I will admit to dragging my birthday out each year for so much longer than the one day that it pretty much turns into a birthday week. This year’s birthday week began with the Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes I posted a few days ago, and it continued to include a family dinner, Thai food and after-dinner drinks with friends, and a trip to the famed Sprinkles Bakery for birthday cupcakes.
A few days ago, my friend Sarah treated me to birthday cupcakes to-go from Sprinkles. It was my first time at the bakery, and I was super excited to try their vegan red velvet cupcakes. (Sarah ordered chocolate marshmallow.) The cupcake was pretty good… I thought the frosting was extremely over-the-top sweet, but I liked the actual cake. And thus the Sprinkles cupcakes inspired today’s creation:
Healthy red velvet cupcakes!
Note: the red velvet cupcakes in the photos are frosted with my Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting, which I swirled onto each cupcake with a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic bag with a small piece of one corner cut off. Or just spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. I am partial to cream cheese frosting on red velvet cupcakes, but feel free to use any other frosting recipe if you wish.
Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup spelt or all-purpose flour (or Bob’s gf plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)(65g)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (15g) (not Dutch)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup xylitol or sugar of choice (90g)
- handful mini chocolate chips, optional
- 1/4 cup mayo-style spread, such as Vegenaise (58g)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup beet juice (60g)
- 2 tbsp water (30g)
- 1 tsp natural red food coloring, optional if you want them redder than the ones in the photos
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin with 6 liners (or double the recipe for 12). In a large bowl combine first 5 ingredients (and chips, if using). Sift very well. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients and whisk until the mayo spread is completely smooth. Now pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Immediately pour the batter into the pan (about 2/3 full each) and bake 14 minutes, after which time cupcakes should have risen and domed. Let sit 10 minutes to cool before removing from the mufin tin.
Any of the following mayonnaise spreads will work in this recipe: Earth Balance Mindful Mayo, low-fat or regular Vegenaise, or homemade cashew mayonnaise… Although I can’t vouch for every single mayo spread out there, the recipe should be fine as long as your mayo includes lemon juice or vinegar and a fat source such as oil or cashews. If you are using homemade mayo, I recommend omitting any onion powder and mustard that might be called for in the recipe.
View Red Velvet Cupcakes Nutrition Facts
And below, the real Sprinkles vegan red velvet cupcakes that inspired today’s recipe:
Questions of the Day:
How did you celebrate your most recent birthday? Or how are you planning to celebrate your next one? Anyone else like to drag out their birthdays to last all week?
Link of the Day: Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Jennifer says
I cant find this xylitol in any grocery store near me. whole foods, trader joes and cub foods all do not carry! where does one buy xylitol (in MN)? I really want to try it. can you substitute stevia in this recipe?
Coffy says
My daughter and I made these cupcakes today. They were delicious! Followed the recipe as is. Juiced one large beet which made more than enough for the recipe. We will definitely be making these again!
Iris says
I made these this morning because I had some moist pulp left over after straining my beet, carrot, apple and mango juice. I used that instead of just beet juice, along with maple syrup for the sweetener and cacao powder, no chocolate chips- and they are amazing! Thank you for the recipe! You can find my pic of one on my instagram 😉 Love and Light to you!
Ginger says
Made beets for Oktoberfest & couldn’t find a beeter way to use up the leftover beet juice! This recipe can’t be beet! 🙂 Thanks!!!
Sin Hwa says
Hi Katie, thanks for this recipe – from the list of ingredients it’s definitely a much healthier red velvet cupcake! I’m about to try out this recipe, but I’m wondering if I can replace mayo spread with Greek yogurt or something else? But It might not be able to give the cake the desired texture as there’s no butter? Is it possible?
Raji says
I tried this one last night and it turned out sooo soft and fluffy! I used spelt and coconut oil. It was much better than outside cup cakes! Great Thanks for the recipe. I have tried many other recipes in vain for red velvet cupcake which is my little ones favorite!!
Renae says
could i use soy milk instead of the mayo?Or maybe pureed tofu?
LC says
First time commenting on this blog. I made these as a fun Valentine’s Day treat. Unfortunately, the cupcakes fell or sank in the middle, so not sure what went wrong. Used coconut oil instead of mayo. I substituted some of the sugar with flour (1:1 ratio seemed high for my tastes) & these were still too sweet for me. Also, the texture was really crumbly & fell apart easily. Fortunately, they still tasted really good. I definitely want to try these one more time with less sugar &/or unsweetened beet juice. Hopefully, I can get the shape & texture right next time. Want to try the red velvet donuts recipe soon.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Unfortunately changing the mayo for coconut oil and sugar for flour will completely change the recipe and I can only vouch for substitutions I’ve tried. Edible experiments are fun, but they always come with a risk.
Annette says
This frosting is too thin I need it thicker how do I do that ?
Emily says
I’ve made this recipe a few times and my family is obsessed with it. My mom wants me to make her a cake for her birthday this year using this recipe. Do you have any recommendations on how I can make this into a cake recipe rather than cupcakes??
Jason Sanford says
I’d go with an 8×8 and double the recipe. Or quadruple the recipe for a 9×13.
Jason
Francesca says
If I don’t have beet juice do you recommend replacing it with water and definitely adding the food coloring? Thanks!
Ahish says
This looks yummy!
But may i ask about the mayo!?
Why is this in a cake and what can I swap it for if anything?
Thanks so much
Cx
Jenn says
I subbed whole wheat flour, low fat mayo, stevia, and dragonfruit juice for beet juice because it was pink. It didn’t make my cupcakes pink or red, but the taste was amazing!