Easy Cherry Muffins

Cherry Muffins

The Spruce Eats / Ashley Adams

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 dozen

While blueberry muffins are a family favorite, cherry muffins are an unexpected twist on the classic. This recipe is simple, but it can be modified by adding almonds, chocolate, or other types of berries. If you can find sour or tart cherries at the store or farmers market, use them in this recipe. Sour cherries have an incredibly short season in most of the country, appearing only for a few weeks between June and August, depending on the region. If sour cherries aren't available, pick up fresh sweet cherries or a bag of frozen sweet cherries, which work just as well when thawed.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 2 cups (240 grams) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 cup pitted fresh or frozen sour cherries, coarsely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the salt, baking powder, 2 cups of flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

  4. Toss the cherries in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, and stir gently to combine.

  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter until well-blended.

  6. Stir the egg and milk mixture into the dry mixture until moistened.

  7. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full. 

  8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Tips

  • If you don't have a cherry pitter, use a plastic or metal straw to remove the pits. Wash the cherries, de-stem them, and push the straw through the stem hole until the pit comes out the bottom of the berry. Wear an apron or old shirt since cherry juice splatters are likely.
  • Mixing the batter develops gluten, a protein that can make a muffin overly tough. This is great for bread-baking, but to keep a light texture, mix the muffin batter until it's just combined.
  • Bake big, bakery-style muffins by placing paper baking cups directly onto a baking sheet instead of muffin tins, which restrict the size of the muffins. Fill the cups about two-thirds full for a domed top.
  • Toss the fruit in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour before adding it to the batter. This will stop the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.

Variations

  • Cherry almond variation: Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract to the batter. Sprinkle a half-cup of slivered or sliced almonds evenly over the top of the muffins.
  • Chocolate-cherry muffins: Decrease the all-purpose flour by 1/3 cup and add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks that have been tossed in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
  • Triple berry variation: Instead of 1 cup of fresh or frozen cherries, mix in one-third cup each of blueberries, cherries, and raspberries. Alternatively, add one cup of frozen mixed berries.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Keep your cherry muffins fresh: after they've cooled down, take an airtight container and line it with paper towels, put muffins in the container, then place paper towels on top of the muffins. They will stay nice and fresh at room temperature for two to three days.
  • Freeze the muffins by letting them cool completely and then placing them in the freezer for an hour until they're individually frozen solid. Transfer the muffins to a freezer bag. They will last for two to three months.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
167 Calories
5g Fat
27g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 167
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 191mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 102mg 8%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 82mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)