Vegan Vanilla Beet Cupcakes with Vegan Vanilla Coconut Frosting

I initially intended to post this recipe on Tuesday.

Tuesdays are such an under-appreciated day.

There’s Monday, which gets all the extra attention for being positioned at the start of the week.

Then there’s “Hump Day.”

Thursdays are practically the weekend, am I right? And Thursdays also are the day of the week that aired new episodes of Friends on TV, so it will forever hold a special place in my heart. 

And I’m sure you can understand why I don’t feel the need to justify the attention worthy of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

So, that leaves us with lonely Tuesday. But, since this last Monday was technically a holiday, that would make today Tuesday in it’s own kind of way.

And so that’s why I’ve decided to post my second dessert recipe of the week. This feels-like-Tuesday-kind-of-day deserves a reason to smile. So, here’s a spunky dessert, colored naturally with the beautiful hue of beets. 

By themselves, these cupcakes aren’t too sweet at all. I let the frosting add most of the sweetness.

And as a fair warning, this vegan frosting has a distinct coconut flavor, so if that’s not for you, I would opt for a traditional frosting with butter. Or if you adhere to a vegan diet, I would simply opt for a plant-based non-hydrogenated butter alternative. But for coconut lovers like me, this simple frosting recipe certainly does the trick! 

Happy Tuesday! xo

Vanilla Beet Cupcakes with Vegan Vanilla Coconut Frosting

Naturally colored with beets and only mildly sweet, these whole grain, plant-based cupcakes are certainly a reason to celebrate.

Makes 12 cupcakes 

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup coconut sugar

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3 medium beets, cooked

Ingredients for frosting:

¼ cup coconut oil

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions for cupcakes:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.     In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.

3.     In a food processor or blender, combine beets, coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

4.     Add beet mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

5.     Pour batter into lined muffin tins.

6.     Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding frosting.

Directions for frosting:

1.     Beat all ingredients until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator until cupcakes are ready to be frosted.