As they say, "Eat your veggies.” You’re welcome:
Recipe: Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
(GF/V/refined sugar-free)
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium cooked beets
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used coconut [carton, not in the can])
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup melted unrefined coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 generous cup of flour (I used a gluten-free all-purpose blend, but white or whole spelt, or unbleached regular wheat flour will work too)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 Tbls or more of water, beet cooking liquid (if you boil them), or extra unsweetened milk
Instructions:
Before you do anything, cook your beets! Roast or boil - it’s up to you. The goal: fully cooked/fork tender.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups and set aside.
Once your beets are cooked and still slightly warmed, puree beets in a blender or food processor. You can add a little water, beet cooking liquid, or unsweetened milk by the tablespoon to thin out the cooked beets. You want a puree, not a smoothie. Scoop out or pour a 1/2 cup of the pureed beets and set aside.
Whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup or bowl, and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle and make a sort of buttermilk.
Add the coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets and carefully whisk or beat until combined and foamy.
In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to remove any lumps.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Beat (by hand or with a mixer)/combine until no lumps remain.
Pour batter into lined cupcake pan, filling each a 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Once cooled, frost or eat as is!
Recipe: Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, roasted
8-10 oz. of dark chocolate (chips or chopped bar chocolate - the darker the better)
a pinch of sea salt
1 Tbl vanilla extract
Instructions:
Scoop out and slightly mash the roasted sweet potato from the skin and place in a small to medium sauce pan.
Bring the sweet potato mash to a simmer (you can add a little bit of water or unsweetened non-dairy milk to thin out, but only 1-2 Tbls at most) and remove from heat.
Add the dark chocolate, and stir until smooth. (If you want a super smooth texture, you can put the mixture in a food processor or use an immersion blender.)
Let it cool, stirring occasionally, until the frosting is at room temperature and spread on your cupcakes/cake (or maybe transfer to a container and store in your refrigerator for up to a week and eat by the spoonful…)
