Beets in baking, why not? These eggless red velvet cupcakes are made with natural food coloring using beets. No artificial dye in this recipe.  Beetroot makes these cupcakes super red and adds needed moisture and tenderness to these cupcakes. You can turn this recipe into a cake too.

Previously I shared my amazing eggless red velvet cake recipe that uses food color. I have nothing against artificial red dye. It is safe to use in small amounts. It is not like we eat a red velvet cake every single day! But many of you requested a recipe made without artificial color. So here it is.

Jump to:

• Beetroot- A great substitute for artificial food color.
• Baking Soda and Beet Reaction!
• Can you taste beetroot in this recipe?
• The Ingredient list.
• Preparing beets for this recipe.
• Steps by step instructions.
• Important tips.
• Possible substitutes.
• Turn it into a red velvet cake.
• Storage tips.
• What can you decorate a red velvet cupcake with?
• What frosting pairs well with red velvet cupcakes?
• Easy Eggless cupcake recipes to try.
• Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes (No artificial color)

Beetroot- A great substitute for artificial food color.

Beet is the secret to the amazing deep red hue. It requires a bit of planning and two extra steps that involve steaming and pureeing it but it is worth the effort.

Was it easy? Let me be honest with you, no it was not.  It took me a couple of attempts to get this right. In my first two attempts, the batter was bright pink but the cupcakes turned out brown. The taste was spot on, but the appearance wasn’t even close to red. This was very upsetting as I failed to understand why I am not getting the right color. I only wish that it were that easy!!!!

Then I had to dig in deeper. Back to science experiments. The pH level of beets is generally considered to be slightly acidic with a pH ranging from 4.5 to 6.5. This makes them a good ingredient for baking as they can help to balance the pH of the batter and contribute to a desirable rise and texture in baked goods. However, it’s worth noting that the pH level of beets can also be affected by cooking for a longer time.

Baking Soda and Beet Reaction!

• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and an acidic ingredient pureed beets, can react to create carbon dioxide gas, which is what helps baked goods rise and become light and fluffy.
• In this recipe, pureed beets provide the necessary acidity to react with the baking soda, producing carbon dioxide and helping the batter to rise and become light and tender. The result is a fluffy red velvet cake or cupcake with a beautiful red hue.  
• The important thing to note here is, although the combination of baking soda and beets gives fluffy results, the reaction causes beets to lose their color and turn darker, almost brown while baking. This is what was happening to my cupcakes.
• To tackle this situation, I reduced the quantity of baking soda and added more baking powder to balance it. I would not recommend swapping all the baking soda with powder as it will turn the cupcakes bitter. I read about PH levels for other ingredients that I am using in the recipe to strike out any other factors that lead to dark brown cupcakes. I found none. And the final results are in front of you. Super red, moist, and tender cupcakes without any artificial dye.

Can you taste beetroot in this recipe?

No, We relished these cupcakes and shared them with my neighbor and friends. None of them could say if there is a hidden veggie or beets in these cupcakes. These taste like regular red velvet cupcakes. Only that the color is not as striking red as the one with gel colors.

The Ingredient list.

This cake is made with all ingredients found at home. It is made without any butter or eggs. Instead of eggs, I am using a combination of buttermilk, vinegar, and baking powder/soda to replace the eggs and create a moist and tender cake. I can bet you won’t miss them at all!

All-purpose flour– I have used unbleached one, you can use any variety of all-purpose flour aka maida. Do not use self-raising flour.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch gives this eggless batter more structure and yields fluffy cupcakes. I highly recommend using it.

Granulated sugar – I use the regular organic sugar that goes into my coffee. Do not use powdered/ confectioner’s sugar or packed brown sugar.

Beetroot puree – Hidden veggies in baked goods are always a good idea especially when it is for a purpose. The addition of beets gives the needed red color to this recipe without using artificial dye. Moreover, it also adds fiber and antioxidants to your cupcakes. I steam one small beet and puree it with water. Then use it in the recipe as needed.

Yogurt – It adds the tang a red velvet cupcake has. Yogurt makes the cupcakes moist as well.

Cooking oil – I prefer using oil instead of butter in my eggless cake recipes to keep it moist. It does not dry out even after you refrigerate it.  Use your choice of flavorless oil. I recommend flavorless vegetable oil, sunflower, or avocado oil.

Baking powder and soda – These are essential to give the required tenderness and lift to the cake. Make sure they are fresh and effective.

Vinegar – Imparts tang to this classic cake as well as reacts with the baking soda to help in rising the cake. You can swap it with lemon juice.

Vanilla – Always use the best quality pure vanilla extract. An imitation one is a big no!

Preparing beets for this recipe.

There are two ways you can prep beetroot to use in this recipe.

Make raw beet puree.

•  You can wash, peel, roughly chop, and blend it in the blender with some water to make a smooth puree.
• Then pass it through a sieve to ensure there are no beet bits in the puree. It should be like a smooth sauce.
• This method will work only if you have a very good high-speed blender. A food processor is not recommended here.

Steam the beets.

This is what I have used. Steaming beets just makes them tender enough to blend into a smooth sauce-like consistency. You can do it in your pressure cooker or an Instant pot.

Method using a pressure cooker.

You will need one very small beetroot for this recipe. Beets are a part of my bi-weekly meal prep so I am used to steaming a large batch in my Instant pot. I then use it in raita, soups, salads, or sandwiches.

Wash the beet clean, and cut it in half. Add water to the inner pot of the Instant pot. Place the trivet on it. Top it with the beet. Close the lid and let it cook on manual high pressure for 9 minutes. If you are cooking 3-4 beets or large-size ones, make sure that you have cut them into half or quarters. The cook time will be around 14 minutes. Once done the beets have to be fork tender.

Some ideas to use leftover cooked beets include this beetroot raita, beetroot mixed veg, and this beet barley salad.

Steps by step instructions.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a standard-size cupcake pan with liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, beet puree, yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar until well combined.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.
• At this point, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of water only if the batter is too thick. This may be because the yogurt and beet puree consistency may differ from mine.

• Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with the batter.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the centermost cupcake and comes out clean.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.

Important tips.

1. The method to prepare beets is given above in the post.
2. After you make the puree use only ¾^th cup (182 grams) only.
3. I have used homemade yogurt which is not too thick as Greek or storebought yogurt. If you are using store-bought yogurt then you will have to add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Decide once you have mixed the dry and wet ingredients.
4. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting them.

Possible substitutes.

Swap the vinegar for lemon juice.

Substitute yogurt with a non-dairy one to make it vegan.

Turn it into a red velvet cake.

• It will make four 6” cakes using 4 pans or one 8” cake using 2 pans.
• Do not bake the batter using just one pan as the cooking time will be longer. Beets cooked for a longer time can turn the batter brown. It will still taste good.
• Any bake time past 22-25 minutes can fade the red color turning it brown.
• Your best bet is dividing the batter into pans and baking them to retain the beautiful red color.

Storage tips.

1. Store red velvet cupcakes without frosting in an airtight container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Will stay good at room temperature for 2 days.
2. If the frosting is made with cream cheese or whipped cream, store the cupcakes in the refrigerator. It will stay well in the fridge for 4-5 days.
3. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes, individually wrapped in plastic wrap. Then place it in a freezer-safe container. It will keep well for up to 2-3 months.
4. Before serving, let the cupcake thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and then bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before frosting and serving.

What can you decorate a red velvet cupcake with?

A simple swirl of frosting is enough or you can top it with strawberries or cupcake crumbs.

What frosting pairs well with red velvet cupcakes?

The classic red velvet cupcakes are decorated with cream cheese frosting. But it is really up to you. Other frostings that I personally like with these cupcakes are sturdy mascarpone frosting, white chocolate mousse frosting, and this whipped cream cream cheese frosting.

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