Soft, chewy Chocolate Chunk Beetroot Cookies with a natural vivid colour and tasty hint of earthiness from the beets, plus oats and chunks of dark chocolate.
If you are curious about baking with vegetables, these chocolate chunk beetroot cookies are a great place to start!
The flavor does not scream beetroot. Instead, the puree adds color and moisture, creating a tender cookie with a deep pink hue that turns slightly golden around the edges.
I think the combination of dark chocolate and beetroot works well because the chocolate has enough intensity to sit alongside the subtle earthiness of the vegetable.
Vanilla rounds everything out, and the oats keep the cookies hearty without making them heavy.
I've frequently extolled the virtues of the humble beetroot on this blog, but I just can't help myself; it's a perfect veg for vegetable desserts!
The beet taste doesn't come through at all, so they're really just oatmeal chocolate cookies with extra nutrients and a gorgeous colour!
I love the colour of these beet cookies - so naturally purple, they prove that you don't need chemicals or food colouring to make food pretty.
This recipe was originally posted on October 18, 2013 and republished with new images and text on November 20, 2025.
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Why You Should Make This Recipe
- These cookies have a soft texture because the beetroot puree keeps them moist.
- Dark chocolate chunks add richness that pairs nicely with the mild sweetness of the beetroot.
- Oats create structure and chewiness, which helps the cookies stay tender for days.
- The recipe uses everyday ingredients and cooked beetroot that many people already keep on hand.
- Kids enjoy the bright color, and adults appreciate that the cookies feel wholesome without tasting healthy.
- The dough needs no chilling, so you can bake as soon as the mixture is ready.
- They freeze well and thaw without losing their texture, making them practical for meal prep or lunchboxes.
- The color makes them ideal for holidays or themed events where naturally tinted foods are welcome.
Beetroot
Beetroot is the key ingredient here, and it works better than many people expect. Cooked beetroot has a mild sweetness and holds moisture in baked goods.
It purees smoothly, giving body to the dough without needing additional fat or dairy. It also provides a natural pinkish red color that looks so pretty in cookies!
The flavor becomes subtle once baked, especially with chocolate involved. If you enjoy experimenting with vegetables in desserts, beetroot is forgiving and blends easily into sweet recipes without dominating them.
Ingredient List
Cooked beetroot. This provides moisture, color, and mild sweetness. You can use boiled, roasted, steamed, or vacuum packed beetroot as long as it contains no vinegar.
Plain flour. This gives structure to the dough and keeps the cookies from spreading too much. Whole wheat flour works in part, but the texture becomes denser.
Baking powder. This helps the cookies rise slightly and keep a soft interior.
Salt. A small amount enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness.
Butter. Softened butter creates a smooth dough and helps the cookies brown at the edges. Dairy free butter alternatives also work.
Granulated sugar. This sweetens the cookies and helps them develop a light crispness on the outside.
Egg. The egg binds the dough and adds richness. A flax egg can work for a vegan variation, though the texture changes slightly.
Vanilla extract. Vanilla complements the chocolate and rounds out the beetroot flavor.
Oats. Oats add body, chewiness, and a wholesome feel. Rolled oats or quick oats both work.
Dark chocolate. Roughly chopped dark chocolate melts into pockets throughout the cookie. Chocolate chips can be used if preferred.
Variations
• Add chopped walnuts for crunch.
• Use white chocolate instead of dark chocolate for a sweeter flavor.
• Swap oats for shredded coconut to create a softer, richer cookie.
• Add orange zest to brighten the flavor profile.
• Use almond extract in place of vanilla for a stronger aroma.
• Add cinnamon or mixed spice to create a warm, spiced version.
• Replace some of the flour with cocoa powder for double chocolate beet cookies.
Method
Puree the cooked beetroot (I use an immersion blender). Set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
Beat in the pureed beetroot. It will 'split' slightly, but will come together with the flour.
Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the oats and chocolate and combine.
Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray and flatten slightly.
Bake at 180°C/350°F for 12 minutes or until starting to brown.
Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Storage Advice
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. The oats help retain moisture, so they stay soft longer than many cookies.
If you want to keep them for a week, refrigerate them, but allow them to return to room temperature before serving so the texture softens again.
They freeze well. Place baked cookies in a single layer on a tray, freeze until solid, then store them in freezer safe bags for up to three months.
To thaw, leave at room temperature for about half an hour. You can also freeze the dough in portioned scoops. Bake straight from the freezer, adding one or two extra minutes to the bake time.
Recipe Tips
• Blend the beetroot thoroughly so the puree is smooth and integrates well into the dough.
• Use softened butter because cold butter creates an uneven dough.
• Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes so they firm up before moving them.
• Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in to keep the cookies tender.
• Chop the chocolate into uneven pieces for varied pockets of melted chocolate.
• Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even browning.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chunk Beetroot Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g cooked beetroot (boiled, roasted, steamed, or vacuum packed without vinegar) ¾ cup pureed.
- 150 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 200 g oats
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with baking parchment paper.
- Puree the cooked beetroot. I use a hand held immersion blender. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Beat in the pureed beetroot. It will 'split' slightly, but will come together with the flour.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the oats and chocolate and combine.
- Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray and flatten slightly.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until starting to brown. Allow to cool on the tray for a few minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Liz says
I made these at the weekend and they were lovely. I did make a couple of substitutions though. I didn't have any eggs so used some vanilla kefir instead and used orange chocolate instead of the plain chocolate. We're down to the last few biscuits and I still have some beetroot left, so I may have to get baking again.
Thanks for all the interesting recipes, I can't wait to try some of the others.
Fatema says
Hie..i want to make this cookies but only for 2 servings .How should i decreased the quantities.?
Isa Bartkowiak says
Hello from Tasmania! I have made the beetroot chocolate chip cookies several times now. They are a favourite of my daughter's, even more so since purple is her favourite colour (I just add a tsp of unsweetened dark chocolate powder for a deeper purple colour)! The other kids at childcare want to eat them when she brings them to school. I am making the sweet potato and ginger cookies today, I'll let you know how she likes them. Thanks for such thoughtful recipes. They are lovely.
Kate Hackworthy says
I'm so pleased that you like them!!! Thanks for coming back to tell me and I hope you enjoy the other cookies as well 🙂
Siobhan says
They are such a fab colour! Love them. x
Kate Hackworthy says
Thanks Vohn, beetroot gives such an amazing colour!
Nick says
Hi there, do you know how long these will keep for? Thank you!
Ania says
I baked cookies with this recipe. They are delicious, thank you 🙂
Regards
Ania
Kate Veggie Desserts says
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed them, Ania!
Anyonita says
I'm a bit iffy with beetroot, although my husband love it! I'm thinking I'll have to put these cookies down on the menu for his birthday; I'm sure they'll go down a treat!
Kate Veggie Desserts says
You can't taste the beets at all and the bright colour is perfect for parties!
Egger says
Hi there, thanks for the recipe. I had such luck with it. I didn't have butter so I used 2 medium size avocados instead. I used way too much beets so the cookies are deep purple. Thanks heaps!
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Fabulous substitution and I'm so glad that you liked them! 🙂
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Nature's colours are indeed amazing. Spinach makes such a nice green, beetroot pink and I love a nice, earthy, yellow turmeric bread. 🙂
Lou says
I somehow lost track of your latest posts...now I'm discovering so many nice recipes!
Isn't it amazing how beetroot colours cookies, cakes and bread so nicely?
I struggled a bit to get one of my breads a nice and quite dark pink, you know someone had the courage to tell me: I don't believe it, you must have put some colouring!
People often do not realize how nature provides us with many wonderful natural colourings 😉
I love your cookies
Have a wonderful day 🙂
Lou
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Thanks for running alphabakes, and please let me know if you make them and how they turn out. 🙂
Paula says
I really like your blog, the whole idea of baking with vegetables is so great! I used these cookies as an inspiration for some double hazelnut and beetroot cookies with cashew-vanilla filling and they turned out really well: (only in swedish so far). I used only the juice since I wanted flat and quite thin cookies, but your looks delicious as well. I want to put beetroots in everything I bake now : )
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Hi Paula, thanks for taking inspiration from my biscuits. Yours look so amazing! The colour is so nice and vivid. Beetroot is such an easy vegetable to bake with, I hope you get the chance to do it more often!
bakingaddict says
I've had chocolate beetroot cake before but never thought to add it to a cookie. I love the colour of the cookies and I'm glad to hear that it does not taste like beetroot. I'm bookmarking this to try. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Go on, Jac! Try something else!
Jacqueline says
I've only tried beetroot in a chocolate cake. I really must be more adventurous.
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Thanks Ness. Glad to be part of the challenge again.
Ness says
What an absolutely amazing colour! I love oat cookies and I'm sure my daughter will be swayed by the colour. Thanks for entering them into this month's We Should Cocoa.
jill says
I think the use of the milk bottle is rather genius.
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Thanks! A little something found at my gran's house. Very sweet little bottle.
Javelin Warrior says
I love the sound of these cookies! And there's a lovely shade of red - with no need for artificial food colors... Very cool...
Kate Veggie Desserts says
Isn't the colour gorgeous? No dye or photoshop in sight. Vegetables are so great to adding colour.