These Red Velvet Muffins are a healthier version of a classic, made without food dye and instead colored naturally with beetroot powder. They are incredibly fluffy and moist with a hint of chocolate and that indescribable Red Velvet flavor! These simple muffins are sweetened with coconut sugar and can easily be made gluten free and/or dairy free, so everyone can enjoy them.
What screams Valentine’s Day more than Red Velvet!? And muffins are just so much more approachable than creating a whole cake. Plus, they’re versatile enough to enjoy as a snack or even at breakfast, paired with some greek yogurt.
Making Red Velvet Muffins without any food dye proved to be a difficult undertaking! And I learned a lot about Red Velvet along the way. After about 4 test runs, I ended up with my final version of Red Velvet Muffins that are naturally colored with beetroot powder (but don’t taste like beets).
While they aren’t bright red, they do have that classic Red Velvet taste and beyond fluffy texture. Plus, I’d much prefer to enjoy muffins that are bit on the brown side, rather than consuming a ton of Red 40!
Why You’ll Love these Red Velvet Muffins
- They are incredibly fluffy and moist!
- These Red Velvet Muffins have no food dye and instead are naturally colored with beetroot powder.
- These muffins can easily be made gluten free and or dairy free.
- They are the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day.
- No special equipment required!
- They have that classic Red Velvet taste that you can’t quite describe.
What You Need to Make these Red Velvet Muffins
For the Dry Ingredients:
- AP Flour or Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour: This works with either! If you’re making the gluten free version, I highly recommend this Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 flour, which contains xanthan gum. This is the only GF flour blend that I’ve tested.
- Coconut Sugar: For a healthier, less refined option, we are sweetening these muffins with coconut sugar. However, it should also work with light brown sugar or even white sugar.
- Beetroot Powder: Beetroot powder is used as a substitute for red food coloring in this red velvet recipe. You may notice the batter has a hint of beet flavor but the finished muffins do NOT. The color will not be as vibrant red as when you use red food coloring. If you don’t have beetroot powder on hand, you can try omitting it and reducing the milk to 3/4 cup. Your muffins will be more brown. If you don’t mind using red food coloring, you can omit the beetroot powder, reduce the milk to 3/4 cup and add in about 2 tsp of gel or liquid red food coloring.
- Cocoa Powder: Just a hint of natural, unsweetened cocoa powder to provide a light chocolate flavor to these muffins. Please avoid dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder & Baking Powder: We’re using two different leavening agents in this recipe!
- Kosher Salt: A bit of kosher salt because even desserts deserve salt!
For the Wet Ingredients:
- Eggs: 2 large eggs provide structure
- Avocado Oil: Feel free to substitute your preferred neutral oil. In a pinch you can use olive oil, however you might notice it affects the flavor slightly.
- Milk: Red velvet muffins typically use buttermilk but I never have that on hand, so instead we’re doing a combination of milk and vinegar to mimic buttermilk. You can use either cow’s milk (whole milk preferred) or a creamy, non-dairy milk.
- White Vinegar: Don’t skip this! The acid gives the muffins a light, fluffy texture and provides that classic red velvet flavor that you can’t quite describe. You can also substitute apple cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Vanilla Extract: For extra flavor.
- White Chocolate Chips: These are optional, but I think white chocolate pairs really well with red velvet. If you need a dairy free white chocolate, use the Enjoy Life brand. Normal chocolate chips would also be delish in here!
How To Make these Red Velvet Muffins
Preheat Oven & Line Muffin Tin:
First, start by preheating your oven to 350F. Then, add paper or silicone liners to each cavity of your muffin tin. I have not tried this without liners – it may work by just spraying the cavities, but I can’t confirm!
Prepare the “Buttermilk”:
Secondly, add the vinegar to the milk, stir, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. You will notice it begin to curdle – this is a good sign! We’re trying to mimic buttermilk.
Mix Together the Dry Ingredients:
Next, add all of the dry ingredients (flour, coconut sugar, beetroot powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda & salt) to a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
Mix Together the Wet Ingredients:
In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, “buttermilk” made in step 2, avocado oil and vanilla extract) until smooth).
Add the Wet Ingredients to the Dry Ingredients:
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just incorporated. A little bit of flour should still be visible at this point.
Then, add in the white chocolate chips (if you’re using them) and stir until no more flour is visible. Don’t over-mix or the muffins will turn out dense!
Pour into Muffin Tin & Bake:
Lastly, pour or scoop out the red velvet batter into the prepared muffin tin. Each should be filled ¾ of the way. Optionally, top with a few extra white chocolate chips.
Transfer the muffins to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let them cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
What is Red Velvet?
In the process of developing this recipe, I have learned more about Red Velvet than I ever expected. Years ago, someone told me that Red Velvet was just chocolate cake with red food coloring and I was kinda disappointed. BUT, fast forward to today, and I realize that’s not quite true.
The history of Red Velvet is a little bit unclear, with some saying that it officially debuted in “The Joy of Cooking” cookbook in 1940, and others saying that the Waldorf Astoria was serving it as early as the mid-1920s.
To make it even more confusing, there are also mixed beliefs on the source of the red color. Some attribute the red color to the reaction between cocoa powder, buttermilk and baking soda; some say it’s because they used to call brown sugar, “red sugar.”
Either way, the Red Velvet that we think of today is certainly not the same as it used to be. With the addition of artificial red food coloring, we have become accustomed to a bright, fire-truck red colored cake.
And yet, the color makes no impact on the flavor. Red Velvet, at it’s core, is simply a fluffy, slightly chocolate-y and slightly tangy cake. It could be considered boring or basic, but it’s a fun one to add to the rotation, especially around holidays like Valentine’s Day
Can I Make these Red Velvet Muffins Gluten Free? Dairy Free?
Yes, definitely! I tested these red velvet muffins with both AP flour and Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour. My preferred gluten free flour (and the only one that I’ve tested this recipe with) is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 flour. This contains xanthan gum which is crucial! Please proceed with caution when using other GF flour blends.
You can also make these dairy-free by using a dairy-free milk instead of cow’s milk and using a dairy-free brand of white chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life). I recommend using a thick, creamy dairy-free milk like oat milk or cashew milk as it will most closely resemble the texture and fat content of cow’s milk.
How Red are these Red Velvet Muffins?
Truthfully, these red velvet muffins are not going to look like the red velvet muffins you’d make from a boxed mix. Since they are only naturally colored with beetroot powder, the red is much more muted. It almost resembles a brick red vs a firetruck red.
The exterior of the muffins will look more red while the interior will be more brown. I personally don’t mind this as they still taste amazing, but if you’d like them to be brighter red, check out the sections below to see how to adapt this recipe to use traditional food dye.
Can You Taste the Beetroot Powder in these Red Velvet Muffins?
Don’t be scared off by the beetroot powder! If you’re a lick-the-spoon kind of person, you may notice a slight beet flavor in the raw batter. However, there is NO beet flavor in the finished red velvet muffins. My friends and family can confirm this!
Can I Omit the Beetroot Powder?
If you aren’t able to track down any beetroot powder, and simply don’t care about the color of these muffins, then you can omit it altogether. The end result will be muffins that are more brown but still taste just like red velvet!
If you’d like to omit the beetroot powder and use red food dye instead, please see the section below for more details on how to do so.
Can I Use Red Food Dye Instead?
Yes, if you’re comfortable using traditional food dye, you can definitely use that instead of beetroot powder for these red velvet muffins. You will certainly get a more vibrant red color this way!
To do so, omit the beetroot powder and reduce the milk to 3/4 cup. Then, add in about 2 tsp of liquid or gel red food coloring. You can adjust the amount of food coloring to your preference, depending on how vibrant you want the red to be.
I have also tried this with more “natural” red food dyes (such as Watkin’s) which do not contain Red 40, however, you need a TON of it to make a noticeable difference.
Expert Tips:
- Measure the dry ingredients with a kitchen scale: For the best, most accurate results, grab a cheap kitchen scale on Amazon and use it to measure the dry ingredients. Otherwise, be sure to use the spoon & level method to measure.
- Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch-processed cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa powder is alkalized, meaning it won’t have the same reaction with the acidic ingredients in this recipe and therefore it won’t turn as red.
- Create “buttermilk” by mixing together milk & vinegar: Don’t skip this or omit the vinegar! It’s crucial for contributing to the fluffy texture of the muffins and to that classic red velvet taste that you can’t quite describe.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Mix until the flour is just incorporated. Over-mixed batter = dense muffins!
How Should I Store the Leftover Red Velvet Muffins?
Once the red velvet muffins have cooled completely, you can transfer them to a covered airtight container and store them at room temperature. They are best within 3-4 days. Storing them in the fridge will dry them out, so I don’t recommend doing that unless you plan to microwave/re-heat them prior to eating.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Dessert Recipes?
Red Velvet Muffins (No Food Dye)
Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- whisk
- spatula
- Muffin Tin with liners
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups AP flour or gluten free 1-to-1 flour (240g)*
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar or white sugar (113g)
- ¼ cup beetroot powder (38g)**
- 3 tbsp natural cocoa powder (not dutch processed, 14g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 cup milk (cow's milk or dairy-free)
- 1.5 tbsp white vinegar or ACV or lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional:
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life brand for dairy-free)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and add liners to each cavity of your muffin tin.
- Add the vinegar to the milk, stir, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. You will notice it begin to curdle – this is a good sign! We're trying to mimic buttermilk.1 cup milk, 1.5 tbsp white vinegar
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.2 cups AP flour or gluten free 1-to-1 flour, ¾ cup coconut sugar, ¼ cup beetroot powder, 3 tbsp natural cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
- In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.2 large eggs, ½ cup avocado oil, 1 cup milk, 1.5 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just incorporated. A little bit of flour should still be visible at this point.
- Add in the white chocolate chips and stir until no more flour is visible. Don't overmix!1 cup white chocolate chips
- Pour or scoop out batter into the prepared muffin tin. Each should be filled ¾ of the way. Optionally, top with a few extra white chocolate chips.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Let cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
Deeeelish – had to stop myself after eating 3 at one time.
I couldn’t relate more lol!!