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.
