Kids & Pets

Kids’ chocolate cupcakes with hidden vegetables

They'll never know these treats are loaded with veggies!
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Introducing a deliciously clever way to add nutrition to your child’s party, lunchbox or afternoon snack time. Moist, rich, and expertly crafted to include a nutritious twist, these cupcakes are a delightful indulgence you can feel good about. Ditch the guilt trip and discover the joy of baking with purpose and surprise your family with a sweet treat that’s as nutritious as it is delicious. Food director and stylist, Elle Vernon shows us how to make chocolate cupcakes that are loaded with fresh veggies, including baby spinach, zucchini, carrot and broccoli. Perfect for fussy eaters!

You can top them with assorted berries or a sprinkling of hundreds and thousands and they’ll never know!

Kids' Chocolate Cupcakes with hidden vegetables
Our chocolate cupcakes with hidden vegetables make the perfect lunchbox or party treat! (Photography: Andre Martin)

Ingredients

Icing

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Line 18 holes of two 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin tins with paper cases. 

2.

Put zucchini, carrot, broccoli stalk and milk in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add spinach and cocoa and blitz again.

3.

Put butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Pour in zucchini mixture and whisk again until smooth. (It’s OK if mixture looks a little split.)

4.

Sift in flour, bicarb and baking powder and stir until smooth, then stir in oats. Pour evenly into prepared holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Set aside in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5.

To make icing, put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. 

6.

Drizzle cupcakes with icing and top with fresh berries or hundreds & thousands.

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