Eating seasonally: chocolate and beetroot dessert ideas

Pair sweet, earthy beetroot with chocolate's rich, bitter palate - a heavenly dessert hybrid

Eating seasonally is all about finding innovative ways to use locally grown fruits and vegetables. At Hotel Chocolat, our favourite way to get creative in the kitchen is to experiment with slightly unusual yet ultimately delectable ingredient combinations.

In our eyes (and many cookbooks by the world's best chefs) beetroot and chocolate make a perfect dessert pair. Sure, it isn't the only vegetable that has ventured into the confectionary world - just look at the resounding success of carrot cake and pumpkin pie. However, there's a reason this culinary duo is the basis of some of the most scrumptious desserts. Hint: it's all to do with balance.

Here's a little bit about seasonal beetroot, as well as some enticing chocolate and beetroot dessert ideas…

[Link] When is beetroot in season?

Strong and hardy beetroot - also known as Beta Vulgaris - is a resilient and low-maintenance crop, making it easy to grow in the UK. The purple-red, round, most commonly consumed part of the beetroot is the taproot, though you can also use the greens in a variety of tasty dishes.

The great thing about beetroot is that it's possible to grow it all year round. People generally sow beetroot seeds between mid-April and mid-June and harvest the crop between June and October. Still, beetroot can be harvested as late as February, with many people enjoying it as a winter vegetable. If you're hoping to grow your own beetroot, just know that most beetroot varieties are ready to harvest at the 8-10 week mark.

Here's some advice from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) on growing your own beetroot.

[Link] Beetroot and cacao: a love affair

It's safe to say that beetroot is the ideal companion for chocolate - one of the most beloved dessert ingredients in the world. The earthy flavour of beetroot quite literally grounds chocolate cakes and puddings, giving them a raw, natural, and slightly savoury edge.

A culinary yin and yang, while dark chocolate or cacao delivers its characteristic richness and bitterness, beetroot lifts the palate with its subtle sweetness.

Beetroot doesn't just provide balance to cacao's distinctive rich tones, however. Its own rich, dense, and moist characteristics are fabulous for creating indulgent desserts, making it a genuinely useful baking ingredient in its own right. Beetroot and cacao often combine to make utterly sumptuous chocolate cakes, bakes, and brownies - all of which benefit from the subtle flavour nuances and complementary intensities of these star ingredients.

We also have to mention that beetroot can add a luxurious red hue to desserts - a subtle tint reminiscent of red velvet cake. The more beetroot used in a recipe, the more likely it is that you'll achieve a rich red-brown colour.

[Link] Chocolate and beetroot: delicious dessert ideas

Here are a few ways that you can use beetroot in your baking. Prepare to sample some of the most exquisite, flavoursome delights to grace your kitchen counter.

Chocolate and beetroot cake: a slice of bliss

If you're itching to bake a real dinner party show-stopper, then a beetroot chocolate cake is a fantastic option. We think a grand tiered, iced, or drizzled cake is the perfect way to introduce your guests to the potential of this versatile vegetable.

We think Jamie Oliver's Epic Chocolate and Beetroot Cake looks like a child-friendly crowd-pleaser, whereas this Chocolate Beetroot Cake recipe also looks beautifully dense but with thicker icing. You can always follow a recipe to create your cake base and then go off-piste with your icing. Just take a look at these different ways to use chocolate in your cake decoration.

Chocolate cakes - even with additional beetroot - are usually quite simple to make. As most of them use the same key ingredients, their above-and-beyond taste comes from using the highest quality ingredients. In keeping with the ethos of seasonal eating, try to buy local, organic produce when possible. It's better for the environment, local economy, and your cakes!

When you're baking a chocolate cake, choosing quality chocolate is particularly important. When you use a low-cacao, high-sugar chocolate, you aren't adding enough pure cacao to really give the cake that chocolatey 'oomph'. We always recommend using high-quality dark chocolate when baking a chocolate cake, with a 70% cacao percentage at least. You should notice a stronger, richer chocolate flavour full of sophisticated subtle notes.

If you live in the UK, you won't be able to purchase chocolate made from locally-grown cacao beans (sadly, we weren't blessed with a cacao-growing climate). However, you can ensure that your chocolate is ethical from roots to wrapper - just like ours.

Beetroot brownies: heaven in a bite

Rich, gooey chocolate brownies are the ultimate safe-bet dessert. Who could say no to such pure chocolate goodness? Beetroot is wonderful for stepping up your brownie game, all without stealing the show from your star player: chocolate. It adds a brave-enough twist to make your brownies exciting and interesting but isn't too extreme to put off your family or friends. It's a fine balance!

These BBC Good Food brownies use a hearty amount of raw beetroot and dark chocolate (our preferred chocolate grade for most baking). It's also an easy recipe to follow and has some great reviews. These River Cottage Chocolate and Beetroot Brownies are another divine option.

Serve with some local ice cream or fresh cream. You could even make a big batch to store as grab-and-go indulgent snacks.

[Link] Chocolate and beet cheesecake: creamy, pink, sublime

A slightly more adventurous beetroot dessert option is to make a beetroot and chocolate cheesecake. Rich red beetroot creates a gorgeous soft-pink cheesecake filling, making it an utterly picture-perfect dessert. If you're looking for a dessert that's a little less rich than chocolate-heavy cakes and brownies, this could be the decadent delight for you.

This Raw Vegan Chocolate Beet Cheesecake is suitable for those who are dairy-free, though it contains beetroot powder rather than raw beetroot. If you're looking for a culinary challenge, take a look at this BBC Good Food Beetroot Cheesecake. You'll notice that the ingredients list doesn't contain any chocolate. Why not experiment with ways of incorporating chocolate into the recipe? The outcome will probably be delicious!

Before you get stuck into baking, read up on everything you need to know about cooking with chocolate. Plus, after experimenting with beetroot, here are some more chocolate cake flavours to try!