We have an awesome cupcake store in our neighborhood and every now and then we take the kids by to enjoy a special treat. Without fail, their eyes are always drawn to the most colorful cupcakes in the display case. My kids may have no idea how a red velvet cupcake made with crimson food dye actually tastes, but put something like it in front of them and their immediate response is, “that one”.
My take on these cupcakes have a rich flavor, and while they aren’t as artificially red as the red velvet cupcakes which use chemical food dyes (and of course chocolate which this one doesn’t include), they (and their icing) get their bright, reddish-pink color from a surprising, delicious and 100% natural guest, roasted beets. Especially given the never-ending speculation about the connection between food dyes and hyperactivity in children, having smart alternatives for the artificially colored food that kids crave means I don’t have to deprive my little ones.
This doesn’t mean we’re not frequenting our local cupcake store any less often, but I always like reminding myself that whenever there’s something out there I may not be thrilled about my kids eating, figuring out how to make a healthier version is not at all impossible.
Red Beet Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large beet, roasted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Beet Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup beet puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift the first 4 ingredients into a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
- Pour about 1/3 cup into lined muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- Beet Cream Cheese Frosting (Make 2 Cups)
- Place all the ingredients in a mixer and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy. 2. Spread on cupcakes.
Could I make this into a cake? Which size pan to use and at what temperature and how long in the oven? I am all out of AP flour, could I sub all with whole wheat flour? And could I sub the honey with maple syrup? I am also out of honey. I am looking forward to making this on Saturday for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. We made your green spinach mini muffins for a daycare potluck party and all love it!
Call me wind because I am abulsotely blown away.
[…] Weelicious – Red Beet Cupcakes […]
[…] Weelicious – Red Beet Cupcakes […]
I just made this cupcake, color was vibrant until it was baked. The cupcakes didn’t have the red coloring to it anymore, it was dulled. All in all, the cupcakes did tastes good.
[…] think beets are a traditional ingredient in aebleskiver, but they are becoming popular in baked goods and even burgers. If you don’t like beets, I suggest using applesauce instead of the mashed […]
I made a devil’s food cake instead of this recipe and added pureed beets to the batter before baking. Then strained leftover beet puree and used the juice in the cream cheese icing. They were so delicious No one ever thought there were beets in them.
[…] Red Beet Cupcakes […]
I just made these today. I used whole wheat flour, subbed brown rice syrup for the honey and added the cocoa powder because I wanted them to be more muffin like than cupcakes. I made them as mini muffins and my three year old kept stealing them off the cooling rack as quick as I could put them on, he ended up eating 12 just for lunch :P.
[…] Red Beet Cupcakes with Red Beet frosting is a delightfully flavored reddish cupcake that kids of all ages can enjoy without the chemical colors and dyes in some other brightly colored desserts. These tasty and naturally colored treats get their lovely color, texture, and flavor from roasted beets. Even the cream cheese frosting can be colored with the pureed beet. Most will eat this lovely cupcake without ever knowing vegetables are involved unless you tell them. Source Weelicious […]
[…] Red Beet Cupcakes with Red Beet frosting is a delightfully flavored reddish cupcake that kids of all ages can enjoy without the chemical colors and dyes in some other brightly colored desserts. These tasty and naturally colored treats get their lovely color, texture, and flavor from roasted beets. Even the cream cheese frosting can be colored with the pureed beet. Most will eat this lovely cupcake without ever knowing vegetables are involved unless you tell them. Source Weelicious […]
Is there any alternative sweetener I could use in the frosting? Like brown rice syrup or malt barley syrup? And would I have to add any dry item to make up for the moisture addition?
[…] Red Beet Cupcakes with Red Beet frosting is a delightfully flavored reddish cupcake that kids of all ages can enjoy without the chemical colors and dyes in some other brightly colored desserts. These tasty and naturally colored treats get their lovely color, texture, and flavor from roasted beets. Even the cream cheese frosting can be colored with the pureed beet. Most will eat this lovely cupcake without ever knowing vegetables are involved unless you tell them. Source Weelicious […]
Well, these sure sound healthy! I had some roasted beets that no one in my family, except for me, would eat by themselves. So …. I needed to bake something. These cupcakes need some sugar I think, but then again, I am not planning on putting icing on them. They taste more like healthy muffins than cupcakes. But still good. We will se what my three- year- old will say.
In case anyone is wondering, I did make these with canned beets and the cocoa and they are fantastic. I made a frosting of some butter, cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and beet juice.