Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

Okay, first time making these and they were better than I thought they would be.  I know everyone says you don't taste the beets.  And I have to agree, so here you go, I'll say it this time.  You don't taste the beets.  You taste chocolate fudgy cake.  No beets. Promise.  I first tried them with roasted beets, which took longer.  So I then tried them with raw beets and they tasted the same to me.  So, here's my adapted recipe from this website for quicker fudge chocolate beet cupcakes.  Oh, and I forgot to mention - these are vegan as well - no dairy, no soy, no refined sugar, no egg, and no nuts (if using nut-free milk).  These do use whole wheat flour, but you could easily sub in a different flour to make it gluten free.

Total Time: 30 minutes or so

Ingredients:
2 medium beets, washed and grated
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or another milk of choice)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup canola or melted coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp whole wheat flour 
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 + more for topping
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt

What to do:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Use muffin liners - this recipe should make about 10-12 regular size cupcakes. 

2) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 

3) In a separate bowl, combine milk and vinegar.  Let sit for a minute. Then add beets, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Use electric mixer and blend until foamy. 

4) Add dry to wet, mixing well until it becomes a sticky dark brown batter. 

5) Pour into lined muffin tins, about 3/4 way up. Bake in over for about 22-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top with cocoa powder once they are cooled. Enjoy!! 

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