Beet-Cacao Cupcakes

beet cacao cupcakes

I have a sweet tooth. A pretty insatiable one at that. But I like to get creative about how to satisfy it and usually do so with really good quality dark chocolate or lately - inserting healthy ingredients into desserts. Sometimes you just need to make cupcakes. And while this dessert is definitely a cupcake - it looks - tastes, and feels like one, it's full of beets. Beets go SO well with chocolate - adding to that depth of moist, chocolatey flavor, and I promise you cannot taste them one bit. Your kitchen, however, may get a bit messy. I hope you enjoy this recipe and all the wonderful 'grounding' energy of eating root veggies like beets. 

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium beets
  • 1 cup unsweetened nut milk (I used almond) 
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup raw turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
  • scant 1/2 cup cacao powder or unsweetened coco powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt 
  • (optional) frozen or fresh fruit of choice (I used frozen cherries)


Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stem and most of the root from your beets and wash them clean.
  2. Wrap beets in foil drizzle a bit of oil on them, wrap tightly so they don't leak, and roast for about an hour or until tender.
  3. Once cooled, puree beets in a blender or food processor, adding a bit of water (or even OJ) to ensure they mix. Measure out about 1/2 cup and set aside. Use the rest in a smoothie, add it to rice, veggies, etc.
  4. Line your muffin pan with paper liners
  5. Whisk almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to combine and curdle (about 5 minutes)
  6. Add the flour, cacao, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift into wet ingredients while mixing.  Using a large fork, or a mixer, beat batter until smooth
  7. Pour into liners filling about 3/4 of the way full. Optional: Add fruit of choice into batter, pressing gently down into each tin (I used 2 frozen cherries for each cupcake) 
  8. Bake anywhere from 18-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Let cool and enjoy!!


(this recipe is vegan and was inspired by the minimalist baker) 

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