Red Velvet Cookie Cups

These Red Velvet Cookie Cups are naturally colored, lightened up, super delicious and will be your new favorite holiday treat!

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I love to bake, especially around the holidays. I try to create healthier options so we can cut back on some of the unnecessary junky ingredients in some of those treats.

If you are looking for some other holiday recipes, you might like this Red Velvet Sheet Cake, Keto Butter Cookies, Gluten Free Butter Pecan Cookies, Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies and these No Bake Low Carb Cookie Dough Bars.

All of these would be even better with this Chamomile Latte, Apple Chai Latte, Low Carb Bulletproof Hot Chocolate or even some Spiked Apple Cider!

Also, my cookbooks are both on sale now and would make a great gift! The Everything Wheat Free Diet Cookbook and The Greek Yogurt Cookbook are both the lowest prices I have seen!

Why You Should Make These Red Velvet Cookie Cups

If you are like me, you not only bake a ton of cookies and treats around the holidays but you also indulge in them as well.  Why not try to lighten them up a little bit and avoid those artificial colors and flavors?  

Studies show that overexposure to artificial colors can lead to hyperactivity in kids (especially those with a predisposition to ADHD), and offer no nutritive value at all.  Why take a chance?

Artificial colors aren’t needed in these healthy cookie cups.  Beets offer a natural red color and no vegetable after taste!  

The Buttercream Frosting on these red velvet cookie cups is the perfect addition to all of your baked goods and treats. These cookie cups are a much healthier alternative to other holiday treats!  

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Recipe Ingredients

These red velvet cookie cups might look fancy, but I promise they are simple to make with all normal ingredients. Nothing CRAZY in these babies.

Well, that's if you don't count pureed beets...

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• Unrefined sugar - Unrefined sugars are a little less processed so they retain more minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that are removed during more extensive refining process. I use this one in most of my baked goods that aren't sugar free.
• Unrefined brown sugar - Refined brown sugar is simply white sugar that has had molasses added back into it. Meanwhile, whole, unrefined brown sugar undergoes less processing than white sugar, allowing it to retain some of its molasses content and natural brown color as well as nutrients. I use this one.
• 100% maple syrup - The key here is to use 100% pure maple syrup. The taste and quality are far more superior to ones that just say "maple syrup".
• Coconut oil - This is perfect for plant-based, vegan cooking and baking. I use this one in all of my dishes. You can easily use butter if you don't mind using animal products.
• Beet puree - Yup, you read that correctly. These pureed beets are the key to the dark red color and I promise these cookie cups don't taste like beets!
• Cocoa powder - I use the kind where the ingredients are only 100% cocoa powder and nothing else. I like this one.
• Apple cider vinegar - This very small amount of vinegar helps to give the cookies a bit of a lift or rise.
• Pure vanilla extract - I like to use 100% pure vanilla extract because it just plain old tastes better! Why use imitation vanilla when you can have the real thing?
• Whole wheat flour - This flour is a good source of protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The only reason why I didn't use all whole wheat flour and also added some all purpose flour is because the cookies would be too dense and a little dry.
• Baking powder - I use a GMO-FREE, aluminum free baking powder like this one in all of my baked goods.
• Chocolate chips - You can use whatever you have in the house. Personally I love these because they are gluten free, vegan, dairy free and soy free. They taste delicious too.
• Unrefined powdered sugar - Same as the unrefined sugar above. This powdered sugar is a little less processed than typical powdered sugar. I like to use this one.
• Butter - I use 100% grass-fed butter such as Kerrygold since it contains more nutrients than regular butter and overall tastes so much better. You can also make the frosting with coconut oil to make it completely vegan, but I will always choose butter when it comes to frosting. I can eat that buttercream with a spoon (and I do!)

How To Make These Red Velvet Cookie Cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 4 dozen mini muffin tins with baking spray or grease with coconut oil.

Start by preparing the beet puree. I usually bake the beets in the oven. Cut the beets in quarters and then wrap them with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven at 375 ℉ for about 1 hour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together sugars, maple syrup and coconut oil until blended. Add beet puree, cacao, vinegar, vanilla and salt.

Stir and then add flour and baking powder.

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Stir again, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared muffin tins.

You might notice it loses some of the bright red color that the beets provide due to the cocoa powder and maple syrup, but I am ok with that. They are still so pretty.

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Aren't they so cute? Adorable little bites!

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Now it's time to get the frosting started.... my favorite part! Mix together in a bowl until light and fluffy.

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It might be tempting to eat it with a spoon, but don't! Save them for these bite-sized cookie cups. I promise it will be worth it.

This does make a lot of frosting so I usually save the rest for my sugar cookies especially around the holidays. Frosting never goes to waste this time of year, right?

Or any time of year for that matter in my house...

This is how the cookie cups look without the crushed candy canes... they look a little sad, don't they?

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They look so pretty with just a little bit of crushed candy canes on top!

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Expert Tips

I realize that most candy canes have artificial colors and flavors.  I found these awesome Organic Candy Canes that are all natural, artificial dye free and flavored with natural peppermint.  

Or if you can't find these, just crush a tiny drop of ordinary candy canes on top for color.

I am all about moderation, especially during the holidays. A small amount of crushed candy cane won't completely derail your healthy eating. We all have to enjoy ourselves too! 

I promote mindful  and guilt-free eating. Have a few of these, enjoy and savor every bite. And remember if you do overindulge (which is super easy to do especially around the holidays) just pick yourself up and start agin!

Feeling bad or guilty about something you've eaten only leads to a viscous cycle.

One last thing...you don't have to wait for a Monday to start again! You can start any day of the week.

Ok, now back to these red velvet cookie cups!

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Related Recipes

Gluten Free Butter Pecan Cookies from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Healthy Holiday Buckeye Cookies from Fit Foodie Finds

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Keto Cut Out Sugar Cookies from All Day I Dream About Food

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