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 purée 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.
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.
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 ?
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!
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.
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!
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?
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!!!
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!
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’.
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?
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!
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)!
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
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.
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?
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!
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.
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
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!
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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
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!!!
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?
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?
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?
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.