I know what you’re thinking… meatloaf cupcakes? Have I finally taken it too far?! Granted, frosted meat cupcakes may not sound like a treat, but this recipe takes plain ol’ meat and potatoes and makes them fun and appealing for kids.
If you have a picky eater (more on that topic here), you know you need every trick in the book. This is one cupcake I am OK with my kids eating… and so are they!
Cupcakes Made of… Meat?
This Paleo Parent recipe inspired my take on these meatloaf cupcakes. It is such a cute idea and the kids love the small size of these mini-meatloaves. Their recipe sneaks in some extra veggies right in the meatloaf mix (love that of course) and tops it with a tomato sauce.
My kids love sweet potatoes (as you might be able to tell from my many sweet potato recipes!) so I decided to mix it up and create a sweet potato “frosting.” The combination was an instant hit.
These mini-meatloaf cupcakes cook much faster than regular meatloaf which can take up to an hour or more. They also are easier for quick freezing or defrosting, packing for lunches, or taking on-the-go.
If you don’t have a muffin pan, my sweet potato Shepherd’s pie is another great option that cooks in a single pan. (I love this one for its easy clean-up and safe materials.)
Meatloaf Cupcakes Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp salt (divided)
- ¾ tsp black pepper (divided)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or butter, +more for greasing pan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Either put the sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet and roast them in the oven or peel, cube, and boil them until soft.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, finely dice the onion and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the ground beef, eggs, almond flour, basil, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper and mix by hand until incorporated.
- Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or butter.
- Evenly divide the mixture into the muffin tins. If you don’t have a muffin tin, you can just press the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish.
- Put the meat into the oven on the middle rack, and put a baking sheet with a rim under it in case the oil from the meat happens to spill over.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until not at all pink in the center.
- When the meat is almost done, make sure sweet potatoes are finished cooking, and drain the water if you boiled them.
- Put the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and add the oil or butter. Mix by hand or whip with an an immersion blender. Stir in the remaining salt and pepper.
- Remove the meat “cakes” from the oven when they are cooked through and remove from tin.
- Top each with a dollop of the mashed sweet potatoes to make it look like a cupcake. Sprinkle with chopped chives or other fresh herbs for the sprinkles!
Nutrition
Notes
Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!
Another favorite around here is my Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting recipe.
Will you try meatloaf cupcakes? What other ways have you found to reinvent kid favorites with real food ingredients? Share below!
Hi! We have an egg allergy. Can flax eggs be used successfully?
I bet it would work perfectly. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Hello! I love this recipe. But I’m planning to serve a nut-allergic crowd soon so I’m wondering if you think there is a nut-free flour that could replace the almond flour here? Cassava flour possibly or something else? Thanks!
I am not sure if this is the best forum to put this, but I wanted to leave a note somewhere!
I have been reading your blog for years now – I want say thank you so much, it is through you that I first heard of ‘Paleo’ eating and began learning about adrenal fatigue (which I have) and autoimmune disease. You have contributed enormously to the difference in my health and lifestyle through all the amazing information you provide, your recipes and your personal inspiration. ‘Thank You’ is really not enough.
Also, whenever I read a recipe that I have a query with (when I don’t know what an ingredient is, or can’t find it where I live, or simply don’t want to use it for any reason), I come to your comments section, and your readers are so generous with sharing tips and suggestions, or alternatives, I have never yet needed to post the question.
This is one of the most supportive sites and online communities I have found, I am so grateful for all you do.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Nadene, and thanks for reading and being a part of the amazing community here!
What kind of muffin pans do you use and/or recommend? I have looked into cast iron, but they seem to be smaller than standard size. I got rid of my old muffin pans because they were pealing, cheap and toxic! Haven’t found a replacement yet, but would love to soon!
Quick and Easy to make! Super moist and a great flavor!
This is a surprisingly fun concept.
Honestly, the title of the post makes it sound odd. But, you’re right, the style makes perfect sense for kids. And, it’s a good way to just make dinner a little more interesting.
This recipe is amazing! My 3 year old will ask me to make these. I also have a 4 month old and recently went back to work. (boo!) This is so easy for grandma to warm up and serve. It is very flavorful and tastes great even without the sweet potatoes. Thanks!! 🙂
Any idea if different types of meat would need different amounts? We have a lot of elk meat in our freezer from a hunt last year…I am wondering because it is very low in fat if I would need to use a different amount when making these? Anyone have a clue 🙂
Missy, re: elk meat – I made them tonight with moose meat and they were fantastic. We do grind our moose (and elk) grinds with some bacon ends, so they’re a little fattier than the game meat alone.
I can’t say enough good things about this recipe. The boyfriend loved it (he’s kind of picky), his 8 year old loved it. This is definitely going to be part of the regular meal rotation.
Amazing! My VERY picky grandpa even liked it!
what is the best way to reheat these if I make these ahead of time. Reheat in microwave? Wait to Top with sweet potato just before serving? Thanks-
Just got done making this. Kids loved it. I modified the receipt, didn’t have all ingredients, plus I use carrots, green peppers, fresh garlic (minced) and onion, my way to get the kids to eat veggies. Had no Sweet Potatoes, so made regular mashed and added ketchup to turn potatoes red and added finely chopped carrots and red/green peppers for topping on icing. The kids said they could eat this every day, but I’ll be happy to make a few time a month for them. Thank You for this creative dish.
I did this for an April fools joke with the kids. Make meatloaf to look like dessert and dessert look like dinner. I toasted pound cake with orange frosting i.e. grilled cheese. I used white potatoes with food coloring for icing.
Lol, I love it! Sooo gonna steal your idea for this April Fool’s Day!!
This recipe looks amazing, and it is nice to have it ready to serve straight from the oven in single-serving portions. I struggle to find healthy, satisfying foods that I can eat on the go at work or after work as I race off to pick up the kids.
Thank you for your amazing recipes. When is your cookbook going to be coming out?
Very soon 🙂 I’ll be posting/emailing/etc. within the next week about it.
I’m trying these in my slow cooker tonight for tea , do you think they will work ?
I make this recipe at least twice a month. We don’t have any kids, but the cupcake size makes packing work lunches a breeze. Plus, who doesn’t love a cupcake? Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you like it! 🙂
This sounds amazing and simple I can’t wait to try it! Have you ever made this in mini-muffin tins for bite sized appetizers? If so what cooking length did you use? 🙂
Oh wow, I haven’t tried that! You should, thought! If you do, please share how it worked!
Can ground turkey be used instead of the ground beef?
This was delicious! So much better then any other recipe I have tried… so moist, other recipes ended up being sort of dry but not this one, thank you!
Along the line if omitting eggs. Won’t they not bind without them? And I don’t have ground chia seeds in hand, just chia seeds. Would those still work? What about the flax and water trick used in baking? Could it work for these too?
That’s what I was wondering too. I think ill try with the flax eggs as I get very sick eating eggs and it seems every easy recipe has eggs in em lol. Btw Wellness Mama i just love everything you share with us thank you!
Since I do not keep almond flour on hand (and do not wish to buy it for one recipe), I would just take some old-fashioned oatmeal and ground it in the food processor until it resembles flour. More nutritious than using flour. Just a thought.