Sweet treat lovers rejoice! These delectable chocolate raspberry veggie muffins are not just delicious, but are also secretly packed with a full serving of nutritious veggies. Perfect for breakfast, a snack on the go, or even as a dessert for kiddos who need a few more leafy greens in their diet 🥬🍫. Sugar free and dairy free!
Now that I've been taking my massive prescribed dose of Vitamin D weekly for over a month, I FINALLY have some energy. I even have enough to *gasp* exercise. I know! I got my Treadly out and everything. So I'm going to ride this health train as long as I can, which means attempting a more nutritious diet. First stop, breakfast and snacks (to me breakfast is basically a morning snack so they're one in the same), starting with these chocolate raspberry vegetable muffins!
Oh and before we get into it, my toddler LOVES these. Super kid friendly, she thinks it's a cupcake 🙏🏻.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I truly have several reasons why I eat these chocolate raspberry veggie muffins almost every day but to keep things simple, here's my top 4:
- There's a FULL cup of spinach and beets in these muffins and you legitimately cannot tell!
- They're sugar free AND dairy free 😎. I used my go to for sugar substitutions, the Swerve brand, specifically Swerve Brown Sugar Substitute. As for the milk, you can actually use whatever milk you want (including cows' milk), but I prefer Toasted Coconut Almond Milk.
- Storing them in the freezer is a sinch - just warm up in the microwave for a minute and you've got a nutritious and delicious breakfast on the go!
- I mean...chocolate. Deep, rich, indulgent and yet healthy chocolate 😍.
Tips and Tricks
For perfectly moist, fluffy, tall chocolate raspberry veggie muffins:
- Use fresh baking soda/baking powder - Check the expiration date on your leavening agents. If they're expired or even close to the date, toss them and buy new ones. Trust me! Stale baking soda/baking powder does squat in a batter and will result in a flatter, denser crumb.
- Be careful of overmixing - When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be gentle and avoid overmixing. Too much whisking can lead to tough and dense muffins. Aim for a "just mixed" consistency, where the batter has just barely smoothed out and there aren't any large lumps. This will ensure that tender and fluffy muffin texture you want.
- Puree the veggies - you can buy already pureed beets/spinach or use fresh/frozen (thawed) and throw them in a blender. Puree until you reach at least applesauce like consistency. Otherwise, you'll end up with chunks of beets and large spinach leaves in your muffins. Yuck.
- Be aware of adding too much liquid - this batter is VERY thick. However, resist the urge to add more milk or water as the muffins will become super flat and dense.
I've been getting some questions lately asking how I know the tips and tricks...trial and error my friends. Trial and error. For example, the muffins on the left are after I did approximately three test batches to make sure I got it down to a science, with the first batch on the right 🙃🤣.
The flat dense ones still tasted delicious but the texture left much to desired 🤦🏼♀️. Practice makes perfect!
Freezing and Storage
Great for a healthy snack on the go, these chocolate raspberry veggie muffins store wonderfully in the freezer! Let them cool completely and then just throw them in a resealable, airtight container (I use a ziploc bag). They'll last up to three months in the freezer! To reheat, you can let them thaw out in the fridge or put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
SO many options. Swap the beets for some pureed sweet potato, pumpkin or carrot...Substitute the spinach with kale (just stick with a leafy green). You can also use banana instead of the raspberries!
Nope! You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil.
You can always use regular brown sugar. However, I realize this changes the nutrition quite a bit. Date sugar or a monk fruit sweetener would work well!
Got more questions? Drop a line for me below in the comments!
Chocolate Raspberry Veggie Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 Muffins 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Sweet treat lovers rejoice! These delectable chocolate raspberry veggie muffins are not just delicious, but are also secretly packed with a full serving of nutritious veggies. Perfect for breakfast, a snack on the go, or even as a dessert for kiddos who need a few more leafy greens in their diet 🥬🍫. Sugar free and dairy free!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (I like to use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup Swerve brown sugar substitute (or brown sugar)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup cooked beets
- ½ cup spinach, packed
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut almond milk (my particular favorite - use your favorite milk substitute or skim cow's milk here)
- 2 tablespoons water
- Optional: ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil and Swerve brown sugar substitute until completely combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the raspberries, beets, spinach, coconut almond milk, and water together until smooth (the consistency of applesauce is fine). Add to the egg mixture and stir until combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until just combined (no lumps).
- Gently fold in sugar free chocolate chips if using.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each one about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove muffins from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove to a wire rack. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
If you can't find Swerve brown sugar substitute, feel free to use regular brown sugar and enjoy these muffins as more of a healthyish dessert rather than a nutritional snack. Another option is to use date sugar or a monk fruit sweetener!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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