Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes
Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes
Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes!
I kind of have a thing for root beer. I remember the first time I had a root beer float. I was about 9 years old, and I was visiting my grandfather in Phoenix, Arizona. It was SO hot there! My grandfather's retirement home had an honest-to-goodness old-fashioned soda fountain to entertain kids. It was something out of a dream. Even more so when my ultra health-conscious parents allowed me to partake in some contraband sweets with my grandfather. I still remember lining up near the soda fountain counter, watching wide-eyed while my grandfather scooped ice cream into tall glasses and then slowly poured root beer over the ice cream. My grandfather called it a Brown Cow. I called it heaven.
With this forever memory and the emerging spring, I wanted to incorporate my love of root beer into a Sticky Fingers Cooking recipe. However, just like my parents, I don't let my kids drink soda … such a dilemma! After some research, I discovered that root beer has its roots (sorry!) in health. The blend of herbs and spices is quite good for you. The huge amounts of sugar and corn syrup? Not so much. My eldest daughter, who has type 1 diabetes, found the Zevia brand sodas a few years ago, and we love them! Eureka! Why not make root beer float cupcakes? Which we do here, using the base of a vegan zucchini cupcake recipe but infusing the batter with root beer. The intoxicating aroma of the baking cupcakes immediately made me fall head over heels for this recipe. My daughters could not agree more. We double-dipped them in a sweet, spicy black pepper glaze for good measure and added a fun, healthy twist on my beloved root beer float to round it all out. So whether you're craving something sweet, nostalgic, or just plain fun, I'm pretty sure we've got you covered! Thanks, Granddad.
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- grate :
to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).
- squeeze :
to firmly press or twist a food with fingers, hands, or a device to remove its liquid, like shredded potatoes, frozen and thawed spinach, or tofu.
- wet vs dry :
to mix wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them: dry ingredients are flours, leavening agents, salt, and spices; wet ingredients are those that dissolve or can be dissolved (sugar, eggs, butter, oils, honey, vanilla, milk, and juices).
Equipment Checklist
- Oven
- Muffin pan
- Paper cupcake liners
- Grater
- Large mixing bowl
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
Ingredients
Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes
- 1 small zucchini, grated
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 C butter, room-temperature (sub dairy-free butter, like Earth Balance)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 3/4 C all-purpose flour (sub gluten-free flour)
- 1 C root beer (we like Zevia or Virgil’s Diet stevia-sweetened root beer)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 C maple syrup/sugar/honey/agave nectar
- paper cupcake liners
Food Allergen Substitutions
Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free butter in Cupcakes.
- Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free flour in Cupcakes.
Instructions
Zucchini Root Beer Cupcakes
preheat + line muffin pan
Grown-ups: Preheat your oven to 350 F and have kids line your muffin pan with paper liners.
grate + squeeze
Have kids grate 1 zucchini and squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini using a clean dish towel over the sink. We want to get the extra moisture out, so our cupcakes stay nice and fluffy! The grated zucchini should equal about 1/2 cup.
dry bowl: measure + add + whisk
In a large bowl, have kids measure and combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Then, have kids whisk everything in the dry bowl together.
wet bowl: combine + mix
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup root beer, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup room temperature butter, 1/2 cup of grated zucchini, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Then mix well.
wet + dry + bake + cool
Have kids add wet bowl mixture to dry bowl ingredients and stir until just combined. Please do not over mix! Spoon the batter about 3/4 full into your paper-lined muffin pan. Bake at 350 F in your preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Carefully take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool completely before adding the Black Pepper Glaze (see recipe). (You can also use this batter to make tasty Zany Zucchini Root Beer Mini Pancakes in your non-stick skillet over medium-low heat on your stove).
Hi! I’m Root Beer!
"Normally, any of you interested in your health would probably never consider soda pop worthy to include in your diet. In particular, soft drinks are singled out more frequently as first on the list of forbidden foods to avoid because they contain high sodium, sugar, unnatural sweeteners (another whole story there!), and various chemicals. Soda pop is generally viewed as a weight-increasing, tooth-rotting no-no. However, I'm a soft drink with some merit: Root Beer!"
One of root beer's early makers and the first to successfully market it, Charles Hires (hence the famous brand name), originally planned his mixture of roots, berries, herbs, and spices to be an herbal tea. As a pharmacist in the late 19th century, he was most likely familiar with the nutritional benefits of many of the ingredients in his root tea recipe.
The beverage he created contains many ingredients long used to produce beneficial effects. Although the drink's formula may vary from one brand to another, the basic ingredients are usually: vanilla, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, sassafras root, nutmeg, anise, wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, molasses, pimento berry, balsam, cassia, malted barley, cherry bark, fenugreek, St. John's Wort, maple syrup, yucca, cane sugar, and corn syrup. We know that corn syrup is largely frowned upon where health is concerned since it is known to be bad for weight control; similarly, cane sugar is also not welcome by most nutritionally-concerned people.
So, why is it called root beer? Before European explorers arrived in the Americas, early Native Americans made drinks and medicine from sassafras root. Then, starting in the 16th century, European migrants applied their brewing techniques to create a sassafras root beverage closer to the root beer we now drink.
Can you imagine getting such healthy influences on your body from other soft drinks currently on the market? Having remained a beverage of choice by countless people for over a century, it does little harm (depending on the amount and type of sweetener) and has a taste that attracts a following. However, if more people knew that many of its ingredients are good for you, would it remain such a top-selling product?
What is Stevia?
- About 1,500 years ago, the Guarani people of Paraguay discovered a native plant with green leaves with strong sweetening properties. So they added its crushed leaves to their "maté" (a hot tea made from the yerba maté plant), which sweetened it as our modern-day sugar does.
- Gradually, they found that this sweet plant they called "ka'a he'e" (which means "sweet herb") had other uses besides its sugary taste. Ancient history tells us that natives used this sweet plant for softening skin, aiding digestion, nourishing the pancreas, balancing blood sugar, smoothing wrinkles, and healing blemishes, sores, and wounds (burns).
- Soon enough, the miracle ka'a he'e plant had spread to neighboring Brazil and Argentina. It grew abundantly in South America, and it wasn't long before European settlers discovered the plant and its excellent health benefits.
- The Stevia rebaudiana species, also called "candyleaf," is part of the Asteraceae family (also called the sunflower family), related to the daisy and ragweed. It is native to Brazil and Paraguay, where the Guarani lived.
- Stevia has no calories but is 200 times sweeter than sugar in the same concentration.
- No chemicals, alcohols, solvents, or enzymes are used at any stage of the extraction and purification process.
- The SweetLeaf stevia product was the first stevia-based sweetener to receive GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in the United States.
- You can find stevia in the sweetener or natural products aisle of your local grocery store and health and natural foods stores.
- Stevia is ideal for weight watchers, diabetics, and health enthusiasts who want to improve their diet.
Lettuce Joke Around
What is a tree's favorite drink?
Root beer!
That's Berry Funny
What kind of vegetable likes to look at animals?
A zoo-chini!
Lettuce Joke Around
How can you make a whale float?
With a lot of root beer, ice cream, and a whale!
