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Home Sneaky Vegetables

Spinach Cupcakes

32 minutes
spinach
Posted:3/21/21
Updated:3/6/22
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Easy healthy cupcakes recipe made with just a few simple ingredients – applesauce, fresh spinach, yellow cake mix and topped white frosting and sprinkles. Yes, you read that right! Spinach Cupcakes make for a sneaky way to include vegetables in your kids’ diet. These are perfect for a birthday party!

Green cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

These Spinach Cupcakes have changed my life. They’re shockingly good and your entire family is going to love them. You’ll never see spinach the same way after baking these!

They’re so good that my 2 year old stole one of the cupcakes from the kitchen counter before I could even photograph them all together! How’s that for a rave review?

Spinach Cupcakes Recipe 

These cupcakes bake up green because they are full of fresh spinach. They make such a great alternative to making green cupcakes with food coloring. And with one bite, even your picky kids will gobble these up (like mine!)! I promise you can’t even taste the spinach in them!

Not only are these healthy cupcakes and use applesauce instead of oil or butter, they only require three ingredients. Make that four ingredients if you are adding frosting and sprinkles to the tops. 

Set of green cupcakes in cupcake liners with sprinkles on top.

How Do You Make Healthy Cupcakes?

This recipe starts with applesauce and spinach. Add both to the bowl of a food processor.

Spinach and applesauce in food processor.

Blend until the mixture becomes pureed.

spinach puree in food processor

Add the cake mix to a mixing bowl with the spinach puree.

Spinach and flour in bowl.

Beat with a hand mixer until completely combined.

cupcake batter in mixing bowl

Fill baking cups in cupcake pan with the batter.

Green cupcake batter in muffin pan.

Bake for 20-22 minutes and until a toothpick comes out clean.

Green cupcakes baked in muffin pan

Let the cupcakes cool completely and then decorate them with frosting and sprinkles.   These are my favorite sprinkles to use on birthday cakes and cupcakes!

Green cupcakes with white icing and sprinkles

Are These Cupcakes Healthy?

While these pretty green cupcakes are still technically cake and do contain sugar from the cake mix, they are definitely healthier than your average cupcake.

I used fresh spinach straight from my garden! Don’t worry if you don’t have a garden, just be sure to use fresh spinach and not frozen spinach. Spinach contains lots of nutrients and vitamins.

fresh spinach leaves

According to my google research, spinach is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. Vitamin K is essential for maintaining bone health and there aren’t many other vegetables richer in vitamin K than spinach.

Swapping out the oil or butter that is found in most cupcakes for applesauce is another tweak to make these spinach cupcakes more nutritious.

The applesauce gives these cupcakes the most perfect moistness and also lowers the calories in each cupcake. 

Unsweetened applesauce is a great addition to your diet. It’s naturally low in calories, fat-free, and is packed with Vitamin C and fiber. So, not only do these cupcakes taste delicious, they are satisfying too! 

Half of a green cupcake, looking very moist

Tips!

These healthy cupcakes are honestly awesome for any day of the week, but how fun would these green cupcakes be for St. Patrick’s Day?! 

These would also be a great treat to serve at a Christmas party – think Christmas tree cupcakes or Grinch cupcakes. They’d also be awesome served for a Hulk or Ninja Turtle themed birthday party. So many amazing ideas!

Feel free to use any favorite frosting for the tops. You can change out the sprinkles to accommodate whatever season or holiday might be coming up. If it’s St. Patrick’s Day, use rainbow or green sprinkles. If it’s Easter, use spring colored sprinkles. You get the idea!

White frosting on cupcake with colorful rainbow star sprinkles

Want more healthy sweet treats?

Try these: Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies, 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies, Sugar Glazed Cucumber Bread, Kidney Bean Brownies, Sugar Free Apple Muffins and Chocolate Avocado Brownies.

browse all sneaky vegetable recipes

I hope you enjoy these cupcakes!
Pin for later:

Easy healthy cupcakes recipe made with just a few simple ingredients - applesauce, fresh spinach, yellow cake mix and topped white frosting and sprinkles. Yes, you read that right! Spinach Cupcakes make for a sneaky way to include vegetables in your kids’ diet. I promise you can’t even taste the spinach and you won’t believe how absolutely delicious these cupcakes are!

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5 from 3 votes

Spinach Cupcakes

Print
Easy healthy cupcakes recipe made with just a few simple ingredients – applesauce, fresh spinach, yellow cake mix and topped white frosting and sprinkles. Yes, you read that right! Spinach Cupcakes make for a sneaky way to include vegetables in your kids’ diet. These are perfect for a birthday party!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
serves 12

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 15.25 oz box of yellow cake mix
  • your favorite frosting and sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line your cupcake pan with baking cups.
  • Add spinach and applesauce in food processor. Pulse for about a minute, or until completely smooth.
  • Add cake mix into large mixing bowl. Add in spinach mixture. Use a hand mixer and mix until the batter is completely combined.
  • Fill up your cupcake cups with batter, about 90% of the way full.
  • Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  • Decorate with your favorite store bought or homemade frosting. Add sprinkles on top!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 180kcal (9%)
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:healthy cupcakes, spinach cupcakes
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

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  1. Millie G says

    March 6, 2022 at 12:26 pm

    I think that you made a mistake on the number of ounces in the cake mix box for your spinach and applesauce cupcakes. You have said it was 115.25 ounces. I could be wrong 😑

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      March 6, 2022 at 12:54 pm

      Hey Millie, there’s a space in there. 😉 It’s (1) 15.25 oz box of yellow cake mix.

      Reply
  2. Erica says

    April 21, 2021 at 11:41 am

    Should the applesauce be sweetened or unsweetened? I’m going to make these for my family very soon. Thanks ;).

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      April 21, 2021 at 11:53 am

      Hey Erica, I recommend unsweetened applesauce, but either will work! 🙂

      Reply
      • Erica says

        April 22, 2021 at 11:55 am

        Okay great! That’s what I have on hand. Thanks.

        Reply
  3. Kate @ Framed Cooks says

    March 24, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    Okay, GENIUS! I’ve got to remember these for next St Pats!

    Reply
  4. Jaclyn says

    October 18, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    I made this years ago with my son for St Patrick’s Day. Have you tried this with a chocolate cake mix? He’s so picky I’m trying to come up with different options to sneak some veggies in his diet.

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 20, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      Absolutely! Works great with chocolate cake mix too! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Phoenix Learning Guide says

    July 28, 2014 at 6:00 pm

    I don’t even know the way I ended up here, however
    I believed this post was once good. I don’t understand who you might be
    howevver definitely you are going to a well-known blogger should you are not already.
    Cheers!

    Reply
  6. hani/haniela's says

    August 26, 2013 at 5:47 am

    I love spinach but I haven’t thought of using it in a cake. I have to try this. I love the fact that the cupcake is green without any food coloring. I might try these for Halloween, or St. Patricks’ day, they would be really cool, too. Thanks for sharing these Pam.
    Maybe next year I’ll grow spinach do you have a type you like the best that you grow?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      August 26, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Using spinach for holidays is a great idea! Christmas too.. green cupcakes.. red frosting.. yum!

      We recommend http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7449-tyee-f1.aspx and New Zealand Spinach which grows great in the heat! https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/2013/08/15/new-zealand-spinach-taketh-over/

      Reply
  7. dixya| food, pleasure, and health says

    August 20, 2013 at 3:22 pm

    I need to make these ASAP!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      August 20, 2013 at 3:35 pm

      They are delicious!

      Reply
  8. Jenn @ Once Upon a Tier says

    April 17, 2013 at 10:31 am

    Ok, I have to try these cupcakes. I am very intrigued!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      April 17, 2013 at 11:55 am

      Please do and let me know what you think! I was pretty scared of them before making, but one taste of the batter and I knew I was going to be in love!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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