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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”.
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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.
Steaming would add extra liquid to the beets but I don’t see any reason not too. 🙂
would steaming the beats instead of roasting affect the recipe any? We LOVE your sweet potato muffins and I steam the sweet potatoes instead of roasting as it is alot faster.
unfortunately no, they are best made with fresh beets 🙂
Can you use canned beets instead of fresh?
where did you get the sprinkles?
I always substitute oil with applesauce when baking. Works great and healthy too!
What can I substitute the oil with?
The color of the frosting is amazing! I love that you found a great sub for artificial food dyes. I will definitely have to try this!
I’m obsessed with beets right now! Can’t wait to try these. Trader joes has beets already peeled and roasted in the refrigerated section. That could cut down on time;)
I love beets so i am excited to try these. We don’t get fresh beets up here in the hinterland but i love canned beets (rinsed) so thanks for including the cup measurements. Thanks for the fun recipe!
These are adorable! I’ll definitely be making some for my daughter’s third birthday next weekend!
Can you just omit the cream cheese (from the frosting) & up the butter & sugar? I need a cream cheese free icing 🙂
I roast beets by simply sticking them in a pan in the oven at 375. Don’t bother to cut them up or peel them or anything. Once they’re done (poke with a fork to check, start checking after about 30 minutes), let them cool. Then the peel slips right off and you can use however you want.
I’m also wondering how you roast a beet…cut up then bake under a high heat? Thx.
I tried this a while ago for my son’s 1st birthday. I think the dye works well in the frosting, but my cupcakes turned out dirt brown. Well, at least they *looked* healthy, like they were whole wheat or something. But they did turn out incredibly moist, and I wonder if the beet juice helped contribute to that.
My husband hates beets but liked this when I made it as a cake with the regular cream cheese frosting (listed where I originally found this recipe) and topped with strawberries and blackberries. It was a big hit!