I’m not sure what to do with it. I had about 3 small-medium size beets and those were exactly 1 cup of puree.

  32. Liad says

    I made these just this past week, and even my non-vegan friends enjoyed them! One actually enjoyed them so much she asked me to come over and make them with her! I didn’t have brown sugar when making them so I substituted that with silan (or date syrup), And i opted to keep it gluten free with coconut flour and they came out just as delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe, will be sure to make again!!

  33. Cberyl says

    Great looking recipe. For my non – vegan kids, would love to try this with real eggs, any suggestions on the need to alter other ingredients? 2 eggs do you think?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried it that way, but think it would work with 2 eggs. It may turn out a little more cakey than fudgy. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes! Hope that helps!

  34. Aimee says

    These are delicious! I had to make a some ingredient switches – honey, coconut sugar, oat milk and spelt flour – as they were the ingredients on hand. Worked out great!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm I’m not sure about using banana in place of maple + brown sugar, but others have had success with agave! That may be something you’ll want to try? Good luck!

  35. Alyssa Bragg says

    Before being gluten free I made these all the time!

    I just tested them out with sifted gluten free flour by bobs red mill and also subbed the brown sugar with coconut sugar. They came out just as I had remembered them! And my two year old just gobbled it up too!

  36. Vicky says

    Ohhh these are so goooood! They are moist, fudgy, not too sweet. Perfect straight out of the oven, and (dare I say?) even better the next day. I found that the slight “beetiness” was almost completely absent in the muffins the following day. I did increase the coconut oil to 1/3 cup, and they weren’t greasy, just super rich and moist. The batter is very, very thick but do not be alarmed! Thrilled with how they turned out, thanks so much for the recipe.

  37. Jacky Surber says

    Definitely a winner! I used coconut oil and agave, they came out perfect. Such a great way to sneak beets into my husbands diet, ;) he’s not a fan of beets but he likes these. I also made the gluten free version which came out amazingly well for gluten free, I was surprised at how well they rose and the texture was great. I prefer this recipe though over the gluten free one.

  38. Annie says

    These muffins were a big hit with me and my toddler – very chocolatey and not much of a beet taste. I took a risk and used precooked beets (Love Beets from Whole Foods), and the entire package ended up being the perfect amount of beets. I added it to the blender along with the other liquids to puree the beets and then dumped everything in a bowl to mix in the rest of the ingredients. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

  39. Vanessa says

    I was determined to bake these tonight (despite the current heatwave here in PDX) and happy I did! My pantry was lacking so I had to sub a few items (I used coconut milk, egg replacer powder and coconut sugar in lieu of brown sugar) and these still turned out awesome! I love beets so I’m all about this combo. Excited to try these true to the recipe next time!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Stay cool, Vanessa! We are so glad you loved these + thanks for sharing your recipe changes!

  40. Katie says

    Delicious! I finally made it with roasted beets, instead of the usual applesauce. DON’T USE BEETS IF YOU DON’T LIKE BEETS! (DUH!)
    Next time, and every time after, I will use butter instead of coconut oil. I forgot how coconut oil hardens when hit with cold ingredients (annoying).
    I had a few unmixed bits of baking soda within the finished product, which was, and is, disgusting. Next time I’ll add 1/2 tsp LESS baking soda, and be sure to mix it better (if that was a reason).
    I like it most with applesauce, yet beets give a delicious dirty beet taste to the chocolate cake, which I like. Plus…I had roasted beets on hand and I really wanted to make this chocolate cake with them.
    I usually make with flax eggs, but this time I used chicken eggs, since I didn’t have flax.
    With an 8×8 pan it’s the same baking time ~ I accidentally baked probably 20 mins total, but I’d bake for 17 mins next time.
    GREAT RECIPE!

  41. Candice says

    i would give this recipe more stars if i could :) used spelt flour…. they were divine!!! also had awesome results with quinoa flour and seed meals mixture. My kids favorite muffins!!! even my fussy 9yr old.

  42. Tom says

    Looks like a great recipe that I will try soon. You may wish to consider a feeding window, however. Your digestive organs have the same circadian rhythms as the rest of you. I have an 8-hour feeding window from 11 AM to 7 PM. No food for 16 hours. I found out today that my favorite muffins have egg whites in them, so I had to find a vegan substitute. Thank you for the recipe!

  43. Ml Chan says

    I love this recipe! I have yet to try it with the beets, but I found this recipe last night and had to make it despite it being 2am! I subbed out the beets for “applesauce” which I made by peeling and chopping up 2 apples into a bowl and microwaving for 3 minutes before smushing them further. These are soo easy to make and by far the best “healthy” chocolate baked good I have tried yet, next time I will definitely make the full 12 and use beets! I highly recommend anyone to try it

  44. Shannon Pollick says

    Hi! These look divine and I’m going my picky eating five year old will enjoy them. I am allergic to tree nuts, what can I sub for the almond milk?

    Cheers!

  45. Dana Swarbrick says

    I used the leftover beet pulp from my beet juice, subbed agave for a full ripe banana, and water for almond milk (ran out). I love them! Topped them off with a couple of pumpkin seeds and added in some cranberries to give them a festive spin!

    Thanks MB!

  46. Fatima says

    I decided to make these last night. I was super skeptical because when I licked the batter off of the spoon, it still had an in incredibly strong beet taste. But, I was happy to find that in the process of baking and cooling back to room temp, the beet taste was almost entirely gone. It was like magic. There was the tiniest of carrot-y aftertastes, but not enough to stop me from making these again. Especially give the nutritional wow factor you get from adding the beet puree. Plus, they were so incredibly moist. This recipe is definitely getting bookmarked and saved for future use.
    My only quibble is that I wish there was a faster way to roast the beets. I might experiment with that step of the process the next time I bake these.

  47. C Olsen says

    Delicious! You can’t taste the beets at all, the muffins are lovely and moist. Served them to a bunch of people and everyone loved them!
    I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand: canola oil instead of coconut oil and water instead of milk.

  48. Vivi says

    Hi Dana!

    I love your recipes and I make them all the time, I have actually made this muffin recipe probably 10 times (it’s my boyfriend’s favorite). I was just wondering if there is a reason for no baking powder in this recipe? I want to make the muffins more fluffy. Would you recommend not adding any? Or if you would, how much should I add?

    Thank you so much!

  49. Diane says

    These were amazing! I am lactose intolerant so I love baking vegan recipes, and these hit the spot. Thank you for this recipe!

  50. Pooja Mehta says

    Simply amazing! Cannot tell they are vegan at all! I used applesauce this time, but I plan to use beets next time. :)

  51. Cassandra says

    My daughter (3.5 years old) and I made these this afternoon! They were a huge hit! Moist, subtly sweet (unlike a lot of chocolate muffin recipes that are hurt-your-mouth sweet) and easy to include the kiddos in the process. Thank you for another great recipe!
    I made them as the recipe called for, except subbed plum puree for the beets. (We have more plums than we know what to do with!) Yum. We also used mini-chips instead of the regular sized chocolate chips.
    Thanks again and keep up the good work!

  52. Valerie says

    So delicious! I used apple sauce instead of beets as recommended. Also i used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached all purpose flour. My 3 and 6 year old girls loved them too. i made 2 dozen amd froze half. :)

  53. Kristy Wilhoite says

    A new family fave! I usually make 2 batches and freeze them with great results. I even made a freezer stash for my Stepdad for Father’s Day…he LOVES them and he hates beets (hee hee hee).

  54. Kemba says

    Hi Dana, Can I sub spelt flour in this recipe? I’m from a little island in the Caribbean and its almost impossible to find whole wheat pastry flour in our supermarkets.

  55. Ashlie says

    I make these muffins often for my students to introduce them both to vegan cuisine and to beets. I’m wondering if you have every baked the batter as a cake. If so, what sized pan you used and how you adjusted temperature and/or baking time.

  56. Bea says

    Hi Diana! OMG how delicious! I tried them cause I had some beets left and they are amazing. I substitute almond with pumpking butter, I did not put sugar but only agave and used oat flour. Perfect taste and consistence❤ thanks for this recipe!

  57. Christina says

    Just made these and the entire family LOVED them, even the PICKY middle kid!! I used regular eggs but will try flax eggs next time (kinda nervous about it but will give it a try). Thanks for another delicious recipe!

  58. Raluca says

    Hello :)
    I adjusted this recipe to someone’s requirements:
    – no sugar (just the amount of honey)
    – water instead of almond milk
    – carob for cocoa
    – no chocolate chips
    – flours: 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 allpurpose, 1/3 oat

    Obviously, it didn’t turn out sweet enough, but the problem is that it sticks to your tongue and palate while eating. Any idea why this might be? Also, why use baking soda and not baking powder in this particular recipe?

    Last but not least, thank you for the beautiful website :)

  59. Emma says

    Hi Dana!! These look amazing, which means I must make them! Question, I have a friend who won’t eat all purpose flour and I don’t have whole wheat pastry flour on hand… Would spelt flour work? Maybe half spelt and half oat flour? Thanks:)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emma! While I haven’t tried it, I think doing the half spelt and half oat would be best rather than just all spelt. If you give it a try, report back on how it goes!

  60. Katie says

    I have made these twice this week! These muffins are fantastic! I made them exactly like the recipe; they are perfect!

  61. Katie says

    These are amazingly delicious and light.
    I used:
    • regular semi-sweet choc. chips
    • whole wheat flour
    • applesauce

    Thanks Dana!

  62. Kris says

    Posted too quickly…these are moist, dense and chocolatey. Will definitely make again. Has anyone frozen these? I would love to have some on reserve.

  63. Kris says

    Just made these little gems for the kiddos! We only had beet powder so I subbed butternut squash puree. I did add 1T of beet powder in case the beet flavor was key. Otherwise, we made no changes. The batch resulted in 11 big muffins that will be gobbled up with very little guilt! Thank you again.

  64. Nadia says

    HI Dana,
    I made these this evening with my 3 1/2 year old to see if i can get her to eat a healthier version of chocolate cupcakes/muffins. And she LOVED them! And to think these are vegan too. SUPER simple and easy for my daughter to help out. I’m going to bring some to work and see what the adults think. ;)
    Love your website and cookbook. Keep it coming, Dana. You are awesome!
    Nadia & Madelyn

  65. Elina Bystritskaya says

    Hey Dana,

    Do you have any ideas for ways to make this with less sugar? I’m not vegan and can make substitutions!

    Thanks!

  66. Etoile says

    Hi Dana !

    My mother and I have been vegetarians for ages and have just recently gone vegan ! Your website is just amazing, making vegan food soooo simple and tasty.
    We made these today, and used pumpkin instead of beetroot and they were some of the best chocolate muffins we have ever tasted !

    Keep the recipes coming, you are doing a fantastic job !

    Etoile and Kate

  67. Guro N. says

    I made this today and I liked them a lot, but I like some of your other recipes better. It’s easy to see and taste that these are relatively healthy which is ok if you’re prepared for that. Sometimes it’s nice to cover up the healthiness, hehe, like in your black bean brownies :-D I think these muffins are good for when you want something sweet and healthy. Thanks!

  68. Barbara says

    Hi! I’d like very much to make your recipe, but first of all, does one puree raw or cooked beets? I also, I like chocolate a lot, but not too much of it, so could I use 1/4 c. cocoa powder instead of 1/2 c. ? If so, do I have to add a little more of any other of the ingredients to make up for the lesser amount of cocoa powder? Thanks so much. I’ll let you know how they came out when I make themQ

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Cooked! The other modifications are worth a shot! Anytime you reduce the amount of dry ingredients, you’ll also want to reduce the amount of wet ingredients. Hope that helps!

  69. Rachel Eden says

    I love your site and I’m so glad a friend told me about it! I’ve made several of your recipes and they’ve all been wonderful. My younger daughter has fructose malabsorption and several food sensitivities which often requires tweaking of recipes so she can tolerate them. Many of your recipes I can make as is and they work for her! I did make a few changes to these muffins because beets and squash are on the foods to limit list and she can’t have any apple. I used 1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt in place of the beets (she also needs to gain weight so I pack in as much fat as I can) though next time I will try adding in some avocado too. I also made them gluten free by subbing a gf flour blend and added 1/2 tsp baking powder (in addition to the baking soda already in the recipe). I made them into mini muffins and my daughter ate 4 in one sitting! The rest of the family loved them too. When dealing with so many food issues it is so helpful to find recipes like yours and I have so grateful!!

  70. Danielle says

    Hi! Should these be really moist in the middle? Like doughy? Or did I remove too soon?

    If I messed up would microwave cooking work to finish? Or just break them up and make a sundae out of them?

    They look great and I will try again with the next csa beets!

    Thanks!

  71. Jules says

    Hi Dana, I made these last night with my 5 year old daughter and they came out really well. She really liked them as did I. I couldn’t find any dairy free choc chips so used some organic cacao nibs instead. Thanks for the great recipe :-)

  72. Rachel says

    I subbed white wheat flour for the pastry flour, used a total of 1/3 cup Truvia baking blend in place of the brown sugar and maple syrup, and a mix of baby food pureed pear and tropical fruit (no applesauce, beets, pumpkin, etc, in the house!) in place of beet puree. Even with all these subs, the muffins turned out fantastic and fudgey. My 4 and 7 year old were thrilled. Thank you for this healthier version of their favorite muffin!

  73. Elin says

    Have you made this as a cake? Any tips? Have made the muffins a zillion times, just wondering if there’s anything to take into account to make it a cake, or do I just put it in a cake pan and bake a little longer?
    Thanks!

  74. Anne says

    These are really good. Thanks for the note about them being thick otherwise I would have added too much liquid. Just made two batches – because I had the beets – one for lunches and another batch to take in to work tomorrow. My co-workers will love me!!

    • Anne says

      I do make this sub regularly when I’m in a rush and don’t want to melt the coconut oil I will use grapeseed oil instead. I didn’t in this recipe but have in many, without a problem.

  75. Rachel says

    These muffins are amazing! They are fluffy, with a great texture and taste, without being too sweet. I am vegan, and my non-vegan friends were shocked to find out that these muffins are vegan. Honestly, you can’t tell at all. Also, we get a lot of beets in our CSA and are always trying to find new ways to use them. Let me tell you, beets never tasted so good. Thank you!

  76. Tarra says

    I have made these muffins at least 10 times now…they are amazing! This last time, I made them GF for my mom, using “Pamela’s GF artisan blend” flour. Although the texture changed slightly, they were still amazing! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

  77. Madli says

    I just came across this recipe recently. 5-star treasure, easily!!!!
    Muffins were moist, soft -all around family favorite! Thanks!

  78. Flo says

    One of my friends is vegan so when I invited her to dinner I had to find a great recipe for dessert.
    My husband had some beetroot he wanted to turn into a salad so I decided to find a recipe to use those too.
    So I found this recipe and tried it. Oh my goodness. ..could they be more delicious? My daughter loved them and wants me to bake some for her bday. As for my friend. ..she was too high in the sky with pleasure. From now on this is our recipe for the best chocolate chips muffins. Thank you for all the time invested in this! Greetings from Germany!

  79. Melanie says

    These are a regular in my repertoire. They’re easy to make, fudgy, not too sweet, and a great way to use up all the beets we get from our farmshare.

  80. zahra says

    This is the best chocolate muffin I’ve ever had.I made it yesterday and it was so moist and chocolaty and delicious..I said was,because it’s all gone! and packed with nutrients from beet and flaxseeds and honey..it’s just perfect.also,the batter has the prettiest colour!
    I’m definitly gonna make it again soon,and an extra batch to freeze.I used regular whole wheat flour and it worked out great and wasn’t dense at all.
    thanks for this amazing recipe

  81. megan says

    Made these twice recently with leftover fresh pumpkin puree instead of beet. Came out picture perfect, moist & delicious! Rich & fudgy enough for a satisfying chocolate fix, but so healthy! Whole family loved them. This will be a new regular in our house. Thank you!

  82. Betsy says

    I’ve made these twice and they turned out great both times. The first time around, I didn’t have enough beets so I used an extra flax egg and they turned out really, really chocolatey and delicious. Last night, I had exactly one cup of beets, and they taste a little bit healthier this time around but are still amazing. I’ve been telling everyone about these because it’s such a creative way to use beets. Every other recipe I find says to pair them with goat cheese, which I am 100% over. Thanks for thinking outside the beet box!

    • Luba says

      The double chocolate/beet muffins were so moist and absolutely delicious. At 170 calories and the healthy ingredients….I can have another one. Great!!!