These fudgy beetroot chocolate muffins are such a great wholesome snack to enjoy when craving chocolate. They are super moist, oil-free, extra easy to make and made with veggies! And you won't even need to cook the beets first!
I had to buy a large bag of big & juicy red beets when testing my beetroot sandwich recipe. I dragged the large cluster of beets on the counter and could see my husband staring while wondering what he was going to eat over and over again that week to suit my blogging extravaganza.
So yes, we had a bunch of bright red sandwiches for lunch that week. But as I was shredding beets for the sandwich recipe, it also inspired me to come up with something sweet that's made out of beets. Beets are naturally high in sugar, which pairs very well with dessert.
So, shredded-beets-hiding-in-chocolate-muffins it is!
And what's even more amazing about these healthy vegan muffins is that they are made using mashed avocado in place of oil or added fat. My baking-intuitive-minded sister actually brought that idea to me, thinking that the avocado would help create a great moist texture to this wholesome oil-free muffin recipe. And it worked out so well.
I also noticed how many desserts including beets requires to actually cook the beets first. This adds an extra step that I wanted to avoid. This recipe is easier and quicker as you will use the shredded beets that are still completely raw. I hope you like them!
What's to love about these vegan beet muffins
- They are nutrient dense and completely made using wholesome ingredients (ok, sure, minus the chocolate chips...).
- Oil-free, nut-free (choose oat milk and allergen free chocolate chips) and sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar.
- They have a great cake-y texture and intense chocolate flavor, which feels a little like an indulging treat (but really, you are eating vegetable, omg).
- They are rich in fiber and makes for a great filling snack, breakfast or dessert.
- Well, did I mentionned that they are made with veggies?
Can you taste the beets and avocado in these beetroot chocolate muffins?
Just like in these vegan red velvet cookies, you might taste the beets a little, but the predominant flavor is definitively chocolate, which mostly hides the beet and avocado taste. Also, beet is naturally high in sugar and known to work well with chocolate flavor, which you will really enjoy in these muffins.
Benefits of making these chocolate muffins with beets
Other than trying to sneak in extra veggies in your kids's dessert or impress friends with your healthy vegan baking skills, there is a lot of great things that beet does when baking with them.
- Texture. Shredded raw beets will release some of their juice while baking. This helps to create a moist and fudgy texture.
- Color. The unique deep red color from beets combined with the dark raw cacao powder creates a beautiful red velvet appetizing color.
- Flavor. Beets are so sweet! Their hearty sweet flavor also pairs so well with the chocolate.
- Nutrients. It goes without saying that beets will adds extra health benefits to these muffins (oh hello fiber, antioxidant betalaine and healthy carbohydrate).
What you'll need
- Whole wheat flour. You can also use all purpose flour is that's what you have.
- Ground flax seeds. I grind mine in a high speed blender, but you can also buy already ground flax seeds (store ground flax seeds in the fridge).
- Raw cacao powder. You can also substitute 1:1 with cocoa powder.
- Baking powder + Salt
- Avocado.
- Maple syrup. Can also substitute for another liquid sweetener like agave nectar. Do not substitute for granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract. Can omit, but helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Vegan milk. Any kind works. Choose oat-milk for a nut-free recipe.
- Red beets. Use the classic juicy red beets as the other kinds can have more or less water content and would change the texture of the muffins.
- Chocolate chips. I love these semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. They are nut-free, so I can squeeze the muffins in my son lunch box.
How to make beetroot chocolate muffins
- Start by mashing the avocado until very smooth and almost no chunks anymore. Use a fork and simply mash on a plate. Also, peel and shred the beet.
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground flax seeds, cacao powder, baking powder and salt)
- Combine the wet ingredients (mashed avocado, maple syrup, vanilla extract and milk)
- Transfer the wet to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough will looks a bit dry and thick, but use a spatula to scrape the bowl and include all dried pockets.
- Add the shredded beets and chocolates chips and stir until just combined.
- Divide the dough between 9 muffin tins and bake for about 18 minutes.
Watch how to make them
Baking tips
- When combining the dry + wet, the dough will look drier than it should be. This is because you will add raw shredded beets to the dough also, which will release some extra liquid while cooking.
- If you do not want to see/feel the shredded beets in the muffins, then I recommend to also chop the beets in very small pieces after shredding them using a knife.
- You will want to use a ripe avocado for this recipe and avoid any brown/dark bitter spot as well. And, make sure to really mash it well so you don't end up with avocado chunks in your muffins.
Storage
Let the muffins completely cool down first, then store them in a air-tight container at room temperature for about 1-2 days. If you want to store them longer, them transfer to the fridge (you can reheat in the microwave for a few seconds before eating).
They also freeze really well. Simply transfer them to a air-tight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying, but what I do is I transfer them straight from the freezer to the microwave and thaw them for a few seconds. They are really good slightly warm as they get super soft and the chocolate chips melts!
Other recipes with hiding vegetables that you might like
- Vegetable pasta sauce
- Avocado chocolate pudding
- Pesto spinach creamy sauce
- Potato filled vegan white queso
- Cauliflower Alfredo sauce
- Zucchini blackberry smoothie
- Butternut squash mac and cheese
- Vegan zucchini muffins
- Vegan baked mac and cheese
- Beet kale smoothie
*THANKS TO MY SISTER SONIA WHO HELPED DEVELOP AND TEST THIS RECIPE*
I hope you enjoy these beetroot chocolate muffins as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Beetroot Chocolate Muffins with Avocado
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- ½ cup cacao powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup vegan milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup mashed avocado
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded red beets
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips - plus more for topping
Instructions
- Line a muffin pan with 9 muffin liners. Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, flax seeds, cacao powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mashed avocado, maple syrup, vanilla extract and milk. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the avocado-milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Make sure there are no dry pockets left (use a spatula if you need), but try not to overmix as well. Then, add the shredded beets and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
- Transfer the batter equally in between the prepared 9 muffin tins and cook in the oven for 18 minutes. I like to use a ice cream scoop as the dough is sticky.
- Once cooked, let them cool down in the muffin pan for about 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- When combining the dry + wet, the dough will look drier than it should be. This is because you will add raw shredded beets to the dough also, which will release some extra liquid while cooking.
- If you do not want to see/feel the shredded beets in the muffins, then I recommend to also chop the beets in very small pieces after shredding them.
- You will want to use a ripe avocado for this recipe and avoid any brown/dark bitter spot as well. And, make sure to really mash it well so you don't end up with avocado chunks in your muffins.
- To store, let the muffins completely cool down and then, transfer to a air-tight container. You can keep at room temperature for 1-2 days, but if you need to store them longer, then transfer in the fridge.
- They also freeze really well. Simply transfer them to a air-tight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying, but what I do is I transfer them straight from the freezer to the microwave and thaw them for a few seconds.
- They are really good slightly warmed up as they get super soft and the chocolate chips melts!
Pin it for later!
I made these this morning because I had two beets to use up. I did make a couple of changes to the recipe, including subbing plain cashew yogurt for the mashed avocado (I've used avocado in baked goods before and we can ALWAYS taste it), and subbing 1/4 cup of protein powder for 1/4 cup of the flour. I also added 1/2 cup of toasted walnut pieces, which added enough volume to the dough that I was able to easily get 11 muffins out of it. I'll definitely make these again, but I'll bake them for only 15 minutes because they came out a tad dry for our taste. Thank you for a very good, very chocolate-y recipe. 🙂
Oh great Linda, I'm glad you liked them. I'll have to try them with the cashew yogurt too, seems like a fun idea! Thanks for your comment! 🙂