Raw Red Velvet Cupcakes

Filled with the all natural red color of beets and healthy goodness from almonds, flax and coconut, these cupcakes are actually good for you! The frosting would also be perfect on a carrot cake or with added raw cacao powder on a chocolate creation. 

Yield: 10 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 3 mid sized beets (1 1/2 cup once peeled and shredded)
• 2/4 cup raw almonds
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup flax flour (it’s easy to make you own flour by grinding whole seeds in a coffee grinder)
• 7-8 medjool dates, pitted (around 135 g once pitted)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• a pinch of sea/himalayan salt
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla powder

Coconut Frosting

• 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, 1/3 cup plant based milk, 2 tbsp honey (vegans use maple or rice syrup), 1/4 tsp pure vanilla powder, 1.5 tbsp coconut flour, 1/4 of a whole nutmeg, ground, 1/4 large lemon, juice + zest

Instruction

Cupcakes

1. Peel beets and juice them in a juicer and use the pulp for the cupcakes OR peel and grate beets finely (I recommend using a food processor and not a hand grater). If grating, add the grated beet to a nut milk bag and squeeze out ALL juice (that you’ll of course drink, silly!). Set aside pulp and save 4 tbsp separately for sprinkling onto cupcakes later.
2. Rinse and wipe food processor dry if you used it for the beets. Add almonds and mix into a flour (stop mixing before it starts sticking together). Now add coconut, flax flour, raw cacao, salt and vanilla to the almond flour and pulse until incorporated.
3. Add pitted dates and beet pulp to the food processor and pulse into a deep red mixture. Be careful not to mix for too long as you don’t want the ‘dough’ ending up too compact but still have a fully incorporated blend of ingredients.
4. Divide ‘dough’ into ten pieces and form each one into a cupcake shape. Wrap with parchment paper and tie a little string around it or simply leave as they are. Leave cupcakes in room temperature if you plan on eating them once the frosting has set. When refrigerated in air-tight container cupcakes will stay fresh for 2-3 days both frosted and un-frosted.

Coconut Frosting

1. 2. Once you notice that the consistency of the frosting is one that will hold or at least not completely leave the top of the cupcakes, you cut a small-ish hole in one of the bottom corners of the plastic bag (if you’re using a piping bag – don’t cut a hole in it ;). Work quickly because once you start working with the frosting it might start ‘crumbling up’ due to the highly absorbent coconut flour and the change in temperatures. Once ready, sprinkle with the beet pulp you saved when making the cupcakes.