Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream

You won’t find any artificial colors or flavors in these Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream. No one will suspect that the deep red color of these cupcakes actually comes from beets!

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and I’m sure many of you are celebrating this weekend since it falls on a Tuesday this year. We’ll be going out for a nice dinner on Saturday, but other than that there isn’t much of anything else planned.

I’ll be honest, Valentine’s Day doesn’t rank very high on my list of holidays I love. I’m not the most romantic person. I can’t sit through a sappy movie without rolling my eyes or making some kind of snarky sarcastic comment. Romantic cards are not my thing at all, I prefer to give and receive the humorous ones. Public displays of affection, nope.

I prefer to show a loving or romantic gesture not by buying overpriced chocolates, teddy bears and heart shaped balloons, but by planning a fun outing, making a special meal or surprising someone with their favorite dessert.

Luckily I married a man who is on the same page as me when it comes to romance. The way to my guy’s heart is giving him control of the TV so he can watch sports all day, a steak and bowl of mac and cheese for dinner and anything that involves chocolate for dessert. He’s a simple guy and I love it!

When I made these Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream I had serious doubts that he would like them. He absolutely hates beets and he’s not a fan of vegan recipes either. I was both surprised and thrilled the next day when he told me how much he loved them! He didn’t even know that I had used beets to give them that deep, rich red color.

I am not a fan of red food coloring anymore. I used to be ok with it, but now it just freaks me out. The bonus to adding beet purée to the cupcakes is that it makes them incredibly moist. Since the cupcakes were already vegan I figured I might as well make the frosting vegan as well.

I went with a coconut whipped cream and added freeze dried strawberries that I blended into a powder consistency. The frosting has a wonderful strawberry flavor that goes great with the red velvet, plus it holds up well and is the prettiest rosy pink color, perfect for Valentine’s Day! Bake a batch of these naturally red colored cupcakes for your loved one(s) this year and skip the cheesy overpriced gifts. XOXO!

More Valentine’s Day Desserts

Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Truffles

Skinny Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits

Champagne and Raspberry Ice Cream Floats

Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes with Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream

Yield: 10-11 cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup roasted beets
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar or granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dairy free mini chocolate chips

Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream

• 3-4 tablespoons coconut sugar or powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup freeze dried strawberries
• 1 can full fat canned coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. and line a standard muffin pan with parchment paper liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, process the milk, beets and vanilla until thick and smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down bowl 1/2 way through processing.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the coconut oil and coconut sugar on medium high for about a 1-2 minutes, or until incorporated and smooth, stopping half way and scraping down the bowl.
4. With the mixer off, add in the beet mixture. Mix on medium for about 20 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix another 20 seconds.
5. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and mix on medium for about 30 seconds or until flour is incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until incorporated, the batter will be thick. Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
6. Use 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for several minutes in pan, then remove the cupcake onto a cooling wrack to completely cool before adding the strawberry coconut whipped cream.

Strawberry Coconut Whipped Cream

1. Refrigerate the coconut milk overnight, being sure not to shake or tip the can so that the cream and liquid stay separated.
2. In the bowl of a food processor add the freeze dried strawberries and coconut sugar, blend until it becomes a powder. Pour the powder into a separate bowl and wipe the bowl of the food processor clean. Set the strawberry powder aside until the cupcakes have baked and cooled completely.
3. Once the cupcakes have cooled remove the chilled coconut milk from the fridge without tipping or shaking and remove the lid. Scrape out the thickened cream and leave the liquid behind.
4. Place the chilled cream into the mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until creamy, about 1-2 minute. Add in the vanilla and strawberry powdered sugar and mix until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
5. Use a pastry bag and piping tip (or spread with a knife) to frost the cupcakes. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

**This is not an overly sweet cupcake. If you find that it's not sweet enough for your liking (taste the batter) add 2-3 more tablespoons of coconut sugar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g