I got this idea in my head for pumpkin beet muffins when my biggest kiddo started asking for purple food. I know, i know, purple food is weird, but it’s a great way to get my kids eating new and exciting vegetables. Like beets, purple cauliflower, purple carrots, cabbage…so many choices in this color palate.

We were out for a morning walk one weekend and I treated the kids to Starbucks pumpkin bread (thank you rewards stars). While I was pushing the stroller, I was trying to figure out what I could make other just roasting the purple veggies and serving them for dinner (which totally worked by the way, need to tell you how someday).

pumpkin beet muffins in their muffin tin with sliced beets in one muffin hole

Then it hit me!

What if I used beets in a pumpkin bread or muffin? Would it turn into a purple muffin? Well, I’m here to tell you that it didn’t turn the muffin purple, but pumpkin and beets work beautifully together. The sweet and earthiness of the beets work great with the warm flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. And since everything is mixed up really well, your kids, friends and spouses won’t even know what you’ve hidden inside.

I must say this is a great combination and you’ll feel good giving it to your kiddos…don’t be surprised if you find yourself unable to stop eating them too!

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hidden veggies 101:

In order to “hide” the beets in this recipe (even though I told my family what was in them), you’ll want to puree them pretty well. I started with a can of sliced beets to keep things simple, but you could definitely roast your own.

In either case, you’ll want the beet puree to be the consistency of the pumpkin puree or a little bit chunkier.

Hiding veggies in baked goods isn’t something I do too often. I like to tell my kids what they are eating so that they can learn to make healthy choices, but I know that some little ones, and big ones too (I see you picky adults), won’t go near a vegetable with a ten-foot pole.

These pumpkin beet muffins are a great way to get an extra dose nutrients into their diet. The beets are full of fiber, folate and vitamin C. Pumpkin is packed with vitamin A and vitamin C making the combination of the two a great immunity booster as well lots of other benefits.

what else is hiding in these pumpkin beet muffins?

Other than the goodness hiding in the beet and pumpkin purees, you’ll also find a healthy does of oats. Oats are a great source of fiber, which helps fill you up and are known to help lower cholesterol…something we could all use a little bit of help with this time of year!

Instead of using butter, I’ve used coconut oil in this recipe to keep it dairy free. These are also nut free, making them a great snack to keep on hand when you have a crowd coming over with different dietary needs or food allergies.

To punch up the pumpkin flavor I’ve used pumpkin pie spice. I used the McCormick blend because that’s what I have on hand, but you can also find a good pumpkin spice blend here. If you don’t want to buy it, you can certainly make your own. Here’s a recipe from the Pioneer Woman. It’s just a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. You’ve probably got all of these on your spice shelf already!

For my kosher keepers out there, these make a great shabbat afternoon snack to keep out after lunch! Also great to serve in a sukkah, for a hanukkah party, or any other holiday gathering.

Tips and Tricks:

The recipe calls for ground old fashioned oats. It’s easy to do this in your blender. Just put the oats into your blender or food processor and blitz for 15-20 seconds. That should break up the oats enough. If you don’t want to do this, you can sub quick cook oats into the recipe.
Don’t want to make your own beet puree? You can substitute beet baby food if you can find it on it’s own. I like making my own from a can of beets. I’ll use the leftover sliced beets in one of these two salads (big greek salad and greek pasta salad) and everyone is happy, or freeze the puree in to cubes for use in smoothies or muffins later.
These pumpkin beet muffins freeze great. Just make sure to store them in an airtight container. When you want to reheat either let sit on counter for 20-30 minutes or zap in microwave for about 15 seconds. Yum!

Looking for other recipes with hidden vegetables recipes? Check these out!