Red Velvet Cookie Cups with Buttercream Frosting {Naturally Colored, Lightened up}

Naturally colored and super delicious, these Red Velvet Cookie Cups will be your new favorite holiday treat!

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 is the perfect addition to all of your baked goods and treats.

These cookie cups are a much healthier alternative to other holiday treats!  

These 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! 

I used unrefined sugars and natural colors in here. I have made them before with melted butter instead of coconut oil and they were just as delicious. It’s really up to you and your dietary needs and what you have in your house!

Because we all have those moments when we think we have all of the ingredients in the house and then POOF! It’s gone.  Well that’s what happened to me and I was very happy to see they were as delicious made with butter.

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!)

Back to the recipe…

Mix all of that deliciousness together…

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.

Aren’t they so cute? Adorable little bites!

Now it’s time to get the frosting started…. my favorite part!

Look how light and fluffy it is!

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?

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

I am aware 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.

These are also so pretty for Valentine’s Day as well, even with the crushed candy canes on top.

5 from 3 votes

Print

Red Velvet Cookie Cups with Buttercream Frosting

Servings 4 dozen mini cookie cups

Ingredients

• Cookies:
• ½ cup unrefined sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup 100% maple syrup
• 3/4 cup coconut oil
• ¾ cup beet puree
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• Frosting:
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup organic butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6-8 teaspoons unsweetened almond milk
• crushed candy canes for topping optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 4 dozen mini muffin tins with baking spray or grease with coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix together sugars, maple syrup and coconut oil until blended. Add beets, cacao, vinegar, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add flour and baking powder. Stir to combine again, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until edges are light brown.
5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
6. While cookies are cooling, mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookie cups. Top with crushed candy canes.

Finally, I wanted to share a few other healthier holiday desserts that you might enjoy…

Gluten Free Butter Pecan Cookies from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Healthy Holiday Buckeye Cookies from Fit Foodie Finds

Healthy Gingerbread Cookies from Baking Beauty

Keto Red Velvet Cake from Wholesome Yum (also naturally colored!)

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies from Lauren Kelly Nutrition

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

Please come back and let me know if you made these Red Velvet Cookie Cups or any of the other treats I shared with you. I love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for stopping by!