These Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes are packed with raspberries and beets! They’re also vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free!
I have a confession, I’m not an avid baker and I have one chocolate cake recipe that I always use and just adapt it to fit my needs. It’s my favorite chocolate cake ever and gets really great reviews from everyone who tries it. I see no reason to ever use a different chocolate cake recipe, haha 🙂
Today, I’ve really changed things up with it though. It was already gluten free, but now I’ve made it vegan and refined sugar free. I’ve also added in some roasted beets and raspberries!
I originally added the roasted beets in because I thought it would make it look like a red velvet cake, but sadly I guess it’s hard to make a dark chocolate cake look red, haha. I was going to leave them out when I made it again, but I did some reading and it turns out that beets can help to make things really moist (sorry if you hate that word 🙂 ). They also add tons of nutrients to these chocolate cupcakes making them even healthier!
I’ve also replaced the granulated and brown sugar with coconut sugar, the butter with coconut oil and the eggs with a flax egg and some applesauce (for added sweetener). They’re not your usual packed with sugar sweet cupcakes, but to me, they’re just the perfect amount of sweet!
Make these for Valetine’s Day or just a regular day! As far as desserts go, you can feel pretty good about eating these!
Check out exactly how I make them here:
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Healthier Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberries {Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free}
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 17-19 1x
Description
These delicious chocolate cupcakes are made with healthier ingredients, including beets!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups gluten free 1:1 baking flour, I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour for best results
- 1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup coconut oil, room temperature. I like to use refined so there isn’t a coconut taste.
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water, let sit for 2–3 minutes)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond milk or regular milk
- 1 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
- 1 cup roasted beets, I like to use store-bought roasted beets to make it really easy!
- 1 cup chopped raspberries, if using frozen make sure there isn’t a ton of liquid.
- Optional toppings: fresh raspberries, dark chocolate
Coconut Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 can coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons beet juice, optional but gives it a nice light pink color. I like to use the beet juice that comes with the store-bought roasted beets.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the yogurt and roasted beets to a food processor, or blender, and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, cream together the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Next, add in the applesauce, flax egg, vanilla extract, beet and yogurt mixture and milk. Beat again until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until everything is combined. Stir in the chopped raspberries.
- Line a muffin tin with liners (silicone or paper) and scoop about 1/4 cup of the cupcake mixture into each one. Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22-25 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for about 15 minutes before removing them. They might seem like they’re a little soft inside, but they will firm up if you let them sit for a while.
- Make the coconut whipped cream: open the can of coconut cream and pour out the liquid. Add the coconut cream to a medium sized bowl, along with the coconut sugar, vanilla and beet juice and beat until combined and fluffy.
- Only frost the cupcakes once they have cooled. Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on top of each cupcakes and top with chocolate shavings and a fresh raspberry, if desired. Whipped cream will harden up in the refrigerator.
Notes
You can frost these cupcakes with whatever kind of frosting you like, or even leave them bare! The coconut whipped cream hardens up if you refrigerate them, but I like it that way 🙂
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert, Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free
Hi Izzy, I’m not much of a baker but really want to try this recipe for my daughter’s birthday party this weekend since we can’t have much sugar and this recipe looks delicious. I always end up substituting too much for ingredients I don’t have and mess up the taste and texture. I also end up missing the proper tools to bake by the time I need it and use a fork rather than a mixer and the it doesn’t mix well. I see that I will need a sifter for the cocoa powder. What other tools would I need to get set up like regular size cupcake trays, hand mixer, etc. ? What type/brand of cocoa powder do you use/recommend since I have cocao powder and not cocoa powder? That goes for the non dairy yogurt. I see so many different types and brands like coconut, soy, almond. I get overwhelmed by the choices. It would really mean a lot if you can teach me make these cupcakes the right way the first time.
Hi Rita! For baking recipes it’s probably best not to substitute too much because baking is kinda like a science! I would recommend a hand mixer but you might be able to get a way with a whisk if you can beat it really well. Yes, you will need regular cupcake/muffin trays. I usually either use Hershey brand or the generic brand, it doesn’t seem to matter too much. The non-dairy yogurt is really your choice. I’ve used a few brands and they all seem to work well. I’d go with whatever is cheapest or what you normally use. I hope this helps! Good luck!!
Where do you buy coconut sugar?
Hi Karen, you should be able to find it in the baking aisle at most grocery stores 🙂
I just found your site and LOVE it! Thank you for the yummy ideas!! I really want to make this chocolate cake..but I’m allergic to apples. Boo. Is there anything I can substitute for the applesauce?
Hi Angie! Thank you so much for the kind words! The applesauce is mostly for a little extra sweetener so I think you could easily leave it out and it would still turn out! I hope you enjoy!
Thank you!
Hey Izzy! Your beet cupcakes are beautiful! And yes, beets DO make cakes/cupcakes more moist 😮 !! (I lol at ‘moist’) The color is all about chemistry – acids/bases and their effect on the color change. Baking soda and acid (vinegar or yogurt) has an impact. I learned this trough the one million times I made my beet red velvet cupcakes lol! I love how you’ve made these all the things so everyone can enjoy them! Delicious work!
Thanks so much, Traci! That is good to know! I’m not much of a baker haha 🙂 but I do love to eat baked goods!
I’ve been meaning to experiment with beets in baking but just never seem to get around to it! These cupcakes look SO GOOD!!!!
This is the first time I’ve used them and I think they really helped to make them moist! I couldn’t stop eating them haha 🙂