Home ยป Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins

Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins

It was this summer that I tried a beet for the first time. There’s something about the deep magenta color and crazy, bushy leaves that are intimidating. And yet, when I saw these stunning veggies pop up all over my local farmer’s market, I bit the bullet and dug right in.

I asked the farmer how he recommended eating beets and he responded with, “I love them raw…they’re like summer’s candy!” Well, he had my attention. I went straight home and peeled a beet to taste test, while turning both of my hands a fun shade of pink. Temporary, of course.

Summer’s candy indeed. Beets are delicious! Don’t let them scary you. Root vegetables pack a lot of nutritional punch…and flavor. And while I would’ve never thought to find them in a muffin, it works brilliantly.

Beets are sweet, and crisp. They help give these muffins a deep, dark color…with the help of ripe bing cherries and…chocolate. When Mr. Prevention asked what “kind” of muffins these were, I hesitated to share the recipe title. I responded with, “Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins…but they taste like chocolate!”

It was at that point I realized that I hadn’t yet calculated the nutrition facts for this recipe. Though, I feared what I would find…they were that good. As it ends up, no harm done. Coming in at 158 calories a piece, I choose these to start my morning!

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Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins adapted from Pinch My Salt

2-3 medium beets (to yield 1/2 cup beet puree)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips or other semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1/2 cup chopped bing cherries
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Wrap beets in foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserts easily. When cool enough to handle, remove foil cut/peel off beet skins. Puree beets in a food processor and measure out 1/2 cup. Set aside.

Leave oven at 375 degrees F and grease your muffin tin or distribute liners. In a large bowl, stir together the 2 flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Toss 1/4 cup chocolate chips and cherries in flour mixture. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, melt the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, beet puree, sour cream and vanilla. Add in slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add batter to muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick insert comes out clean. Yield: 10 muffins.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 158 calories; 6.3 g. fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 185 mg. sodium; 24.0 g. carbohydrate; 1.9 g. fiber; 3.5 g. protein

Result: These are in my top 3 favorite muffins…hands down. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants from chocolate 😉 Better yet, the nutrition stats are very respectable. Any breakfast that starts off with chocolate for about 150 calories is certainly a keeper! If I had to name this recipe, I would say Black Forest Muffins – chocolate & cherry, need I say more? Mr. P gives a big thumbs up, as well! Enjoy!

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Thank you for all your kind comments on Mr. Prevention’s dinner post yesterday. I think he was beyond flattered. I’m glad so many of you found the spelling of “koos koos” to be rather cute. I tend to agree 😉 When I posted on my Facebook page Tuesday night that Mr. Prevention would be posting, there were so many “likes”! If I didn’t receive all of your amazing comments each day, I would’ve been rather jealous of Mr. P’s fan base! I told him that night in bed, “I’ve been blogging religiously for over 2 years and on your second post you’re drawing in the masses!”

As Mr. P pointed out in his post, my menu choices would be quite different if I had only my mouth to feed. Since many of you are feeding others as well, I think it’s best to give both of our reviews of recipes, and to prepare foods that most would enjoy. Though, I should note…we’re both pretty easy to please in the food department…obviously. 😉

On the workout front, I barely made it through a 3-mile run last night. I was ready to give up after 0.6 miles. I looked down at my Garmin and thought, “Seriously?!” Then, in true dietitian fashion, I started to think about what I had to eat/drink throughout the day. I came to the conclusion that 1 cup of water (following 3 cups of coffee) is not sufficient hydration! (Duh). I am hopeful that is the reason the run was so difficult because I’m running a nighttime 5K tonight with my business partner…should be fun! 😀

Question: Have you ever tried a beet?

Have a great day!

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29 Comments

  1. Meredith (Pursuing Balance)
    August 11, 2011 / 6:57 am

    Confession: I have never bought beets! I’ve always been a little intimidated too. Thanks for sharing this recipe . .. I’m definitely going to give them a try now! (PS: I passed the RD exam last week, so my blogging hiatus is over!!!!!!)

    • Nicole
      Author
      August 11, 2011 / 12:29 pm

      CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather
    August 11, 2011 / 8:21 am

    Oh Nicole these sound amazing! I have some frozen shredded beets in my freezer that need to be turned into these. I see some weekend baking happening ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Andrea@WellnessNotes
    August 11, 2011 / 8:36 am

    Beets were pretty much the only veggie I couldn’t stand growing up. I would watch my mom eat bowl after bowl of pickled beets and never understood how she could eat them… Not until my 30s did I appreciate them, and now I absolutely love them, especially roasted.

    Your muffins sound great!!!

  4. Ashley
    August 11, 2011 / 8:48 am

    I’ve made a chocolate beet cake before but I LOVE the sound of adding cherries!! And that these have a great nutritional profile.

  5. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    August 11, 2011 / 8:51 am

    Well these would go great with the carrot chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday ๐Ÿ™‚ Love sneaking in veggies!

  6. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    August 11, 2011 / 10:11 am

    Yum! I do like beets, but have only had them on salads. I definitely need to venture out a bit.

  7. Lindsey
    August 11, 2011 / 10:58 am

    Your photos are beautiful! And aren’t the nutrition facts surprising? They are so moist and delicious and, well, chocolatey, it’s hard to believe. Loved reading your take on them ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Nicole
      Author
      August 11, 2011 / 12:28 pm

      Lindsey, I loved them! Only one left ๐Ÿ™ The leftover beets are for the beet hummus you posted that I’m planning on making tomorrow – can’t wait!

  8. Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life
    August 11, 2011 / 11:21 am

    Looks yummy! Ugh – I’ve never tried a fresh beet but it’s on my list of things to try. I need to get my hands on one soon!

  9. Leah @ Why Deprive?
    August 11, 2011 / 12:04 pm

    I cant believe you only just tried beets. They’ve been one of my all time favorites since I was little. I would get so excited when my mom would make beets for dinner. I HAVE to make these muffins, they sound amazing.

    • Nicole
      Author
      August 11, 2011 / 12:28 pm

      Me either! I’ve so been missing out. These were a bit more time consuming than “mix the wet…mix the dry…then mix together” but nothing crazy and soooo worth the extra 15 minutes!

  10. Samantha @ Bikini Birthday
    August 11, 2011 / 2:19 pm

    I hate beets. Sorry.
    It`s a problem because I really, really want to like them. They LOOK so good. And they sound so good in dishes and recipes. I keep trying and trying them but every time I do I still hate them. They taste like dirt. I just can`t get over that.

  11. Heather
    August 11, 2011 / 4:29 pm

    I’m hoping the farmers market has beets this week. I added cherries to the grocery list.

    I love muffins and I agree – anything with chocolate is amazing!

  12. sophia
    August 11, 2011 / 6:22 pm

    To be honest, I can’t stand beets unless in very small doses, or disguised into something like these lovely muffins. Have you ever tried a Guatemalan enchilada? It’s a cabbage/beet salad with ground meat on top of a tostada with lettuce and cheese. It’s SO good. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Nicole
      Author
      August 12, 2011 / 6:42 am

      Googling now…that…sounds…AMAZING!

  13. Mo'Betta
    August 11, 2011 / 7:35 pm

    I remember trying beets as a child…my mom would eat them. I was not a fan, but I swear, I think they came from a can?! I’m sure fresh is a different story, and I have more mature taste buds now. Not by much, but anyway…these muffins sound really good! I just took double chocolate zucchini cookies out of the oven…so I guess I’ll hold off on these at least for a little while (however, I have cherries just waiting for me!)

  14. Lee
    August 11, 2011 / 8:40 pm

    I’m not a huge beet fan but this recipe intrigues me.

  15. Dana @ Budget Dietitian
    August 11, 2011 / 10:18 pm

    I confess….I am too scared to try one!

  16. Amber Shea @Almost Vegan
    August 12, 2011 / 4:36 pm

    This is the THIRD dessert recipe I’ve seen this week that includes beets. I think this is a sign I need to try one of them!

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  18. Selene@ABCsofMealtime
    August 13, 2011 / 9:56 pm

    These are beautiful and look delicious! I like beets a lot but never really venture out with them. I’ll have to try this one!

  19. Regan
    August 17, 2011 / 5:26 am

    Have never tried a beet in a muffin before, but now I’m curious!

    I love the traditional roasted beet salad way to eat them. Nom, nom!

  20. Pingback: Beet Hummus | Prevention RD
  21. Cara
    August 17, 2011 / 9:25 am

    Love the idea of baking with beets! If you’re into the raw beet idea, try a beet slaw (I have one on my blog, actually.)

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  24. Kait Fowlie
    November 16, 2012 / 8:22 pm

    These ruled! I thoroughly surprised the pants off my whole family with these beet-filled dreamz.

    • Nicole, RD
      Author
      November 17, 2012 / 9:14 am

      Kait, I’m so so glad they were a hit! I know they sound a bit out there…but YUM! ๐Ÿ™‚

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