Before you say anything bad about these cupcakes, have you tried my chocolate covered sweet potato chips yet? Because if you have then you know I know a thing or two about desserts – just sayin’.
I’ve been wanting to put beets in my dessert for a while now, seeing as they pair so well with chocolate. But none of the recipes I’d seen before were vegan, so I knew experimenting was a must. If you haven’t been previously warned about beets, consider this your official warning. They, are, messy.
After a roast in the oven beets get all soft and juicy and perfect for adding to things like cupcakes because they don’t have a particularly offensive flavor and add a ton of nutrients and moisture to baked goods.
Beets may be unsightly – and stain your hands pink – but they’re extremely healthy for you. Loaded with vitamins A, B and C, they’re also high in fiber, manganese, folate and are a rare source of phytonutrients called betalains, which have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification qualities (find out more here).
All of that goodness inside these cupcakes? Who would’ve thought?
Now of course, that doesn’t meant you should eat cupcakes instead of beets. That just means you should eat beets and have an occasional cupcake. Trust me, I tried to reverse this information but the health food gods didn’t seem to want to budge. I’ll keep trying on both of our behalf, though.
What you need to know about these cupcakes:
- They require one bowl
- They’re vegan
- They really don’t need frosting
- They’re rich, moist and cakey
- They are fudgy and addictive
- They don’t taste like beets
- Not one bit
Satisfied? I hope so. Now let’s get to baking.
Vegan Beet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 medium beet (you’ll need 1/2 cup puréed as original recipe is written)
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (at room temperature if using coconut oil)
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup raw turbinado OR granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup avocado or melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 scant cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for topping)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), remove the stem and most of the root from your beets, and scrub and wash them underwater until clean.
- Wrap beet(s) in foil, drizzle on a bit of olive or avocado oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until a knife inserted falls out without resistance. They should be tender. Set in the fridge (in a bowl to catch juice) to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, either finely grate or puree beets in a small blender (adding orange juice or water to encourage mixing). Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Reserve the rest for things like beet hummus!
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and beat until foamy.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift it into the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. Beat until no large lumps remain.
- Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes (at 375 degrees F or 190 C), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they'll stick to the wrapper.
- Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container to keep fresh.
Mary says
I know someone who can’t eat chocolate or dairy. I’m always wracking my brain, for ways to bake something. I got vegan butter just for baked gifts for her… and beets in the fridge. I’d substitute carob powder for cocoa, have used it since I was a hippie… It doesn’t have theanine, magnesium or caffeine like cocoa, but the flavor can be boosted with a touch of freeze dried espresso, just as I do with real cocoa. This sounds really good, actually, and you’ve done all the testing for us. And because cupcakes are individual, I can eat one to see if it’s good to gift. Can you imagine what these would be like, if I imitated the famous cupcakes with the cream “pbffft” in the center? I’ve even got a bag of carob chips I could melt like ganache on top! Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sounds amazing! Let us know if you try it out, Mary!
Lexi says
These are DELICIOUS! Moist, fudge-y & easy to make. I substituted oat milk for the almond milk because that was all I had but they still turned out great. Will definitely be making again.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Lexi!
Lika says
such an amazing recipe! absolutely loved it, perhaps my fav cupcakes of all times:)
I used pre-boiled beets and followed the rest of the recipe 100%. they turned out to be not too sweet, fluffy and very moist!
I had to travel with them so they got very squeezed in my carry-on, so they changed texture and go fudgier (which was actually quite great) – and they still tasted fantastic!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lika! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Robin Wilson says
Hey, we still have about a bushel of beets in the garden. I have probably pickled or canned about 60 jars so far. Do you think you could make a ton of these cupcakes and freeze them? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Robin Wilson
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, they freeze well!
shailini sisodia says
oh no! Don’t take the skin of the beets off, please!! The skins have many nutrients ( same for potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc etc) Sorry you would recommend that, minimalist baker – you said this was a healthy beet hummus – yes, it is, but you are throwing away many nutrients! I know whereof I speak, ha ha – cooking teacher in the boston area, and have taught at many places, including famous ones. Best, shailini sisodia. I do hope to see a response to this message – and, where can I see it? On this site? via e-mail?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Shailini, we prefer to peel them if the beets are especially dirty and difficult to clean. But feel free to leave it on, if preferred!
Mary says
You’re right, but firstly, it’s just a treat, all her ingredients contribute nutrition… and also we now know more than decades ago about our nutrition. Our bodies are smarter and more complex than doctors or we used to assume, and we can handle a few cupcakes or peeled veggies without malnutrition. We recycle proteins and manufacture vitamins, they don’t just leave our bodies quickly. Just getting people to eat more produce at all, is still an uphill climb. I’ve been vegetarian since 1972, am pretty well informed, was a licensed and certified Natural Therapeutics Specialist and LMT for decades. The beets will still contain lots of nutrition, very little lost. We can’t always cram in every bit of food value produce offers, and this is just a cupcake. Especially if the beets aren’t organic, skinning is okay. Most of the pesticide contamination is in the skins. And even if they say organic, we both know produce still might not be, or can be cross contaminated, a politicized issue. Some farmers market sellers even admit that when they sell out, they buy conventional produce from a grocery and sell that. There are no consistent standards yet. Beet skins are usually scarred, more fibrous, dried out, impossible to clean, and might change the texture. My big problem will be not eating all the beets myself before I can sneak them into cupcakes! I’m in the “I love beets” camp, had them on-hand before I found this recipe, planning to make pressure cooker borscht again (recipe from “Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure” by Lorna Sass) this week. Just getting Americans, especially kids, to eat any veggies at all, is a worthy challenge. ;)
Hayley says
Greetings!
What would you recommend for a cook time/temp if making this as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Hayley, we haven’t tested it as a cake, but the batter is pretty versatile and would likely work well. We’d suggest the same temperature and checking around the 25-30 minute mark, being careful not to overbake. Let us know how it goes!
Andi says
Do you peel the beets at all? The instructions indicate they need to be baked, then cooled in a bowl, then grated or pureed. Should the skin come off at any point here? I never work with beets so I apologize if this is common sense!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Andi, after roasting the beet, the peel should slide off easily under running cool water. Hope that helps!
Carissa says
This recipe looks awesome and like a good way to use up some of the beets I’ve been getting from my CSA (as well as your beet chip recipe!). Do you think this would work with GF flours? And do you think Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour would work? Or would a combo be better?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Carissa, we’d suggest this recipe for a gluten-free version. Hope that helps!
Mary says
King Arthur Flour also has a lot of good substitutes that are GF, and a 1:1 sugar substitute, and even readymade GF mixes, as well as a really good baker’s hotline! I’m not GF, but I’ve sure got sympathy for those who are.
Simone says
These were moist and delicious! I followed the recipe exact as it is as I never succeed baking anything. But these came out perfect! Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Simone! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Camila says
Woooonderful recipe !
I made this gf by replacing the All-purpose flour with a mix of : 1/4 almond flour, 1/4 rice flour and 2/4 buckwheat flour plus 1 tsp psyllium husk powder. I also replaced the milk by oat cream and added some flaxseeds. I had to bake it for an extra 10 minutes but it turned out sooooo good!!
Ahh I just love all of your recipes <3
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing, Camila! xo
Louise says
Made these this morning. It’s a great recipe. I used juice pulp I had which was from carrots, apples, and a bit of greens. I use my juice pulp in muffin recipes a lot in place of applesauce and other fruit or veggie ingredients. Pulp is drier than the pureed beets would have been so I added just enough extra liquid (apple cider in this case) until the batter seemed right. Dipped cooled cupcakes in cacao powder for the extra nutritional value. They are moist, just sweet enough for a treat and wonderfully moist and cake like. I also used light Spelt flour which I get from a local miller. Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Louise! xo
Katie says
These cupcakes are delicious. We received lots of beets in our veggie box and this was a great way to use them. We used oat milk instead of almond because that’s what we had. They turned out really well. I will make this recipe again!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Katie! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Sonia says
Loved it ! Turned out perfect. I added some extra sugar and beets because I like my canes sweet and moist.
Wonderful recipe 🥰🥰
So great! Thanks for sharing, Sonia!
Kelly says
These were so delicious! I made two substitutions: canned beets, and 1/2 cup maple syrup + 2T sugar. I also had some frosting in the fridge that I mixed a little beet puree with to make it pink for Valentine’s Day. My toddler loved it too. Also, I got 12 cupcakes and not 10! :)
Thanks for sharing, Kelly!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Kira says
Are the cupcakes liners from parchment paper necessary if baking in silicone forms? Thanks.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kira, silicone should work instead of parchment liners.
Kira says
Hi, I don’t have a cupcake form, do you think I can bake it in square pyrex dish like a cake. Do I need to adjust something like the baking time maybe to get it baked properly? Thank you.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kira, The batter is pretty versatile and would likely work well in a larger pan. We’d suggest baking a little longer and keeping a close eye to prevent it from over-baking. Hope that helps!
Rosita says
Absolutely delicious and sooo soft :) more over so easy to make. Will do them again for sure 👍🏻.
Next time might try to chop some walnuts or organic chocolate nibs and mix it to the batter.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Rosita. We are so glad you 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
Thelma says
These turned out so so good. I added a few PB chips to a few of them because I love a chocolate-PB combo anything! Might use any other oil instead next time as the hardening coconut oil was a slight bummer and I spent more time than I would have liked dealing with that. But once they came out of the oven, I forgot all about that. So good.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yum! Love that addition, Thelma. Thanks so much for sharing! We updated the almond milk to indicate room temperature if using coconut oil- sorry for any hassle there.
Thelma says
So these have just come out of the oven and they look and smell amazing! Wondering how long they take to cool before I can dust them with cocoa powder or inhale one? 😁
Hopefully, you can amend the recipe to remind people to use room temp milk…even though I read comments about the coconut oil hardening back up, I still didn’t have the milk room temp! Oops.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Thelma! 30 minutes should be enough time cooling =) We’ll take another look at the almond milk.
angela says
Hi there. I Love your recipies! Wanted to ask what temp to bake these at…t real clear in the recipe. Thank you.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
They also bake at 375 =) We’ll make that more clear.
Leah says
Hey there! These sound amazing and I’d like to make them this evening. I’m trying to limit trips to the shop so I was wondering if you think butternut squash purée could be subbed for beet purée? Thank you, Leah
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Leah, we think that should work, but haven’t tried it so we can’t guarantee results. Let us know if you give it a try!
Nat says
This is such an excellent recipe. The flavor and texture are fantastic, and it’s not too sweet. It’s a great way to use up our CSA beets.
It’s become our go-to recipe even though we aren’t vegan. My husband could detect the beet taste but no one else seemed to notice. Our kids (who normally just eat the frosting on cupcakes) ate these happily.
Paired with a non-vegan swiss meringue buttercream, this was easily one of my favorite cupcakes I’ve ever had. I plan to experiment with vegan swiss buttercream and with making this into a layer cake.
Recipe notes:
– If you have extra beet puree, I’d recommend freezing it in ~100-120g (1/2 cup) amounts. That makes it really easy to make this recipe again.
– We have an electric pressure cooker and used that for cooking the beets. Was easier than roasting.
– If you find that the coconut oil starts to re-solidify in the wet ingredients, you can heat a cup or so of the wet ingredient mixture until it’s very hot and then mix it back in. This brings the temperature up until the coconut oil stays liquid. I use this trick for buttercream and it worked perfectly here. (Neutral veg oil also worked great for us and I’m curious to try with olive oil.)
– The second time I made it, I forgot about the “metric” option and used the King Arthur Flour weight conversions. The KAF conversions and the weights listed in the “metric” option here are quite different, but the cupcake still turned out well both times. So it’s a fairly forgiving recipe.
– At 22 mins, our cupcakes were slightly more cakey and less fudgy. I baked for 21 mins the second time and they were more fudgy.
– As a mostly non-vegan baker, I was a bit puzzled by the “beat until foamy” cue. I did beat until I saw small frothy bubbles, but it never got as foamy as I expected. It turned out fine!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Nat!
Diana says
SO delicious! My kids and husband all gave a very enthusiastic thumbs up.
Made a couple modifications to make nut- and refined sugar-free.
Used Bonsoy (sweetened soy milk) instead of almond milk and used rapadura sugar for granulated. The less-sweet rapadura balanced out the sweetened soy milk well.
Was very impressed with the light, fluffy texture and caramelized top. SO GOOD, this is going into my usual muffin rotation!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Diana! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jude_X says
Thanks for this lovely recipe, I made it with what I had in the house so I subbed some ingredients – oat milk, wholewheat bread flour, coconut sugar (only used ⅔ of the amount). Still ended up with moist moreish delicious cakes! A winner :-)
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing!
Elle says
Was sceptical about the beets tasting very “earthy” and taking over the flavour. These are absolutely delicious, the beet flavour is Very mild and it was an excellent way to sneak in some veggies. I slightly melted my coconut oil as recommended in the comments to avoid it clumping. They turned out so moist and fudgy. We added some chocolate chips for a bit of texture and a touch more sweetness
Thanks so much, will be making them again for sure
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Right!? We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Elle! xo
Denise De Luise says
Do you know how I can substiture beet powder for a fresh beet? These sound delicious!!! Thanks, Denise
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hm, we’re not sure whether that would work because the beet also adds texture and moisture. But maybe stirring beet powder into another veggie or fruit purée? Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Denise De Luise says
I’ll try that, thanks. I let you know how it works.
Bella Weintraub says
Can I add 1 or 2 eggs to bather instead of
Coconut oil ?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Bella, we’re not sure it work well without any oil. But reducing the oil and adding 1 egg might work? We haven’t tried it though and can’t guarantee results.
Esmy C. says
This is my third time making these cupcakes and they are delicious and moist. I followed the recipe as is and they were a huge hit at my house. Thank you so much for this recipe!
xoxo!
Eva says
These are absolutely spot on, no earthy beetroot taste, just delicious. I wasn’t sure about the ‘no icing’ idea but now that eaten three I’ve concluded that it’s true – no icing necessary.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Eva! xo
Margot says
I just made these and ran into a tiny problem. I used unrefined coconut oil. When I took it out of the cupboard it was oily (because it’s summer!) but when I stirred it into the buttermilk it soildified and there were tiny chunks of coconut in the batter.
After they were baked, the coconut oil kind of melted and they were very oily at the bottom. I’m guessing because it hadn’t been properly incorporated into the batter.
I let them sit on a paper towel for about an hour and they were OK to serve. They tasted great, but I would have just used canola had I know.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Margot, another idea would be to leave the milk at room temp for a bit before adding the coconut oil. If it’s straight from the fridge, we see how it might cause that!
Tony P says
Question- Should beet be peeled before putting in the oven, after it’s cooked, or can the cooked peel be left on when pureeing?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Tony, any of those options should work, assuming the peel is cleaned well first. Once it is roasted, the peel should slide off easily under running cool water. Hope that helps!
Deepika Vadlamani says
Those cupcakes look so good! Can I sub almond milk with cow milk? Or should I go for buttermilk? Also, can I use whole wheat flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Deepika, we think cow’s milk would work, but we haven’t tried it. We haven’t tried whole wheat, but we fear it would be too dry and they wouldn’t rise.
Amanda Oggier says
I used whole wheat and they still turned out great!!
Deepika Vadlamani says
Oh, wonderful! Thanks for your reply
Danielle says
I used half whole wheat and half white, I had my coconut oil solidify when I added the cooked beets which were precooked and in the fridge. I just scooped out the chunks melted it in the microwave and slightly warmed mixture. It worked perfectly. These were delicious. I did add a light cream cheese icing for my non vegan guests and grated dark chocolate on top. Had to share the recipe. Thanks. Always looking for recipes for my vegan best friend.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad it turned out well, Danielle! Thanks for sharing!
Mary says
You can also use King Arthur Flour white whole wheat: exact same nutrition, but milder taste… in case you’ve got kids who don’t like the color or flavor of WW.
Missy says
Delicious! I was worried that I hadn’t puréed the beets enough (I did it in my food processor) and the cupcakes would be gummy, but whew! They were perfect. Like another commenter, I reduced the sugar a bit and added vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, which added a great texture. They were perfect.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Missy!
Moran says
Can I use GF flour instead?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Moran, we haven’t tried making this gluten-free, but it looks like some others readers have with varying degrees of success. It likely depends on the type of GF flour used. We would suggest this recipe instead: https://minimalistbaker.com/gluten-free-birthday-cake-vegan/
Rachel Crist-Harif says
I made these yesterday with the following changes:
1- I am not vegan, I used buttermilk instead of vegan milk + vinegar
2- instead of cooking and pureeing the beets, I shredded them raw in the food processor. I used a little bit more than 1/2 cup, probably more like 3/4 cup.
I was so worried about how this would turn out with no eggs, but these cupcakes were amazing. The beet flavor really came through, which is exactly what I wanted! I may consider actually putting less cocoa in my next iteration so we can taste the beets even MORE. They are so tasty and I didn’t even need to frost them or anything. Thank you, Dana!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Rachel! Thanks for sharing!
Ada says
Just made this! Eating a cupcake as I type this. Yummy! Yummy!! Yummy!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them! xo
Valencia says
Can I make this substituting part or all of the flour for oat flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Valencia, if wanting to use oat flour, we’d suggest this recipe instead: https://minimalistbaker.com/the-best-vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-cupcakes/
Tamar says
Can I use canned beets?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t tried it, but should work!
Anna says
These sound lovely and heard of various people how amazing beet chocolate cake is! I was wondering though why the beet needs to be roasted? Is it to develop a sweeter flavour?
As I’m considering boiling it as it’s quicker and don’t really want to leave the oven on for so long
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Anna, boiling would also work!
ALLE says
I made these muffins twice ,I really love the taste and they are so moist as you described thanks
Dora says
They turned out to be exactly as in your pictures and exactly as you described them – delicious!
Nadia says
I loved this recipe, however, it didn’t pass the test with my kids, they’ve somehow detected the veggie-hidden-in-their-cupcake. Next time, I’ll try to add a bit more sugar to see if they eat it!
Allana says
Hi, could you cook the mixture as a cake rather than cupcakes? TIA
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Allana, We think that might work! The batter is pretty versatile and would likely work well in cake pans. Just keep an eye on it around the 25-30 minute mark and be careful not to overbake. Hope that helps!
Rona Miranda says
Did anybody try this recipe as a cake instead of muffins?
Jennifer R says
This recipe is amazing! I did make several changes/additions and I will definitely be making this again! It seemed like alot of work to wrap the beets & bake them. So, I just threw a large beet in the juicer and used the juice, next time I will try to incorporate the pulp and maybe some nuts. I also used coconut flour with a small amount of oat flour. I used 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup because I added semi-sweet chocolate chips. This turned out so gooey and chocolatey. Definitely does not need any dusting or icing with the added chocolate chips. I am convincing myself since they are made out of mostly coconut flour I can have seconds!
Amy Monticello says
I am curious about the measurements of coconut and oat flours that you used. Thank you.
Smiti says
Same! You reckon I could use all coconut flour or does the oat flour play a particular role?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Smiti, We think they would be too dry and wouldn’t rise. But if you give it a try let us know how it goes!
Rebecca says
This recipe is fantastic. I made it twice. 1x with almond milk and 1x with coconut milk instead. Both times turned out perfect. I love vegan baked goods and this one is to die for. They don’t taste vegan. They don’t taste like beets. They just taste delicious.
seetha says
It was so delicious and super moist!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Seetha!
Shoa says
I’ve made this twice without cooking the beets, I throw them through my juicer and use the purée instead. That way I get the juice and the purée for the cupcakes! It’s worked great both times, I probably use about 2beets or 3/4 cup beet puree
Natalie says
If I don’t have enough beets, could I sub with zucchini?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t tried it, but that might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Cher says
I love this recipe and use a beet butter cream frosting on top.
One question though:
I want to use this recipe to make a double stacked cake. I’m guessing that one batch won’t give me enough. Any suggestions?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Cher, we think you would need to at least double, maybe even triple the recipe for a double stacked cake. Hope that helps!
Diana Nicholette Jeon says
I made this, tho varied it slightly. I used Love Beets precooked organic beets from the cold case at Costco then used my mini chopper to make 1/2 C of puree. Much easier and I have them readily available without the extra steps of roasting and peeling…I used Navitas cacao instead of cocoa then I upped the milk a scant tad to make up for cacao being a bit drier than cocoa. I used a half half mixture of cocnut milk and almond milk. I thought they NEEDED frosting rather than a dusting of sugar or cocoa, so used a not very sweet whipped creamcheese frosting recipe. Otherwise it seemed more like an unexciting muffin. Next time I think I will add a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper to try a “Mexican chocolate” version.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Diana! Love the frosting idea!
Emily says
Do you also bake the cupcakes at 375? Looks good and going to try with some ginger/clove/cinnamon!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes. Let us know how it goes!
Desiree says
I want to make the peppermint chocolate cupcakes but am not confident via the reviews, if I made these and added peppermint extract would the outcome be similar? I’ve made these before and know they work well, but the other recipe people seemed to have issues with. What should I dooooooo.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Desiree, we haven’t tried that and can’t say for sure, but it might work. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Eliane Chan says
I would love to make natural red velvet cupcakes. Have you tried adapting this recipe to red velvet ?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t! But we think this recipe might work better for red velvet as the color is more prominent: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-chocolate-lava-cakes/
LasarL says
This is my first vegan baking recipe and I’m impressed. I used canola oil and subbed 1/3 of regular flour with almond flour. I didn’t notice a vinegar flavor. Used cooked beets fm Costco. Cupcakes are moist and light, def will make again!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you 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
Suzanne J says
This recipe sounds wonderful except the vinegar. I plan on trying it, however I would like to understand the purpose of adding vinegar to this muffin. I have never cared for the bitterness of vinegar and it seems incongruous to be added to a muffin.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
The small amount of vinegar just helps create a non-dairy “buttermilk.” But feel free to omit it if you would prefer!
Katie says
To Suzanne J:
It is super common for bakers to use vinegar in this way (adding it to milk to create buttermilk). In fact, you have probably eaten something made this way and just didn’t know it because the vinegar flavor is completely undetectable.
That said, you can do the same thing using lemon juice instead of vinegar. Either way, you won’t taste vinegar or lemon in the final cupcake. :)
Hi says
Have you made this with coconut flour instead of whole wheat?
I haven’t! I fear it would be too dry and they wouldn’t rise. But if you give it a try let us know how it goes!
Maria Q says
This is a wonderful cupcake recipe. Have been making these per the recipe since the recipe was originally posted. People can’t believe they’re vegan!
Thanks for sharing!
Angela B. says
I’ve made this recipe more than a dozen times over the past several years. I use 1/4 cup canola oil and I usually go with canned beets. My family members request it for their birthdays and it’s a hit at my friend’s annual, Beet Recipes Potluck.
It’s never let me down!
Thanks so much for creating it and sharing it with us!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That Beet Recipes Potluck sounds amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Sihle Sogaula says
Hi there,
I’m interested in trying these out, I just wanted to know if I could sub the whole purpose flour for something like almond flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Sihle, we haven’t tried these with gluten free flour but do think it’d work! We recommend trying our homemade blend. No guarantees, but if you try it out, we would love to hear how it goes!
sihle sogaula says
So I tried to make these today with almond flour instead of the all purpose flour, xylitol instead of granulated sugar and grated beets instead of puree. Oh, and it was really cold out so the coconut oil hardened as soon as I mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients. The batter was great but the whole thing ended up being one delicious disaster! The batter bubbled over instead of slightly rising so I basically ended up making small chocolate volcanoes instead of fudgey cupcakes haha! I’m definitely going to try making these again as per the recipe though.
Mary says
Xylitol is just a flavorIng, but in baking, sugar is considered to be a liquid. And sugar adds volume to the recipe, xylitol doesn’t, so you’d need to compensate for the omitted sugar. It’s also hygroscopic.
bettina Eckerle says
They came out perfect. I used xylitol instead of sugar, did not have milk so used water (w/o the ACV obviously), used a bit more extra virgin coconut oil for that reason, substituted oat flour and added a bit of raw cacao nibs. Beets made them super-moist.
Thanks for sharing!
Miki says
This has become my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It’s so moist yet also light and fluffy. No one can believe it contains beets. I’ve used it with milk, almond milk, soy milk. I usually cut back on sugar, as a personal preference. I’ve used it for the cake batter for an ice cream cake with homemade mixed berry ice cream – superb, froze really well. I’ve done vegan cupcakes with freeze-dried raspberries added into the batter and sprinkled with colored sugar before baking – wonderful way to sneak nutrients into picky kids’ diets. I’m an avid baker, and this recipe takes the cake (pun intended). Thanks a ton!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your creations, Miki! We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! xo
Jenna says
I haven’t made these yet but I plan to this weekend coming up but I did have a question about them.. does the baking process of the muffins destroy all the beneficial vitamins, and anything else that’s good, inside the beets?
Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jenna, it’s true that some vitamins and minerals can be lost in the process of cooking vegetables, but for certain nutrients, the cooking process actually increases the body’s ability to absorb them. Happy cooking!
Mirandamom says
These we’re exceptionally delicious. I know it’s cheating, but I thought I might point out that one 8 oz. can of beets makes exactly one half cup of puréed beet. Just sayin’.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi! Thanks so much for lovely review and tip on using canned beets. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Paige Weir says
I came upon this recipe when searching for a healthier version to enjoy! I’m definitely NOT vegan, but I do love my chocolate cupcakes. Some say I may be obsessed. This recipe was so delicious that whenever anyone asks me to make cupcakes, I make these and no one knows they’re vegan nor do I give away the secret ingredient! Thank you for making our snacks a little healthier!
Gauri says
They are perfect! Though I had enough batter for 12 ? thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe!
Hayley says
I’ve made this and your non-vegan beet cupcakes. Love both, but maybe these even a little more!
I want to make your amazing vegan chocolate cake recipe for my brothers birthday, but it isn’t gluten free, and he is both GF and vegan.
Long story short, what Gf Blend works best for cake textures? What could you please update your vegan chocolate cake to include GF blend ratios?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We love using our DIY Gluten-Free Blend for cakes. We would recommend this recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cake. Hope that helps!
Sarah Miller says
I made these last night and think they came out good, but have more of a cupcake texture than a brownie. I wonder if I did something wrong or there is a trick to making them more like brownie/less like cupcake. The baking process took longer than hoped because of how messy prep and clean up was. I wonder, after using blender to purée the beets, could the wet ingredients all be mixed in blender instead of using beater in a bowl? And if using can beets (as others suggested) still using blender to mix wet ingredients. Thank you for the recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, you could mix the wet ingredients in the blender, just be sure to not over mix!
Kimberly says
Hey, sorry if this has been answered already but do you bake the cupcakes and the beets at the same temperature (190c)?
I baked mine at 180 to be safe and they turned out great, but couldn’t find a baking temp for the cupcakes in the recipe! (amazing recipe, wish I’d doubled the batch)!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, same temperature! We’re glad you enjoyed them!
Fuchi Girl says
These are amazing! Everyone loved them including my 2 year old son!
Emmy H says
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing this recipe. Best chocolatey tasty vegan cupcakes I’ve ever made…and so moist. Non-vegan guests had no clue they were vegan let alone having beetroot in it & scoffed them all!
Viktorija says
In Europe we do not have cups, what is the metric measure of 1/2 cup of beet puree?
Thanks
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
You can find all of the metric measurements if you switch from US customary to metric just above the ingredient list, but in this case, its ~100g!
Lu says
This is my daughters favorite chocolate cupcake recipe! So much that she wished for it to be her birthday cake. It turned out great! I just used the double amount of the recipe and added a few more tablespoons of gluten free flour. Sometimes I read use the sweetness by Using only half a cup of sugar as toddlers have an abundance in energy anyway!
Katie says
My son is allergic to eggs, so I made these for his first birthday party yesterday. It was his first taste of cake and he (and we) loved it! We just moved and don’t have a full pantry yet so I subbed 1/2 c. maple syrup for the sugar, and it worked great.
Ash says
I made these with spelt flour, extra dark cocoa powder, subbed almond milk for soy milk, and cut down on the sugar by about 30 percent (I like cakes on the less sweet side); they still came out very moist and tasty. (It was still too sweet for my liking, unfortunately.) The cupcakes did stick to the wrappers quite a bit after these modifications. I opted to use some of the extra pureed beet in a vegan cream cheese frosting — we found that the tartness of the cream cheese paired well with an extra chocolate-y moist cake, and the deep red color of the frosting was a fun novelty. I certainly plan to make these the next time I find myself inundated with beets.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great! Thanks for sharing your changes, Ash!
jen says
Hi,
I tried using gluten free flour and added xanthum gum but it turned out kinda tasteless and it wasn’t overly moist. I think i need icing! The batter also seemed gummy before I put it in the pan. Do you think it’s from the xanthum gum? I only put in a tsp. I don’t know what I did wrong. Help!
Dane Flemmons says
Amazing I find her such insperation!
Melody Bolduc says
Can I substitute xylitol and almond flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t tried but if you experiment with it, report back on how those subs go! Good luck :)
Angela says
So, I made these today and wonder why I waited so long! Chocolate and beets are a match made in heaven! Thanks for sharing!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We are so glad you enjoyed it, Angela!
Katie N says
Wow! I received a bunch of beets from my dad and was looking for recipes to try – it was between oven-roasted rosemary beet chips and these cupcakes. I’m so glad I chose the cupcakes. This is my new go to cupcake recipe. The cupcakes were so easy and literally you only need one large mixing bowl to make them, after the beets are prepared in the oven beforehand (and that was very simple, too). My family is not vegan and I had no almond milk on hand – so I used our local creamery’s whole milk instead. That was the only substitution I made.
These cupcakes are so deliciously moist and chocolatey. My husband and our 3 and 4 year old LOVED them. Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We are glad to hear that your whole family enjoyed them, Katie!
Jimena says
Annoyed at the fact that this created a waste of beets. You should adjust the ingredient list to say “1/2 cup puréed beets” instead of 2 medium beets. Sizing is relative and I had to look everywhere to find where the rest of the beets were to be used. I would have rather replaced the canola oil with extra beet purée if I had known but it’s too late now :(
Sorry for the confusion. I’ll make a note of that in the recipe. Hope you still enjoyed the cupcakes!
Jimena says
Yes, just tried them. They were really good without the oil. Thank you for the response!
jaz says
I made these last night, found them alittle dense but rose like a normal cupcake, was this right? on your photos yours look more flat?
I used whole milk and avocado oil
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, they are slightly dense inside but using whole milk may have also made these more dense as well.
Susan says
Loved these.Easy to make and delicious.
Made mine in a muffin tin without the papers-came out perfectly.Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
I usually like everything on this website but I didn’t enjoy these. They had a weird texture and I had to throw them away. This is unheard of for me and chocolate. I think maybe it is the beets but I am not sure.
Adrienne says
I made these today for my daughter who can’t eat dairy. I used regular whole wheat flour and canned pumpkin purée because that’s what I had in the pantry. They were very moist amd we enjoyed them. We ate them with raspberry jam. Thanks for another great recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Adrienne! We’re glad you enjoyed them!
Louis says
These cupcakes should be the definition for “moist” in any dictionary that’s worth its salt. Not only are they delicious fresh out of the oven, but they retain 100% of their moisture the next day it’s crazy!
This is going straight to my prized list of “vegan pastry that doesn’t taste vegan, which is great for my omni and/or narrow-minded loved ones”
Thank you for this gem!
Molly says
Hi…. do you have any suggestions about making this as a cake? I am having trouble with the baking times. It has been in for almost an hour but is still very moist in the middle. I have been trying two different sizes… round about 3-4 inches and rectangular about 5 x 8 inches.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I’ve made this many times as cupcakes and LOVE IT!!! I was just hoping to make it for my sons birthday cake and therefore wanted a larger size.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes! The batter seems pretty versatile and would likely work well in cane pans. Just keep an eye on it around the 25-30 minute mark and be careful not to overbake. Hope that helps!
Louise says
I substituted with ingredients that I had- veg oil, cashew milk and vacuum packed beetroot which I doubled the ingredients and made a large cake- delicious!
Molly says
How did you adapt it for a large cake?
I’m trying to make it as a large cake for my son’s birthday but its very moist inside and it’s already been in the oven for almost an hour.
Louise says
I baked mine in a large roasting tin approx 10’’x 12’’- grated the beetroot first and then liquidised without adding any liquid – substituted self raising flour, cashew milk and veg oil- doubled the recipe -took 40 mins at 180’- rose about 1.5/2 ‘’
Hope that helps!
Desiree says
I’m making these for a friend who needs a low fat diet due to gallstones. How would you recommend lowering the fat content?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Desiree! You could try substituting coconut oil for applesauce and that would bring the fat content down. If you give it a try, report back on how it goes or tag a photo on Instagram with #MinimalistBaker :)
olivia says
Can these be made into a cake? If so, would doubling the recipe be enough to make a two-layer 8″ cake? Thanks!
Aubrey says
I’ve made three batches of these in the last week. My winter CSA has mostly been beets and radishes: I pickle the radishes and make these tasty cupcakes with the beets. I add one flax egg and some vegan chocolate chips or chunks to the recipe and they are divine. Perfectly moist and airy, and come away from the paper liners beautifully. I’ve been enjoying them with almond butter for breakfast, with coffee in the afternoon, and as a dessert after dinner – they are that good! Thanks for another incredible and easy recipe, Dana!
Chevy says
Hi, I made these and they were so good!!! The best choc muffins I’ve ever tasted including bought ones!
But next time I’d like to add coconut to the mix (looovvveee choc coconut) but I don’t want to lose any of the fudginess and make it dry. Would I sub some of the flour for coconut?
Connie says
Anyway to cut the sugar content down a lot? I have to lower my sugar intake.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Connie! Check the other comments for ideas on cutting down the sugar/substituting as well! Happy baking!
Iris says
Wow! I’ve never cooked with beets before, but wanted to try this recipe. Really good, and most importantly, kids gobbled them up.
Laura says
Made them they are wonderful, I only had whole milk and it made 12 not 10!! I will totally makes these again
Thank you!!!
Vicki says
I’m going to make these with your Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. Will this be a good combination?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi! Yes it would!
Emilie says
These are amaaaazing! Onctuous and magical. I made them with a gluten free flour blend, and it worked perfectly.
Pammy says
Mmmmm I made them with coconut milk, coconut sugar and buckwheat flour (I added 2tbsp of hemp protein in the cup of flour), they were delicious and Gluten Free!
Thank you :)
Lizzy says
Any recommendations on how to mKe frosting using the extra beet pure?
Claire says
The recipe only seems to call for half of the beetroot – what happens to the other half? I added half to the wet ingredients and wasn’t sure what to do with the rest so added it anyway. Is that right?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Claire! You may find that your cupcake batter is a little wetter when adding the whole beet but it should still work. You could try adding a bit more flour to balance it out? Additionally, you could use the remaining beet to make Beet Hummus!
MartaH says
Dana,
This recipe looks wonderful! I am trying to reduce my sugar intake, but want a treat to satisfy my dessert craving. What is your suggestion if I wanted to reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup but sweeten with maybe banana, dates or another plant based sweetener?
You can definitely try bananas. But it will make them fudgier. I’d maybe recommend reducing and subbing stevia!
Maddy says
Made this as a gluten free version for a friends birthday and was a massive hit. Super easy and straight forward to make and the consistency and taste turned out great! Will definitely be making it again <3
samira says
Hi Maddy,
What type of flour did you use to make this gf?
Annie says
My auntie made these and I was instantly in love! I was thinking this recipe would be a excellent base to use in making vegan brownies topped with vegan chocolate ganache. Do you have any suggestions or ideas to how I could alter this recipe to make it a bit more brownie-like in texture?
Ines says
Fantastic flavour!!!
I made this recipe as brownie, in a large pan.
And I just add 50gr of ground almond!
Oh my gosh… I have to repeat this recipe!
Thanks so much for all the incredible and amazing recipes that you share!
Jaclyn says
These look amazing and I want to make them for my son’s upcoming birthday :) How can I make them gluten-free? Is it as simple as substituting an all-purpose gluten-free flour for the standard flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jaclyn! I haven’t tried these with gluten free flour but I do think it’d work! I have a blend I use that I’d recommend trying. No guarantees, but if you try it let me know how it turns out!
samira says
HI Jaclyn,
I was thinking of making these gf as well. Have you tried it ? how did they come out?
Teri says
Can I substitute with coconut sugar and coconut or gluten free flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t tried these with gluten free flour but I do think it’d work! We have a blend we use that I’d recommend trying. No guarantees, but if you try it let me know how it turns out!
Molly says
Hi, I’ve made this recipe several times and LOVE it. I often feed it the kids and they gobble it and beg for seconds. Fabulous combination of flavors and healthy ingredients.
I have a birthday party in 2 weeks time and am wondering if I could make this in advance and freeze it to save time. Has anyone ever done this? If so, how do you recommend to do it? Would you make the batter and freeze it raw in the muffin liners? OR partially bake it and finish baking it when it comes from the freezer? OR bake it fully (sub a few minutes) and just reheat from the freezer?
One more thing, I am planning to make this for my sons 1st birthday. Do you have a frosting that you would recommend as a compliment to the flavors and low sugar for the baby?
Thanks!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Molly! You can freeze them for up to a month, so that should work just fine! As for icing, for a healthier option, you could do a coconut whip topping?
molly says
Super! thanks for the tip. Just to confirm… you would bake the cupcakes first then freeze them?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
You bet!
Lori says
These are delicious! You cannot even tell there are beets in them. Thanks for the recipe!
Maya says
Hi!
I was just just wondering what I should do if I want to make a full cake version? X
Sheila says
I want to try this, but I don’t have any almond milk on hand, and I’m not vegan. Do you know if I can use regular milk?
Yes!
Natalia says
I have made these several times and LOVE them!! Although the cupcakes are adorable, I wanted to make this into a cake for the holidays and dress it up a bit. I don’t want to risk using any other recipe except this one!! Has anyone tried to make this into a cake? Would this recipe work in a 9inch cake pan or would you recommend doubling it?
Hi there! I think doubling it in a 9×13 would work!
Anete says
Hi!
Made these today, they tasted like an usual chocolate cupcake :)
I also liked the fact they easily went out of the wrappers and were moist and soft.
Thank you for this recipe, I adore your blog a lot!
Ann says
I made these and they were good, although next time I would use more sugar as I used raw sugar which is less sweet than processed white sugar.
Made them with coconut oil (as it helps hold together), Used one whole medium beet as I didn’t want leftovers (about 1 cup grated), did not pre-cook the beet, used soy milk and all-purpose flour. I pre-oiled my muffin tin and they came out nicely and held together. Made 8 medium muffins.
Ann says
Actually the lack of sweetness was my fault, I read the amount wrong and put 1/3 cup, it was supposed to be 3/4! Oops!
Danielle says
Mine look exactly like this (I think). I’ve never used beets/beet juice before. Is the internal texture supposed to be pretty wet, like how it seems underdone? Or are mine underdone? They taste good but that texture is not like “normal” fully floured non-fortified cupcakes.
Isabel says
Just made these and they turned out amazing! After filling all the cupcake liners with batter I had some left and used it to make one pancake xD it was super good! I’ll definitely use this recipe for pancakes too! They don’t even taste like beet…it almost tasted like red velvet to me. So good. Totally recommend!
Zoe says
We’ve made these a couple of times, and they are always a hit with both my restricted-diet kids and my non-diet-restricted husband. I use a gluten-free flour blend and have been successful with Bobs Red Mill, Namaste, and my own based on oat flour, in case anyone is wondering. They needed to bake a little longer (common with g-f) and 25-28 minutes seemed just right. Subbing other non-dairy drinking milks has been fine as well, just make sure to use unsweetened (we mostly use coconut). I am going to try this as a small cake for my 4yo’s birthday next.
Paige says
These are fabulous!!! My partner hates beets but loves dark chocolate and is trying to stay under a certain calorie limit. He was shocked when I told him the secret ingredient for these cupcakes. I’m glad I gave them all away–they’re so delicious that I could have eaten the entire batch myself! Thank you!
Erin says
just a tip i learnt from my home ec teacher, if you spray your muffin papers with spray oil, the muffins won’t stick to the paper as much.
Lyn says
Mine look a bit flat, like they have collapsed in on themselves. Help! What can cause that? Any ideas anyone?
Ann says
If they are just flat, just means something went wrong with the raising agents (baking powder, baking soda, salt). Remember to keep wet and dry ingredients seperate until just ready to bake. Once wet and dry touch, the chemical reaction starts and they need to be baked immediately.
If they look ‘cracked’, like they’ve errupted, usually means the oven was too hot when you put them in.
Tamara says
Absolutely amazing cupcakes! Best recipe!
Do you know how long they last? Should they be kept in the fridge? Thanks!
I Tamara! They should keep at roomp temperature (covered) for a few days, in the refrigerator for 4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month!
Aly says
I made these using canned beets and they came out amaaazing! Sent my boyfriend some to take to his work mates and they all raved about them. Fed some to my beet- loathing parents and they asked for more. Great vegan recipe. Thank you!
Nikki says
Does it matter what type of beets we use? I just got a bag of mixed beets..a few purple and red. Thanks!
Willodea says
Could you use baby food beets in this recipe?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm, we aren’t sure! If it is just pureed beet, then it should work!
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!
Elin says
Oh wait, This comment was for the fudgy chocolate beet muffins! :-)
Dellia says
These turned out quite fluffy and moist! 2 of my non-vegan friends quite enjoyed these! I made chocolate avocado frosting to top them off and they were pretty darn good. I used my homemade soy milk instead of the almond milk and noticed that it did curdle a little with the ACV. Next time I’ll add a bit more cocoa to the dry mix to boost the chocolate flavour a bit more as I found it a little underwhelming. Maybe I’ll try sneaking in some other veggies in there next time…hmmm :)
Debbi says
Just wondering if I can use other flours (coconut, causes moisture loss) but I was wondering if quinoa or almond might work?
See this recipe as a guide, and find our Recipe FAQ here!
Nikky says
I used wholegrain flour and rice malt syrup / honey and i just stirred it. I didnt beat it. it came out so gooey and sweet! Yum. It does have a bit of a tangy bite to it. But i think i put too much bi carb. My mistake. But between me and my 2 kids we ate half in one go! We couldnt stop!
Claudia says
Ohhh thesee look amaaazing!! We never have white/pastry flour in the house since I try to stay away from them , and usually use oat or spelt flour for baking. Do you think spelt or oat flour would work? I have made muffins before using the dough of a banana bread recipe that called for spelt and oat flour and they turned out great! I would love to see more recipes from you using healthier flours like spelt :)
Sam says
Oh my god these were so amazing!! I made them for my sisters and mum for our lent treats and they LOVED THEM. They hate beets, too, so I had to conceal the cupcakes’ true identity until they were safely in their happy mouths. We had an amazing fallback chocolate cake but it was full of oil and bad stuff, and this has become our new one! I love your blog Dana and I check up almost every day in hope of a new recipe :)
Valerie says
Can coconut or soy milk be used in place of almond milk, or is that an important taste in the mix?
You can sub that!
mariaK says
hi, wanted to try these, is difficult to get almond milk in India, but not coconut milk and soy milk – but i was thinking if it ok to add almond extract to regular milk as a sub.? pl advice- thnks
Zoe says
Wow!!!!!!
gretchen says
I am going to make these for my 2/14 Yoga Class! You reference orange juice in the blending process but there isn’t any OJ in the ingredient list. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t miss something. Thanks!
Barrie says
So any “cupcake” that I can make my kids that includes beets…it is awesome. i am a huge fan of this recipe and have make it exactly as written twice. I love it, and more importantly for me, my kids love it- thank you for posting!
rachel says
Hi, quick question- should I peel the beets before roasting them?
Hanna says
Any thoughts on how sweet they would be without the added sugar? Adding 3/4 cup is significant, but roasted beets are so deliciously sweet already. They may not add enough, but I’m curious to try and see what happens. (Fun fact: Most processed white sugar in the US comes from beets, or so I’ve heard.)
annette says
no thats sugar beet which is different from beetroot !
Joshua Jones says
would this batter be enough to make a cake size? im wanting to use this recipe for my birthday cake, the cake is for around 6 people
Melissa K says
Hi! I looked for beet hummus, came upon your page…and had a blue link (to roast the beets) yet it’s the beet cupcakes… Can’t find anywhere on how YOU roast beets.. Advise? Please and thanks… I want to try the hummus AND the cupcakes now ;)
Ruth says
my son lovvvveesss these. thank you so much!!! he almost finished half the batch in two days!!
Susie says
I made these cupcakes last night. They were a big hit with the kids and my husband! I’m planning on making these for my sons swim team! Thanks for the recipe! I have to say that I have made several of your recipes and they all get great reviews from my family. Thanks again!
Audrey says
I was so disappointed the day I learned that red velvet cake was simply red because of food coloring :((( For some reason, I believed that cranberries tinted it red (yeah, I know, silly me ;) ) BUT i’m thinking this could be an alternative!! Wonder how this would taste with a regular cake batter (minus the chocolate basically), what do you think?
Minus the cocoa powder, you’ll have to add other dry ingredients to compensate the texture. Let me know if you give it a try!
Grace says
I made these for the holidays; pureed some boiled beets and subbed down the sugar to 2/3 cup since I find beets to be really sweet. Next time, I’ll only fill the cup half way because these rose so high! dome shaped. Thanks for sharing recipe!
Allison Roe says
I have made these cupcakes a number of times and every time the reaction is the same: YUM! The beets keep things moist and delicious, a nice change for a gluten-free cupcake.
Hycinth says
Hi,Absolutely amazing recipe,made them with the students and staff at our special needs school in the Uk.Everyone loved them,could not taste the beets,well risen,large cupcakes,so moist and the taste of chocolate,wow!Cooked school grown beet on hob the night before; with out scrubbing them.Students rubbed of skins;today.Used recommended conversion chart,cows milk,100 percent cacao powder from Holland and Barratt and melted coconut nut oil in microwave and half an American cup of beets.Cakes did not stick at all and we were very popular.In addition family loved.Froze loads of beets in the freezer.I now need ,it to be gluten free for some special student at school.Please help.Thanks.
Amrutha says
Hi Dana,
What would be the measurements to convert it to a cake?
Cheers!
Amu
Katie says
These cupcakes are absolutely delicious! I often make them as a healthy dessert when we have company and everyone enjoys them. I like to add coconut whipped cream as an added treat.
Nidhi says
So wonderful!! The cake is incredibly moist and holds together perfectly. Only one change I would make- I made it with whole wheat pastry flour and can slightly taste it, so I think next time around I’ll do all purpose. This is definitely going in my arsenal of recipes to fool vegan-skeptics!
Nina Zippay says
Thank you for the great recipe! I teach cooking classes for kids and we’re making mini-versions today. We did a test this morning and I posted a photo on instragam giving full credit, of course.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Nina!
J See says
I tried the cupcake. It is very moist except the bitter metal taste from baking soda or baking powder. It always happened to my baking. Any way to avoid that? Maybe not use baking soda at all or cut in half? Please advise.
Hmm, you could try cutting it in half. I haven’t had that happen to me before.
J See says
I tried not using baking soda at all and it worked. Taste so good… Thx!
Hannah says
Hi there! Just wondering if you could substitute the flour for gf flour? Or a blend?
Mary-Claire says
I used Namaste Foods GF flour, and they turned out well.
Chitra Chitra says
I don’t have baking powder, only soda. How do I substitute it?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi, we haven’t tried it, but apparently you can make baking powder from cream of tartar and baking soda. You can find recipes online by searching “how to make baking powder.” Hope that helps!
Natalie says
Hi Dana,
I made these cupcakes yesterday & they were delicious! Thank you for the recipe! :)
I wanted to make them suitable for my 13 month old baby girl who we’re not giving processed sugar to yet, so I substituted 1/4 cup maple syrup & 1/2 cup unsweetened canned apple for the sugar. They tasted great! Not sweet, but very fudgy & chocolatey. I also used two vacuum packed beetroots that were already cooked & peeled (with nothing added), which saved me time. The ones I had made up 1/2 cup exactly – perfect! I blitzed them in my Magimix food processor & threw everything else in there as well, which was really quick & saved on the washing up too ;)
Molly says
These were great! A bit too dry.. For the next time, will I be able to substitute the sugar for maple or another sweetener?
I wouldn’t sub all of it, but up to half should be fine!
Sarah Rimmer says
I’m making these for my niece’s 2nd birthday on the weekend. Beets were abit out of my price range so I bought a tin of baby beets. I was just wondering do I still need to roast them for 1 hour like in the recipe for the fresh beets? Also will 1 tin of baby beets be enough?
Thanks :)
If they’re in a cna, they should be cooked! As long as they’re tender and can be pureed, they should be fine!
Heidi says
Wow! This was my third muffin recipe of yours that I’ve tried in the past three weeks, and you’ve hit two home runs and one to third base. This one was a home run! It was my first time making a chocolate beet recipe and they are delicious. Thank you. And please keep on making such amazing recipe.
Megan says
Not bad! I made three batches ( I have SO many cupcakes now!)
1. I forgot the oil, and cooked for 22 minutes. Not completely done, and were sticky. Still gobbled up though!
2. Used oil, and baked for 25 minutes. I used EVOO for a coconut-sensitive friend. She loved them, but they were still sticky to the paper.
3. Used coconut oil, and cooked for 25 min. I tried one a little after cooling, and it was still sticking to the paper. BUT! I tried one 4 hours later and it slid right off the paper. I’ll have to remember to make these a day in advance for any event!
In addition, I used powdered sugar on top, too :) wonderful amount of sweetness, and easy to travel with.
thank you!!
Levon says
I was wondering how 2 medium beets result in only a half cup beet puree. That does not sound right.
Isabel says
True, I used 1 beet and it turned in almost 1 cup puree.
Michelle says
Awesome Fudgey cake! Made this twice now. Second time I doubled it and baked in a glass casserole pan, served with fresh blueberries on top. So good. Definitely so good it doesn’t even need frosting.
Sarah says
Just made these- they are the best cupcakes I’ve ever made and you can’t taste the beets. SO GOOD!!
Moniqe says
Hello,
I hope you’re still answering questions about your wonderful fudge cupcakes. I must bake a batch of them for this weekend. I want to prove that vegan baking is not for people living in the woods to my friends. Question: Can I use almond or coconut or any non-wheat flour? Thank you
Elizabeth says
The issue with coconut flour is that it absorbs liquids like a sponge. I find that if I need to use coconut flour I have to add eggs…though some people swear by olive oil (I personally do not cook with olive oil. When it reaches a certain temperature it becomes trans fat). So if you do use coconut flour you will need to add in some other starches like tapioca starch.
Clarissa says
Hi there, I was wondering if the cupcakes could be put in the freezer for max 5 days and still come out okay.
Ryann says
I just made these and they are sooooo delicious, and roommate approved! However, I used honey as my sweetener, skipped the vanilla extract because I was out of it, and used carob powder instead of cacao powder. Even with these substitutions, they were delicious! I will definitely be making these again.
Elizabeth says
My family tries to follow a paleo diet so I altered the recipe a bit. Instead of canola oil I used melted coconut oil. Instead of raw sugar I used coconut sugar. I left the flour in, I’m still working on a good baking blend of my own creation. I’m excited to see how these come out!
Let me know if you come up with any breakthroughs Elizabeth! I’d love to know :D
Elizabeth says
Absolutely! So far I have really enjoyed cooking with almond flour and coconut flour. I try to avoid xantham gum. I might try adding in flax meal to one of the blends. I’m having weight loss surgery and paleo is a very good diet to be on after it’s done. High protein. We can’t have a lot of gluten/bread products.
Annette says
These are delicious made with Americas test kitchen gf flour blend. Every tin I make these my husband says they taste like a hostess cupcake, so last time I made them I piped some “cream” filling into the center and frosted them with chocolate frosting. It was a big hit. Thanks for a great recipe.
Jane says
Hi there! I doubled this recipe for a birthday cake, 2 8″ pans. It looked great when it came out, the skewer was clean, I did the whole filling and frosting thing, presented the cake but….something not quite right! The inside was kind of dense layers of chewy (not fudgy!) stuff. I’m not sure what went wrong? It is edible, but I realised trying something new for a birthday cake was perhaps not a good idea! If you have any thoughts on what might have happened please let me know! Did I mix it too much?
MB says
This reminds me of the vegan pan cake on King Arthur’s site (an old recipe). The beets seem to make the texture more dense which is nice. Somehow they don’t quite satisfy my dessert craving… perhaps if they had icing to kick it up a notch they would. Still though, they’re tasty.
Try this recipe next!
lffSodium says
I think your sodium per serving in the nutritional information is a typo. Should be about 144 mg per cupcake not 41.
Nicole says
Has anyone tried these with gluten free flour yet? I read through without seeing any responses to how they turned out.. Maybe ill just try anyway ;)
This is very close to the original recipe but is gluten free. Give that a try!
Not yet to my knowledge, but this recipe is very similar!
Judith says
This is such a great recipe! I substituted the almond milk with coconut milk and also cooked the beets in boiling water instead of roasting them. My cupcakes came out very fudgy and moist, and my coworkers and friends really enjoyed them. They were so surprised when I told them the cupcakes were vegan and had beets in them.
Great to hear!!
Alicia says
Made these last week and LOVED them! I hate beets and have thrown them out because they spoiled before I could figure out what to do but now I know how amazing these are and will definitely be making them again and again! Brought them to work and my co-workers loved them! It was only after that I told them they had beets in them : )
Amber says
These looked fantastic.. But I was a bit skeptical, tried this recipe out today and it’s quite good. I subbed the flour for AP Gf flour and swapped the sugar for brown sugar, turned out great :)
Novice baker says
Any taste issues using white pastry flour instead of wheat?
Mycale E says
You know that Cosby Show episode with Cliff, Olivia, a cake, and paper towels? The only thing that saved me from carving the center out of my cake was that one layer had a rounded top. That tiny taste is enough to hold me over until tomorrow. I doubled the recipe, baked it in two springform pans(30ish minutes), frosted the middle and top with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, stacked them, then popped the outer ring back on the pan. Now it’s read for the trip to Portland.
Your recipe is flawless and doubles beautifully. My coconut milk didn’t curdle much and the coconut oil solidified while mixing but it didn’t affect the end product. Any thoughts on how date paste/purée would do as a substitute for some of the sugar?
Kristen says
Delicious!! I added a chocolate glaze made from melted Enjoy Life mini chips and rice milk to make them more like traditional cupcakes. I love sneaking veggies into baked goods, and this recipe is wonderful! :)
Melissa says
Hi Dana,
These look delicious. I have one question though. Could you bake these without having to cook the beets? (i.e., just using the raw beets)
Thank you!
Melissa C.
I didn’t try that but it’s totally worth a shot! Another person used carrot puree and I’m pretty sure applesauce would work, too. Let me know what you try!
Kelsey says
My daughter with food allergies loves cupcakes. I have tried several different vegan beet cupcakes and these are THE BEST! The other recipes were so gross I wouldn’t eat them and gave them all to my daughter…but THESE CUPCAKES ARE AMAZING! Thank you!!!
Kalyani says
Hi! Just putting these in the oven and doubled the recipe, do you think they freeze well?
meg says
Love it! I’ve never bought beets before, I recently started getting organic veggies delivered and there were some in this weeks box. Having no idea what to do worth them, I stumbled on this recipe. I’ll now be keeping an eye out for more beet dessert recipes.
I used G.F. flour, organic cane sugar, and a little extra coconut oil (I wasn’t paying attention to my measurmeets haha). Nothing about the taste suggests they are GF, vegan, or have vegetables in them! I’ll be handing them out to my friends and family to see their reactions, without telling them what’s in them first!
Purna says
I’m curious, can we use the beets boiled in water or raw? I know the flavor won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll save me some time. ;) I’ll try it with almond flour and flaxseed/water mixture instead of the flour and coconut oil (allergic). Thanks for sharing!
Amy J says
Doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9′ springform pan for about 42 minutes. It turned put great. I started checking at 20 minutes, the doubled recipe did take about 42 minutes to bake. Afterwards I sliced it to make a layered cake with tofu based chocolate cream filling and Nuevo Raw’s chocolate ganche for the icing. Killer. Also, I used canned beets because I was lazy and in a hurry to bake the cake. So I would say that while usually I am against using food from a can there should be no substitution issue, boiling beets now to make another cake. Single serve blenders work fine for small amounts of beets so if you have one you can just cook what you need.
Stéphanie says
INSANELY good!!!!
My daughter is turning 4 next week and she asked for this cake… a multi layers version with strawberry jam/purée. I bet everyone will love this decadent cake!
Anyone know of a great lactose free / vegan frosting?!?!
Thanks
September says
Love this ! BUT… No tin foil !!! You can get roast beets fine without poisoning yourself. Tin foil is NOT ment to cook in. It is ment to keep things warm AFTER they are cooked. I have had a bumper crop of beets this year and although I’ve made several beet cakes so far I’m excited to try this one. Minis the foil.
Michele says
These cupcakes were amazing. I have a dairy allergy, and my neighbors daughter has a dairy and egg allergy. When I found this recipe, I hit the store for some fresh beets. Followed the recipe exactly. I have three fussy boys and they were eating them before I made icing for on them. They said you couldn’t taste the beets, and if they didn’t know any better they would have sworn it was my heavenly chocolate cake which is loaded with buttermilk. I think I will double the recipe and turn it into a cake since I have leftover beets that way I don’t waste them. Thanks so much for the easy and tasty recipe.
Yay! Great news. So glad you all enjoyed them :D
Michele says
Dana,
I had left-over pureed beets. I thought about doubling the recipe and making it into a 9 x 13 cake. I will let you know how it turns out. Gave my neighbor your information. Her daughter has a dairy and egg allergy. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah B says
I attempted to make these and they burned halfway through cooking! I’m not a very experienced baker – I’m not sure what I did wrong! :( I followed the recipe with the exception of not curdling the almond milk (I was out of vinegar). Then baked @ 375 for 22 minutes. At 11 minutes my stove gave me a fancy “your foods on fire” beep/code and I had very black topped cupcakes to take outside. Baking Fail. :( Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Hmm, this was the first report I’ve had of this problem, so I assume it was either faulty ingredient or not curdling the milk. Better luck next time!
Stéphanie says
Celcius versus Farenheit temperature maybe (I don’t know). But its surely not the curdling of the milk s I didn’t either for a couple of times I did the recipe (just forgot) and they turned out great!
Sarah B says
Well, turns out my oven was on the fritz. The temperature regulator had gone out. shortly after “the muffin incident” it started burning everything! But now it is all fixed. :) Time to try to make some more!
SarahL says
I have made these cupcakes a couple of times and they have turned out moist, chocolatey and delicious each time. I decided to try making it as a cake this time and after reading an earlier comment I decided on a 23cm cake tin (9 inches). I cooked it for 25min and the cake texture and flavour turned out great, however it was very flat! Next time I will either double the recipe or use a much smaller tin. I also just used raw beetroot that was very finely grated and I didn’t notice a difference from when I used cooked beetroot. Thank you, will definitely be a recipe I use again and again :-)
Jacqueline McSpedon says
Made these yesterday for a kiddie pool party and they were amazing!! I did top them off with a simple cream cheese frosting and sprinkled some mini chocolate chips on top and everyone raved abut how super moist and not overly sweet they were.
Thank you for an amazing recipe!
STORM says
I’ve made this recipe twice in the past 5 days, substituting coconut oil with applesauce in the second batch. Still phenomenal. I topped them with some carob chips and a glaze of coconut milk combined with vanilla and icing sugar. The cupcakes were made as birthday gifts and recipient #1 replied with serious High 5s. Second batch will be gifted tomorrow. I expect the same reaction. After posting pics of them online, I’m receiving requests for more. Splendid work putting this recipe together. Mucho gracias. :-)
sandra says
I just baked them they came out perfect and very moist. I glazed them in white chocolate. ..very yummmmy.
nicole says
hey there! I just made these and they are delicious, but the batter turned out crumby, not like a normal batter as someone also experienced above, and i’m not sure what i did wrong. i used organic coconut flour and grated the beets like mentioned (as opposed to making a purée), but other than that followed the recipe and measurements. does anyone have tips on making these so they turn out moist? they would be greatly appreciated!
coconut flour absorbs moisture like crazy. That’s the issue!
Nicole says
Ahh thank you!!
Melissa says
These are delicious, but I am hoping to make a cake, not cupcakes… If i doubled the recipe, do you think that I would have enough for two 9-inch cakes?
Yeah! I think that should work!
Em says
Beautiful cupcakes, with a lovely texture, but my family and I all agree they weren’t chocolatey enough. I made an uber-chocolate glaze for the top and that saved them. I would be interested in trying to tweak the recipe, though, to try to make them more flavorful.
BR says
I tried and was underwhelmed. Texture/moisture was nice but the flavor was meh. A few missteps: 1) almond milk doesn’t curdle/sour with vinegar. While that’s a popular method for making buttermilk with animal milk, the almond milk doesn’t react the same way. The chemistry is wrong, and moreover does this really need this to be a ‘buttermilk’ based recipe? 2) Rather than sifting the cocoa in with the flour, I also suggest blooming the cocoa with one of the liquid ingredients to develop and enhance the chocolate flavor. This is THE most common reason most chocolate cakes aren’t very chocolatey. I debated doing it for this recipe but believe one has to review the recipe as written, not tweak it and then grumble about bad results. Too often recipes forget baking is a delicate process that relies on the chemical properties of the ingredients and interactions between them (fat, water, protein, acid, heat, leavening), and add more frosting or other garnish to make up for it. I applaud no-frosting cupcakes, but you need to bloom the cocoa to make it work.
Eve says
What is blooming? I simply doubled the cocoa powder, and also added some chopped chocolate. Next time I’ll get hold of chocolate drops instead.
I’ve heard that soy milk curdles with vinegar, can you comment on that? Also I think the vinegar is part of the egg substitution process.
Eve says
We’ve made these twice. The first time they tasted a little odd, rather earthy and not that chocolatey. The second time we doubled the cocoa powder, added a bit of chopped chocolate, a smidgen extra sugar, some broken pecan nuts, and 1.5tsp fake coffee powder (not sure it needed that), and they were great. Not too sweet, but thoroughly chocolatey. and definitely worth making again. Though I wouldn’t call them fudgy. Perhaps we should have reduced the cooking time?
Eve, thanks for sharing your experience! I call them fudgy because they’re super moist and chocolatey. If you’d like to reduce the cooking time, that would definitely make them a bit more fudgy. Hope that helps!
Eve says
I wouldn’t really call them “super chocolatey”, since we had to double the cocoa and add extra chocolate before they actually tasted of chocolate. As for moist, well, they held together very well for vegan baking, but once you start to eat them they fall apart, is that “super moist”?
BR says
Totally agree Eve. See my comment about blooming cocoa.
Eve says
However, they turned into lovely cupcakes with fairly basic tweaking, so it’s definitely a recipe to hang onto.
Succulent Succotash says
Have you or your readers tried to make a gluten-free version out of this recipe?
laura says
these were a big hit at the BBQ i just brought them to. thanks for the delicious recipe! i didn’t see the double choc. beet muffin recipe until after i made these, but i’ll definitely be trying that one out next. can’t wait!
Great! If you liked the cupcakes you’ll LOVE the muffins.
Aimee B. says
These are AMAZING! Definitely one of our favorite chocolate cupcakes. No one would ever guess they contain beets. I would give them more than 5 stars if I could! :)
Yay! That’s what I like to hear ;D
Eiko says
These are incredibly delicious! I threw in about half a cup of chocolate chips at the end, and they added a little extra something. I can taste the teeniest hint of beet but I’m guessing that’s because I used large beets (and really it’s only if I’m looking for it; otherwise I’d never know). Next time I’ll try using smaller, fresher beets. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Nice! Yeah, chocolate chips have to be awesome in these. So glad you enjoyed it, Eiko! Thanks for sharing.
Lin says
Hi Dana
Really love your recipes they’re awesome!
Would it be possible to turn these cupcakes into red velvet cupcakes if I used just 1 Tbsp chocolate powder?
And do I have to substitute something else for the rest of the chocolate powder in the original recipe?
Red Velvet is based with cocoa powder and I believe relies on food coloring for the red hue. If you’re looking for more of a beet-red color, check out my vegan lava cakes!
Anne says
I tried this recipe this past weekend and they were amazing – SO decadently fudgy!! I used applesauce as I didn’t have any beets to hand but would love to try it again with beets!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Anne!
Jilla says
Ok the *only* thing I think is missing from this recipe page is the yield amount, unless I missed it somewhere! Do you have an idea of how many cupcakes this recipe makes? Secondly, have you done this recipe using coconut and/or tapioca flour? I don’t own all-purpose flour and generally use those alternative flours for baking, but I’m not sure how much of each to use.
Thanks!
I believe it the Yield it said 10 cupcakes. I haven’t tried it with any other flours so I’m no help there. But, feel free to experiment and let me know if you do!
Abbey says
Did you ever try these with coconut flour?
Brenda says
Our 4 year-old and I made these this afternoon instead of going to the mall…AMAZING results. Excited to eat one later on…
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Brenda!
Karen says
thank you for this! First time using beet in a cake recipe. I totally forgot to add the coconut oil, which I had set aside to liquify and they still turned out great, without any fat added! I cut them in half and spread a little sugar-free raspberry jam on them. So delicious! Thanks again :)
Mycale E says
Yes! These were exactly as described fudgy, moist, and rich without a hint of beet. These are the perfect chocolate cupcakes and they passed the taste test at work. They couldn’t detect the beets and even said they taste just like boxed devil’s food cake. The second test will come tonight when I take them to a March Madness party!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed these, Mycale :D
jana says
Hi. What arte the ingredients in grams please. I am from UK> And I dont know the cup measurements.
Thaaaaank you. Jana x
Jana, I’d suggest using an online conversion tool such as this one!
Stacie says
You have a recipe for all the lonely items in my fridge! I had two lovely, organic beets sitting in there with a forgotten purpose. Why not turn them into a fudgy dessert! Yay! I destroyed my kitchen when a malfunction (actually, user error) caused beet juice to spray everywhere! Ha! Oh well, I didn’t care so much once the yummy treats were done. Kids are excited about taking them for snack today at day care! I feel like a super mom because my kids are eating beets!!!! Thanks!
ha! A beet malfunction is the worst! Glad the mess was worth the effort, Stacie. Cheers!
Pia says
Dana – Can I use regular whole milk? Thanks. Pia
Vidya says
Amazing recipe! I just made it tonight and it was simply amazing! I cannot believe how soft it turned out :) and it was the right amount of sweetness (without any chocolate powder or sugar on top). I stuck the beetroot in the pressure cooker instead of the oven. Also, I used cows milk instead of almond/soy milk. Everything else was the same. Excellent recipe! I’m about to send this off to my long distance love for Valentine’s Day :) <3 Hope he loves it too!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these, Vidya! Happy V-Day!
meenaL says
Lovely n health cupcakes.was wondering if I can use cows milk instead of almond milk.hope I would get the same results.your advice is appreciated. Thanks.
yes, that would work fine!
Caroline says
Dana, these look amazing! I am making cupcakes for a birthday today, and the guest of honor is not a fan of veggies—I wonder if anyone will notice? ;)
Kaitlin says
I came across this recipe out of desperation. I love beets. My husband, however, cannot stand them. My CSA box has been loaded for the past few weeks with them, so I’ve been desperately trying to find something that would get my husband to eat beets. And WOW. These are INCREDIBLE. So chocolatey and super moist. My husband devoured these and requested I make more. I gave the recipe to my parents who had a guest coming into town. My parents loved them and the guest asked for the recipe as well. I currently have beets roasting in my oven so I can make another batch today. Thank you!!!
Anna says
I’m so excited to try this. How long would you bake mini cupcakes?
Probably half the time? Check them every few minutes after the halfway mark for doneness. Hope that helps!
Tessa@tessaDomesticDiva says
I have always loved the color of beets…..so vibrant and beautiful! It is one of of the very few foods I have ever been able to enjoy, although I keep trying!
I tried again today with these….and while they turned out with a perfect crumb and texture, I could still taste the ‘dirty’ beet taste. maybe not all beets are created equal…kind of like some carrots taste dirty instead of sweet too.
I made mine gluten free….1/3 toasted quinoa flour, 1/3 sprouted brown rice flour, and a touch of sweet rice flour and 1/2 teaspoon guar gum.
I also used palm sugar instead of cane sugar. I will try this again with pumpkin or sweet potato purée instead!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Tessa. I didn’t detect the beets, but I some beets may be “dirtier” than others. An easy alternative would be subbing butternut squash or applesauce next time!
Alysha says
Hey! Recipe looks amazing. Just wondering if stevia or coconut sugar can be used as a replacement for sugar??
Alysha, I’m not sure on this but if I had to guess I’d say stevia could be subbed, just use less since it’s naturally sweeter. Coconut sugar should be a 1:1 trade. Hope that helps!
j-ro says
just made these last night and they have blown my and my fiance’s mind! So moist and delicious. I used quinoa flour and they turned out fantastic. I had to bake them for a lot longer though (almost 40 minutes) Thank you!
Whoop! Love to hear it.
Natasha says
Did u use the same amount of quinoa flour as this recipe calls for? Just wondering as i would love to bake these but want to make it gluten free. Was contemplating coconut flour as a substitute too. Any thoughts?
Jen says
Just made these at 3AM for my son’s classroom snack. Oh. My. Heavenly Goodness. Both raw and baked, this recipe has outdone itself. THANK YOU!
Theresa @ Two Much Fun says
These were absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for helping me to feed my little 3 1/2 year olds a yummy and healthy snack. We didn’t have any vanilla almond milk, so we used the dark chocolate almond milk and threw in 1/3 cup of melted dark chocolate chips in with the wet ingredients. The result, glossy dark cupcakes that were gobbled up in two days!
Jennifer says
I know I am a little late to the beet cupcake party, but thanks for posting this! These were so easy and delicious and even my husband who hates beets enjoyed them. So glad I discovered your site!
Love to hear it, Jennifer! So glad you both enjoyed them. I love sneaking veggies in wherever I can ;D
Monica Joy says
Thank you for posting this. I have made a vegan chocolate beet cake from Vegan Table, but wanted to make cupcakes instead. The verdict is in: Moist and delicious.
Thank you.
Also, I love everything about your site. It figures you live in Portland where all things are wonderful.
haha, thanks! We actually don’t live in Portland anymore, but it’s still one of our loves :D
Daniella says
Hi!
Had a go at the beet cupcakes, and mine came out REALLY dry and starchy. Not moist at all. I only baked them for exactly 22 min.
Any suggestions?
Thanks! :)
Monica Joy says
I made them last night and I only baked them for 22. They came out perfect! Not sure what went wrong for you. I used almond milk I made, and canola oil. I also used white flour versus pastry flour.
Monica
Jolene says
I’ll admit I was skeptical. Even reading the reviews, I thought “yeah right, there’s no way it’s that good”. But WOW. I’d never know that it was healthy OR vegan. I think it’s better than the original cupcake recipes… the ones with full fat, etc. I added a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top for a bit more sweetness which was the perfect accent to them. (I don’t know if powdered sugar is considered vegan- but I don’t know why it wouldn’t be).
I’m pretty picky about my sweets- so if you’ve won me over, then you’re more awesome than words can describe.
I would officially love you forever. But- I think I’ll just subscribe to your page instead! haha
Ksenia says
Do you think I could make the following replacements?
– agave for the sugar
– almond flour for the regular
-carob powder for chocolate
Abbey says
Did those substitutions end up working for you? I’m thinking of subbing coconut sugar for the sugar but I’d like to know how the almond flour went! Did it hold together? Thanks!
natalie says
Omg these were delicious! honestly one of the best cupcakes ive eaten let alone baked.. i ended up using less coconut oil because i ran out halfway through making these so added a tiny bit more beet puree and used some cream cheese butter icing on top afterwards that i had sitting in the fridge from my last baking endevour.. my husband and i are going to make short work of this batch. The beet i used was so huge! I have enough beet puree in my freezer for 3 more batches of cupcakes… all from just 1 beet! It was bought from an organic produce market here in new zealand.. so good! Thanks so much for this recipe
Elle says
They soUnd soo good.did anyone baked them with gluten free floure? Would appreciate your help before I start experimenting with baing beets. THANK YOu
Elle, I haven’t tried these with gluten free flour but I do think it’d work! I have a blend I use that I’d recommend trying. No guarantees, but if you try it let me know how it turns out!
Elle says
Hi Dana, thanks for your quick reply. I made them with cow’s milk and a mixture of barley and bought gluten free flour. They did not rise as much as yours in the picture, but were absolutely delicious. My friend and her 92 year old mum loved them and asked for a recipe!
Sara says
If you’re using gluten free flour because you need to be gluten free, you shouldn’t use barley! Major gluten! If it’s for another reason, then it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t not say something though :)
On that note, I will be making this gluten free (hopefully this week) so I’ll let you know how it goes!
Rachel says
How did it go? I’m planning on using a gluten free all-purpose flour, but want to make sure it’ll work! :)
Nikki says
I made these this weekend and while making it, I realized you never mentioned the rest of the 2 medium beets. They turned out great, but I only utilized the 1/2 cup and had a lot of “waste.” Was that the way you intended? Since it said to set aside the 1/2 cup, I assumed I would have needed the rest. Thanks for the clarification.
Good question, Nikki! Yes, since beets vary so greatly in size and they can be difficult to puree if there isn’t enough “bulk” in the food processor, I included 2 beets in the recipe. I did have leftover puree and used it to make Beet Hummus. Hope that helps!
Sefora says
Oh…my…goodness….THESE ARE AMAZING!!! I would never have guessed that these are vegan or have beets in them!!! I’m not a baker and these came out perfectly according to the recipe…I just had to come back and reply b/c they’re so awesome!
To make my life easier I used “steamed and peeled ready to eat baby beets” from Trader Joe’s that are vacuum sealed.
Cari says
I haven’t made them yet, but wonder how a touch of cayenne pepper would be in there? I LOVE spicy chocolate cupcakes!
Julie says
Yummy!!! I substituted Coconut Milk due to a nut allergy and 1/2 c. Buckwheat for part of the flour to add just a touch of protein and they are FABULOUS!! These are so yummy as Mini-Cupcakes since they are moist little bites.
Lauren says
LOVE them. This recipe is def my new go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. They were moist and delicious and vegan and had hidden veggies! What else could you ask for? I ended up using canned beets (that’s all I had on hand) and just skipped adding any additional salt. I can’t wait to try them with fresh, roasted ones!
Amy says
Is there a way to make these into brownies or bread instead of cupcakes? For example, could I put them in bread pan and that would be sufficient? I’m assuming I’d have to adjust the cook time and temp, any suggestions?
CC says
I just made these but they just came out crummy, no batter like consistency : ( What went wrong? They taste delicious just unable to bake, hmmmm
Patricia says
Yummy, yummy! These look so good & sound so interesting. Thanks for sharing! Great photos :)
Tieghan says
These look insanely delicious!
Trang says
Made a batch… These are just fabulous! Thanks for sharing !!!
Maluki says
Thank you for this recipe! I searched for vegan beet recipes never expecting to find this gem. I appreciate you posting alternatives ingredients because I was able to use the better options (coconut oil, turbinado sugar etc.). I will say this to people who plan to make these, I did not like the flavor of the sprinkled cocoa powder, although it looks pretty, it made the beet dirt-like flavor rather prominent. Other than that, VERY good!
Megan says
Hello again!
I left a comment a couple weeks ago about how delicious these cupcakes are!
I was wondering if you think it might work to make them into a cake?
I’m thinking layers of sliced strawberries and whipped coconut cream frosting…
375 degrees for 35-40 mins in cake pans?
I’d love your advice!
Thanks again
Megan, I think this would work fine. The batter seems pretty versatile and would likely work well in cane pans. Just keep an eye on it around the 25-30 minute mark and be careful not to overbake. Hope that helps!
teri says
just wondering how this worked out for you?
did it fully bake without burning the top at that temperature??? :)
they look incredible!
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
Hello Megan,
Did that work out for you? I want to make a beetroot chocolate cake and I was looking for a foolproof recipe so I don’t have to go through too many trials to get it right.
Thanks xoxo
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal says
Perfect recipe, I’ve been wanting to make beet cupcakes for a while and I love that these are fudgy – what is better than a fudgy yet HEALTHY cupcake? Nothing. Yum. Pinned.
Megan says
I just made these today and they are divine!
I added chocolate and carob chips hehe…
I’m usually not a cupcake person (I need dense, fudgy brownies to quell my cravings…) but I couldn’t resist the chocolate beet combination.
Thanks a bunch :)
Suzanne @RollWithIt says
WOW – these look delicious! Can’t wait to try them in a GF version.
Bridge says
mmm!! I love beets in desserts, especially with chocolate. These look lovely and supa moist.
sarah says
I love beets! I was just scheming up a beet muffin recipe, maybe I’ll just make these instead. They look so good!
Jasmine says
Dumb question but I’m dying to make these and don’t have beets!! Can we substitute the beets for something else?
I bet any root veggie or fruit puree would work in place of the beets, such as banana, pumpkin or sweet potato?
DessertForTwo says
I’m intrigued. Gotta make these :)
Cupcake Ideas says
Omg im drooling, look at those textures !
Jess says
It’s meant to be! I just roasted a bunch of beets over the weekend – can’t wait to try these!
Brittani says
Just made these, and they are SO worth not watching some super bowl! They are a perfect mix between fudgy and airy. I used the leftover beet puree to make a pretty pink glaze, and they couldn’t have turned out more pretty!
Adrienne Mearn says
How did you make the beet glaze? My 11 month old daughter has a ton of allergies and I’m going to make these for her bday (using quinoa flour instead). I’d love to have a frosting on top.
Sarah says
Beets in a chocolate cake is absolutely my favourite vegetable-cake combo. Followed closely by the cream cheese frosting off a carrot cake.
mandi says
Oooh…beets are my favorite. also, chocolate. Therefore, you are amazing and I cannot wait to see how they marry. Yumm…..
Kerrie C says
This look wonderful! I’ll definitely be making them for my hubby’s and my Valentine treat! One question: do I peel the beats before I roast them? I’ve juiced a beet with the skin on before and it tasted like dirt. Wanted to make sure I didn’t make “dirty” tasting cupcakes. Thanks! :)
Mariam says
These look soo good! I actually made chocolate zucchini muffins today :) I’ve never worked with beets before but I will very soon. In these babies!
Katie says
I LOVE beets. And cake. A match made in heaven.
Kiran S says
LOVE! I’m definitely going to give these delectable treats a try. Thank you!!
Taylor says
Valentine’s day treat for myself? I think yes. :)
emily says
I cannot wait to to these!! :) this would be a great valentines day treat <3
Ashley says
Pretty!! And yummy! I have red velvet beet donuts in the book! Might share them for vday on the blog. :)
Taylor says
Ooh please do, Ashley!
Um, yes. You should definitely do that. Definitely.
Kate says
I hope this question isn’t taboo but what are both of your thoughts on using canned beets instead of fresh ones? I’d love to try this recipe and have a few cans of beets to spare.
Kate, I’ve never used canned beets but I doubt there’s a HUGE difference in terms of flavor and texture. Give it a try and see how it works. Hope that helps!
Linda Thorne says
I used canned beets and it worked perfectly. I have made them both ways, roasted them the first time, no appreciable difference. These rock!
Linda says
I just made these with canned beetroot and I can’t imagine they’d be any more perfect with fresh ones! Straight out of the oven and I ate the first one to test it – the other two because I couldn’t stop :/ Soooooo good.
Vicki says
Thanks, Linda, this is great to know and will quicken the recipe up a bit. Appreciate you trying it and mentioning it.
witty says
I’d like to make these this weekend. I have canned beets. How much is the correct measurement? 1 cup? more? thank you!
Andrea says
With one can of whole beets drain and put in the blender, I ended up a little short of 1 cup of puree. If doubling or more you may want to buy 2 cans.
Vanessa Taylor says
What measurement of canned beets did you use?
Candace says
I would purée the canned beets and measure out 1/2 cup. ?
Vicki says