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!
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.
How Do You Make Healthy Cupcakes?
This recipe starts with applesauce and spinach. Add both to the bowl of a food processor.
Blend until the mixture becomes pureed.
Add the cake mix to a mixing bowl with the spinach puree.
Beat with a hand mixer until completely combined.
Fill baking cups in cupcake pan with the batter.
Bake for 20-22 minutes and until a toothpick comes out clean.
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!
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.
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!
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!
Want more healthy sweet treats?
I hope you enjoy these cupcakes!
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Spinach Cupcakes
PrintIngredients
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 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!
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! 🙂
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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!