Chocolate Beetroot Muffins with Spiced Plum Centres

Beneath a crown of dark chocolate, these muffins hide a secret — the earth-sweet velvet of beetroot, the midnight depth of cocoa, and at their very heart, a jewel of frozen plum that melts into a tangy-sweet pool as they bake.

Each bite is a meeting of seasons: autumn’s grounding richness, summer’s ripe fruit, winter’s indulgent darkness.

Warm from the oven, they are a love letter to contrasts — soft and tender, rich yet bright, with chocolate chunks catching the light like tiny constellations scattered across their tops.

Moist, earthy and utterly moreish, these straddle the boundary of ‘just sweet enough’ perfect as an afternoon pick me up.

A sharp, spiced fruit centre is the perfect foil to earthy dark chocolate

Using a food mill is the most effective way to pit plums, job complete in a few seconds…

Try these with any stonefruit that you have in surplus, I sometimes roast the plums first for extra depth

muffins, chocolate muffins, plum recipes, autumn baking, easy bakes, beetroot, healthy snacks, homegrown, seasonal eating

Yield: 12

Author: Suze Morrison

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Chocolate & Beetroot Muffins Spiced Plum Centres

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 14 MinTotal time: 49 Min

Beneath a crown of dark chocolate, these muffins hide a secret — the earth-sweet velvet of beetroot, the midnight depth of cocoa, and at their very heart, a jewel of frozen plum that melts into a tangy-sweet pool as they bake.

Each bite is a meeting of seasons: autumn’s grounding richness, summer’s ripe fruit, winter’s indulgent darkness.

Warm from the oven, they are a love letter to contrasts — soft and tender, rich yet bright, with chocolate chunks catching the light like tiny constellations scattered across their tops.

Ingredients

For the Spiced Plum Centres

• 200 g ripe plums, stones removed
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4tsp Ginger, ground
• ½ tsp lemon juice

For the Muffins

• 200 g cooked beetroot, pureed until silky smooth
• 180 g plain flour
• 60 g cocoa powder (Dutch-process for deeper flavour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 150 g soft light brown sugar
• 75 g caster sugar
• 125 ml sunflower oil (or mild olive oil for depth)
• 125 ml buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g dark chocolate (80%), chopped into small chunks

Instructions

1. Blend plums, sugar, spices and lemon juice until very smooth.
2. Spoon into 12 portions (about 1 tsp each) on a parchment-lined tray. Freeze until solid — at least 3 hours or overnight for best results.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with tulip-style muffin cases (these help with a tall rise).
4. In a large bowl, whisk beetroot puree, both sugars, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until completely smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate, and salt.
6. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing only until just combined — the batter will be thick.
7. Fold in 100 g of the dark chocolate chunks, keeping 50 g aside for topping.
8. Fill each case halfway with batter, drop in a frozen plum centre, then cover with the remaining batter.
9. Sprinkle the tops generously with the remaining chocolate chunks.
10. Bake at 180°C for 5 minutes to give them a rapid rise, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 15–18 minutes.
11. Muffins are done when they spring back lightly to the touch — don’t overbake or they’ll lose their fudgy texture.
12. Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve slightly warm for a molten centre, or cool completely for a soft plum pocket.

https://gourmetglow.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-beetroot-plum-muffins

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