Naturally green cupcakes made with fresh spinach. Spinach is mixed with applesauce and cake mix, baked in a cupcake tin and then you can top with frosting for cupcakes, or just eat them as spinach muffins – up to you! This is a great way to get kids to eat more veggies!
Spinach Cupcakes Recipe
These cupcakes bake up green because they are full of fresh spinach. There’s no food dye in them, just pure vegetables pureed along with applesauce and cake mix.
How good are they? 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?
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!
Want more sweet treats baked with vegetables? Try my Green Tomato Pie, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies, 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies and Glazed Cucumber Bread.
Eat as Spinach Muffins or Cupcakes
So here’s the part that’s up to you! You can top these with frosting and sprinkles and made the cutest green cupcakes, or you can just leave as is and eat them as spinach muffins.
If you are making them as spinach muffins, make sure to check out my freezing instructions below if you are making a few batches to keep!
3 Ingredients
- fresh spinach, 4 cups, rinsed
- applesauce, unsweetened
- yellow cake mix, your favorite boxed cake mix
- making cupcakes? then you will need frosting and sprinkles too.
Let’s Make Green Spinach Cupcakes
Add spinach and applesauce into a food processor.
Blend until the mixture becomes pureed.
Add the cake mix to a mixing bowl with the spinach puree, beating with a hand mixer until completely combined.
Fill baking cups in cupcake pan with the batter.
Bake for around 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool before popping them out of the cupcake tins. You can serve these up as muffins right away, or decorate with frosting and sprinkles to make cupcakes. These are my favorite sprinkles to use!
Freezing Spinach Muffins
You can easily freeze these spinach muffins to keep on hand for quick breakfast and snack options! Simply allow to cool and then freeze on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes. After they’re frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze They are good this way for 3-4 months.
As you need them, take them out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave until fully thawed. Enjoy!
Green Cupcake Ideas
Some ideas to serve these green cupcakes:
- For any birthday party that is rainbow happy!
- How fun would these green cupcakes be for St. Patrick’s Day? Use rainbow or green sprinkles on top.
- For the holidays these would be cute as Christmas tree cupcakes or Grinch cupcakes.
- For Easter, decorate with pastel egg candies, or small candy bunnies on top.
Pin for later:
Spinach Cupcakes and Muffins (Naturally Green)
PrintIngredients
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- your favorite frosting and sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups if you are making cupcakes or spray with nonstick spray if you are making muffins.
- 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 and no longer lumpy.
- 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.
- Remove from cupcake pan and either serve as spinach muffins or decorate with frosting and sprinkles for cupcakes. Serve and enjoy!
Tina says
Can these be frozen once they are cooled?
Pamela Reed says
Absolutely! I often freeze these for quick spinach muffins for breakfast/snack!
Tina says
Thank you! Have you frozen them, thawed them and frosted them? Would they seem the same as if I baked and frosted them same day?Does it change the texture? Do they seem the same as fresh baked?
Caroline says
I wonder could a person utilize Broccoli as added option, how much of does a person use and what to use to hide the taste?
I like broccoli, I can never find what to make into stuff is my issue.
Spinach is completely new thing to me, could I utilize spinach into roll cake?
What would that look like.
Millie G says
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 😑
Pamela says
Hey Millie, there’s a space in there. 😉 It’s (1) 15.25 oz box of yellow cake mix.
Erica says
Should the applesauce be sweetened or unsweetened? I’m going to make these for my family very soon. Thanks ;).
Pamela says
Hey Erica, I recommend unsweetened applesauce, but either will work! 🙂
Erica says
Okay great! That’s what I have on hand. Thanks.
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
Okay, GENIUS! I’ve got to remember these for next St Pats!
Jaclyn says
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.
Pamela says
Absolutely! Works great with chocolate cake mix too! 🙂
hani/haniela's says
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?
Pamela says
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/
dixya| food, pleasure, and health says
I need to make these ASAP!
Pamela says
They are delicious!
Jenn @ Once Upon a Tier says
Ok, I have to try these cupcakes. I am very intrigued!
Pamela says
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!