I got the idea for these pumpkin beet muffins when my oldest started asking for purple food. Purple carrots, purple cauliflower, cabbage, anything in that color family, she was in. Beets seemed like the natural next step.
We were out on a walk one weekend and I treated the kids to Starbucks pumpkin bread, which got me thinking: what if I put beets in a pumpkin muffin instead of just roasting them for dinner? Turns out the muffins don't turn purple, but pumpkin and beets work beautifully together, the earthiness of the beet plays really well against the warm pumpkin pie spice. Everything gets mixed together well enough that your kids, spouse, or dinner guests won't have any idea what's hiding inside.
If you're in full PSL mode and ready for all the pumpkin things try my Panera copycat pumpkin muffins, 2-ingredient pumpkin bread, or pumpkin dump cake next.
TL;DR - Pumpkin Beet Muffins
- 🎃 Why you'll love it: A real vegetable hidden inside a muffin that tastes like fall, not like beets.
- 🥄 Key ingredients: Pumpkin puree, pureed beets, oats, coconut oil (dairy-free).
- ⏲️ Time: 15 minutes prep, 25 minutes bake.
- 🧁 Yield: 24 muffins. Great for freezing and pulling out one at a time.
Key Ingredients
- Beets: I start with a can of sliced beets and puree them myself. It's the simplest option with no roasting required. Puree to about the same consistency as the pumpkin, or a little chunkier.
- Pumpkin: Straight canned puree, not pie filling.
- Oats: Old fashioned oats, ground in the blender for about 15-20 seconds. Quick oats work fine too if you'd rather skip that step.
- Coconut oil: Used in place of butter, which keeps the recipe dairy-free.
Hiding the Beets
The trick is in the puree consistency, get it smooth, close to the texture of the pumpkin puree, and it disappears completely into the batter. No roasting required if you start from a can of sliced beets; just puree them in a blender or food processor. Save the leftover canned beet slices for a Greek salad or Greek pasta salad so nothing goes to waste, or freeze extra puree into cubes for smoothies or another batch of muffins later.
How to Make Pumpkin Beet Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, beet puree, coconut oil, and almond milk. Stir just until combined.
- Portion into the muffin tins and bake 25-30 minutes.
- Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Recipe FAQ
No, that's the whole point. The pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice dominate, and the beets mostly add moisture and a subtle earthy sweetness in the background. I've told my own kids exactly what's in these and they still ask for seconds.
Yes, if you can find a plain beet baby food, that works as a shortcut in place of homemade puree.
More Easy Muffin Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Beet Muffins (Hidden Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 cup Old fashioned oats (ground)
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 Eggs
- 15 oz Pumpkin puree (1 can)
- ½ cup Pureed beets
- ¾ cup Coconut oil (melted)
- ¼ cup Almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ degrees and spray 2 muffin tins with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice.
- Once the dry ingredients are combined well, add the rest of the ingredients (eggs, pumpkin puree, pureed beets, coconut oil, and almond milk) and stir until everything is just combined.
- Portion batter into the muffin tins and bake at 375℉ for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in tin 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add all the wet ingredients into your measuring cup and give them a little stir before dumping into the dry ingredients. Saves on extra dishes.
- These freeze well in an airtight container. Thaw on the counter 20-30 minutes, or microwave about 15 seconds.
Marni Katz says
Pumpkin and beets are a great pairing. The muffins taste great and I'm sneaking in a little extra veggie along the way! win-win!