Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes (without food color)

Looking to bake something healthy AND delicious? Need a straight forward recipe to satisfy that sweet tooth craving? Looking for a way to use those beets lying in the pantry for way too long now? Look no further! 

Presenting to you, a super easy, fairly healthy and perfect treat that you can bake in no time and works great for satisfying those sweet cravings, mid morning hunger pangs or when you are just bored and want something to eat. 

I baked a batch of beet-chocolate cupcakes last week but still had about a cup of beer purée left that I had to use up. Also, I have been looking for a red velvet recipe that does not call for artificial coloring. So multiple Pinterest searches later, I came up with this recipe for making perfectly moist and delicious ‘red velvet’ cuppies without all those unnecessary things food colorings come with. 

Here’s what you need: 

• 1.25 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.25 cups powdered jaggery (I used one cup only since I did not want it to be overly sweet. Adjust according to taste)
• 3/4 cup boiled and puréed beets
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1.5 tbsp natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed since the pH of that can make dull the red color)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp baking powder 
• A fat pinch salt
• 1 cup soy milk (you can use any non-diary milk or dairy milk of choice)

Here’s how to go about making them:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 
2. Take the beet purée in a large bowl and mix in the oil. 
3. Add in the vanilla extract and the powdered jaggery and beat well until fully incorporated. 
4. Add the soy milk and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder into the wet mixture little by little and mix well. 
5. Pour into cupcake moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

I had planned on making a cream cheese frosting as well but the cupcakes were so good even without it that I did not bother making some. 

It got a big thumbs up from the taste tester (toddler) at home as well. Now go try and tell me how you like it? 😀