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In keeping with the colourful theme of Valentine's, my daughter and I chose to make Red Velvet cupcakes for the kids.  She loves making these treats with me, and I love the interaction and conversations that we have while we're baking together.

This recipe is made RED with beets.   You can't taste them once the recipe is cooked - though my daughter was eating the raw dough (don't worry - it's totally SAFE) and loving that she could taste the beets like that.  Yup, she loves beets!

This recipe will make 12 muffins or 24 minis.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of oat milk (feel free to use any plant-based milk you choose if you're not working within dietary restrictions)
• 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of peeled and cooked beets, blended
• 1.5 cups of gluten-free oat flour (I blended my oats fresh to make this recipe)
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1-2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (these act as both the binder AND the sweetener)
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix the milk and apple cider vinegar together in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, peel your beets, chop them and put them in a small bowl with a bit of water. Cook them in the microwave for about 4 minutes, or until fully soft.
4. Drain the beets and blend them well.
5. Add the vanilla and milk mixture to the beets. Blend again.
6. Add the mashed bananas to the beet mixture and blend until smooth and fully combined. Put aside 2-3 tbsp of this mixture if you plan on adding a 'pink' icing.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.
8. Add the wet beet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
9. Line your muffin tin with liners.
10. Portion out the dough into your liners and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
11. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes in the oven before removing them.

Notes

• These muffins won't 'rise' like a cake recipe would, so however full you make your tins will be the size of your finished cupcakes.
• They're a little denser than a cake because there is no oil in this recipe, but it doesn't at all affect the flavour!

Icing Ingredients

• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk, from the fridge
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1/2 ripe banana, mashed
• 2-3 tbsp of reserved beet mixture.

Directions

1. Scoop out the hardened coconut milk from the can.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well until fully combined and no longer lumpy.
3. Add to the tops of your muffins after they've fully cooled.
4. Store iced muffins in the fridge until ready to enjoy!