Naturally Pink Beetroot Muffins

These naturally pink beetroot muffins have been munchkin’s favorite muffins for a while. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also sweet and fluffy. Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of beets. The taste is very subtle and nothing like a beet salad. Many families, including young kids, have enjoyed this muffin recipe ever since I shared it on my Instagram and Pinterest pages.

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Use raw or oven-roasted beetroot

For these muffins to turn beautifully saturated pink, you must use raw or oven-roasted beetroot. Canned beets or beet powder make a brownish color when cooked.

If you don’t have roasted beets handy, raw beet (after peeled) works perfectly well in this recipe. However, I like to roast a batch of beetroots and always have them ready in the freezer because roasting truly brings out the sweet and earthy flavor of beetroots.

Tahini or Plain Yogurt

I used tahini when I first developed this recipe because my love for beets started with beet hummus. I still love this version with tahini, as it lends a unique flavor. However, I don’t always have tahini at home, and on those days, I use plain yogurt instead. The Tahini version has a more earthy and nutty flavor, while the yogurt version has a subtle tanginess. You can find both of the recipes below.

This recipe makes giant bakery-style muffins. Fill the muffin cups all the way to the top. I like to use a cookie scoop when distributing muffin batters. Here’s a link to my favorite muffin pan. I love it so much that own two!

Oven temperature

There are two ways to bake these muffins. Bake these muffins at 425F for 12 minutes and then 5~7 more minutes at 350F. Alternatively, you can bake the muffins at 400F for 20 minutes. Both methods work, but starting at a higher temperature will give more rise to the muffins, making them as big as those bakery-style ones. Look at the rise at 12 minute point at 425F.

Can I substitute sugar with natural sweetener?

This is one of the most common questions I get whenever I share a recipe with cane sugar. You can easily swap sugar with maple syrup or honey. Since those are liquid ingredients, you might need to reduce the amount of milk. I suggest reducing the milk amount to half and slowly adding it back in after you mix the batter. The consistency should be slightly thicker than a pancake batter. I think cane sugar yields a better texture, although the difference is minimal.

Also, check out my Beet and Carrot Mini muffins.

Storing muffins for later (Great for kids school snack)

These muffins are great for making ahead and freezing for school snacks or quick after-school snacks. Before freezing, allow the muffins to cool completely. Then, freeze muffins in a single layer on a cutting board or tray until they turn firm (about 1 hour.) Now you can transfer the muffins to a freezer-friendly bag or container.

Once the muffins are firm, I vacuum seal them using Zwilling Fresh & Save. I found this to be the best way to prevent freezer burn. These freezer bags are reusable, although not indefinitely, as they lose their seal over time.

Freeze up to 3 months. You can thaw the muffins at room temperature or microwave for 30~60 seconds per muffin.

5 from 2 votes

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Naturally Pink Beet Muffins (with tahini)

These muffins are naturally pink using beetroot. Don't worry- beet flavor is very subtle. These are my kids' favorite muffins!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author whiteblankspace

Ingredients

• 1 small (2.5 oz) oven-roasted beet or raw (peeled) beet
• 1/4 cup unsweetened tahini
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Position rack in the middle and preheat oven to 425F

2. Blend roasted beet, tahini, milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a blender until it becomes a smooth puree.

3. In a bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well.

4. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet mixture. Gently stir with a spatula until just combined. Try not to overmix.

5. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Distribute batter to fill the cups. (This recipe makes giant muffins!)

6. Bake for 12 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F and bake for additional 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes

• Use an oven-roasted beet or raw beet for the lovely pink color. Using boiled or canned beet will make the color less saturated.
• If you’d like to use maple syrup or honey instead of cane sugar, use 1/2 cup of sweetener and reduce milk to 1/2 cup.
• You can bake these muffins at 400F for 20 minutes if you want to walk away from the oven while baking. However, using a high temperature at the start gives the muffins a higher rise.

5 from 2 votes

Print

Naturally Pink Beet Muffins (with yogurt)

These muffins are naturally pink using beetroot. Don't worry- beet flavor is very subtle. These are my kids' favorite muffins!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author whiteblankspace

Ingredients

• 1 small (2.5 oz) oven-roasted beet or raw (peeled) beet
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour*
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Position rack in the middle and preheat oven to 425F
2. Blend roasted beet, yogurt, milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a blender until it becomes a smooth puree.
3. In a bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and pour the wet mixture. Gently stir with a spatula until just combined. Try not to overmix.
5. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Distribute batter to fill the cups. (This recipe makes giant muffins!)
6. Bake for 12 minutes, then lower the heat to 350F and bake for additional 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute white whole wheat flour with whole wheat or all-purpose flour.