Healthy and Delicious Cupcake Recipes Using Vegetables

Ever tried experimenting with vegetables to make cupcakes? Well, here we explore some really interesting recipes using vegetables that you would not normally think of adding into your cupcake batter. Enjoy this little bit of weirdness and a whole lot of yumminess!

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcake

• 260 g beetroot, grated raw with skin
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Pinch of salt
• 150 g ground almonds or almond meal
• ¼ cup  or 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons oil (macadamia oil, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil) or melted butter
• ¼ cup (60 ml)  honey or pure maple syrup
• ½ cup raisins or prunes chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder or 1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda or baking soda

1. Preheat your oven to 160 C (fan forced) or 180 C (no fan).
2. Combine raw beetroot, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ground almonds, cocoa, honey, raisins or prunes if using and baking powder into a large bowl.
3. Mix well until combined.
4. Spoon into paper lined cupcake or small muffin tins.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin.
7. Serve alone or topped with your desired flavoured frosting

Raw Chocolate Cupcake

For the cupcake

• 500g walnuts
• 2 heaped tablespoons cacoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 pitted large fresh dates
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

For the chocolate frosting

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 ripe avocadoes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1. Combine walnuts, cocoa powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
2. Process until ground, but not too fine.
3. Add dates and vanilla.
4. Process again. Test and see if the cake starts to come together when pressed, if not add a few more dates and a little splash of water then process again.
5. Scoop out into small truffle like portions and arrange onto a serving platter.
6. You don’t bake this chocolate cake.  Just place into the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill and set.
7. Combine chocolate frosting ingredients in the following order: honey, avocado, vanilla, cocoa.
8. Blend in a high speed blender until creamy and thick.  A tablespoon of water can help your frosting to mix if necessary.
9. Pipe on the chocolate frosting over each cupcake.
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cupcake

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of canola or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup of finely chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Add flour, brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil, salt, and pumpkin spice seasoning into a bowl and mix together until combined.
3. Remove 1 1/2 cup of mixture and add to a small bowl, this is for your topping.
4. Next add finely chopped pecans to the topping mixture in the small bowl and then add cinnamon. Stir and set aside.
5. In the stand mixer, add milk, pumpkin puree, egg, baking soda, and baking powder.
6. Mix at slow speed until there are no more lumps.
7. Scoop a tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner
8. Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Cupcake

For cupcake

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened sweet potatoes, rinsed, drained and mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup water

For Frosting

• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 -4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in small bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine sweet potatoes, sugar and brown sugar
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition into the wet mixture.
5. Add oil and beat until well blended.
6. Stir in morsels, pecans and water.
7. Mix in flour into the wet mixture in two successions.
8. Scoop batter into cupcake liners.
9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.

To make Frosting

1. Microwave chips and butter in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium-high (70%) for 1 minute; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15 second intervals, stirring just until melted. Cool to room temperature.
2. Beat cream cheese into morsel mixture until creamy.
3. Add vanilla extract
4. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until mixture reaches spreading consistency.
5. Spread frosting on top of the cupcake

Tomato Soup Cupcake

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 lb light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins

1. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg and set aside.
2. Cream butter. Gradually beat in brown sugar. Add eggs, and beat until fluffy.
3. Pour soup into 2 cup measure and add enough water to measure 2 cups.
4. Add 1/4 of flour mixture to butter mixture, then one third of tomato soup mixture. Continue this process, so that you end up with flour mixture. Beat just until combined.
5. Stir in nuts and raisins.
6. Put batter into cupcake liners and bake for 30 minutes at 180ºC
7. Frost with cream cheese icing.

Cucumber Cupcake

• 200g cucumber
• Zest and Juice of half a lemon
• 115g softened butter
• 100g sugar
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 150g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC
2. Leave the skin of the cucumber and deseed the cucumber by scraping it out with a spoon
3. Cut the cucumber into cubes and puree till smooth. Stir in lemon juice
4. In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract till smooth and fluffy
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat till well incorporated
6. Mix in ⅓ of flour and ⅓ of cucumber until all are used up. Mix well after every addition.
7. Fill up the cupcake liners and bake for 30 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean
8. Serve the cupcakes with frosting if you like

Eggplant Cupcake

• ½-cup softened nutter
• ¼-teaspoon salt
• ½-cup sugar
• 1-teaspoon baking powder
• ½-cup honey
• 1-teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 cups grated eggplant
• ½-teaspoon ground cloves
• 1-cup white flour
• 1-cup nuts (optional)
• ½-cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1-cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC
2. Cream the butter in a medium sized bowl until butter is soft and whipped, then add the sugar and honey until mixture is light and fluffy.
3. In another bowl, whisk white and whole-wheat flours, the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and nuts to thoroughly combine.
4. Beat  the eggs into the butter mixture and then stir in the grated eggplant.
5. Add the flour mixture to the eggs, sugar, butter mixture and combine by hand to incorporate just until the flour has mixed in.
6. Scoop the batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Some frosting recipes

Chocolate cream frosting

• Combine 2 ripe avocados, 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder, 1/4 cup honey, a pinch of sea salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Add a little splash of water for a smoother and fluffier consistency.

Cashew nut cream

• Combine 1 cup of raw cashew nuts or macadamia nuts with 1/2 cup of water or orange juice and a little vanilla. Blend in a good high speed blender until smooth and creamy.