Turn fresh, sweet cherries into a summer snack with these cherry muffins! These healthy homemade muffins are moist, fluffy, tasty, and very easy to make.
If you love cherries, you’re going to love this cherry muffin recipe. These muffins are bright, bold, perfectly sweet, and a great way to use fresh cherries.
Although I used dark cherries in my muffins, you can use any type of fresh cherries you like or can find. While dark cherries, such as Bing and Lapins, tend to be the sweetest, tart cherries and sour cherries will also work, and you can even use frozen cherries if needed. Regardless of what fresh cherries you use, these cherry muffins are sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Why You’ll Love This Cherry Muffin Recipe
- Easy – Aside from pitting the fresh cherries, these cherry muffins are super easy to make.
- Fresh – Made with fresh cherries, these muffins are a great way to eat the seasons.
- Moist – Their crumb is ultra-moist and fluffy.
- Healthy – These homemade cherry muffins are equally delicious and nutritious.
Cherry Muffin Ingredients & Substitutions
You’ll need the following ingredients to make easy cherry muffins:
- Flour – The recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you can use whole wheat flour if you like.
- Cherries – For the best results, you’ll want to use fresh sweet cherries, but frozen cherries will also work. I do not recommend using canned cherries or dried cherries, as they won’t provide the same texture or flavor.
- Sugar – Some granulated sugar to sweeten the muffins, you can use brown sugar if you like.
- Sour Cream – To add moisture without thinning the muffin batter. Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt will also work.
- Butter – To create a moist and delicate crumb.
- Eggs – To provide structure and a fluffy texture.
- Vanilla Extract – To add a hint of sweetness. Feel free to swap it for almond extract if you prefer.
- Leavening Agents – Some baking powder, baking soda, and salt to ensure the muffins are light and fluffy.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
To Make them Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for coconut oil and use a dairy-free sour cream, such as coconut cream.
How to Make Cherry Muffins
Here’s how you’ll make these easy cherry muffins:
- Pit the cherries. Begin by removing the pits from the cherries and slicing them into quarters. See notes on how to pit cherries below.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and gently stir to combine.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk and whisk until well combined.
- Mix the muffin batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix to form a batter.
- Add the cherries. Gently fold in the cherries.
- Fill the muffin cups. Line muffin tins with muffin liners and fill each cup with muffin batter.
- Bake the muffins. Transfer the muffin tin to the preheated oven and bake until golden brown.
- Cool and enjoy!
You can find the detailed instructions for these cherry muffins can be found in the recipe card below.
How Do I Remove Pits from Cherries?
Pitting cherries is not a quick or easy job, but it’s certainly worth the effort. Cherries are most easily pitted with a cherry pitter but can also be pitted without a special tool. There are two primary methods for pitting cherries: the poke method and the slice-and-twist method.
To use the poke method, remove the stem from the cherry and then “poke” a pastry tip, metal straw, or chopstick through the center of the cherry toward the stem end, and gently push the pit through the cherry.
To use the slice-and-twist method, remove the stem from the cherry and then, using a small paring knife, cut into the flesh or the cherry and move your knife in a 360° motion around the pit, like a peach or avocado. Then twist each side of the cherry in the opposite direction to remove it from the pit.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
These cherry muffins work well as a simple snack. If you’d like to enjoy them for breakfast, I would suggest pairing them with a source of protein, such as a bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese, or some hard-boiled eggs, to create a more balanced meal.
Optional Add-Ins
I kept this recipe simple and classic by only adding cherries, however, if you wanted to add a bit more flavor, there are a few options and combinations you could try. I’d recommend any of the following add-ins for the cherry muffins batter:
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- Swapping the vanilla extract for almond extract
Storage + Reheating
To Store: Let the muffins cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, add the muffins to an airtight container or plastic bag, separating layers by a piece of baking paper or wax paper to ensure they don’t stick together, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Remove the cherry muffins from the freezer and allow them to thaw completely at room temperature. To thaw them in the microwave, use the defrost setting or warm them in 1-minute increments until completely thawed.
More Baked Goods with Fruit:
Print
Cherry Muffins
This cherry muffins recipe is the perfect way to use fresh cherries! They’re moist, fluffy, healthy, easy to make, and make a wonderful snack or addition to breakfast.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 12 muffins 1x
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Category: Snack
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Method: Baked
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it with butter or cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl, add the melted butter and sugar and whisk to combine. Then add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and milk and whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet mixture and fold gently to combine until well incorporated. Add the chopped cherries to the batter and fold again, being careful not to over-mix the batter.
- Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, divide the muffin batter evenly into each cup or liner.
- Once each muffin cup is filled, transfer the muffin tin to the oven to bake for 18-20 until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and allow the cherry muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then remove each muffin from the tin and transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Once cooled, the muffins can be enjoyed and any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 230 calories
- Sugar: 15 grams
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 32 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 4 gram
These look great – but being on an anti-inflammatory diet, I’d love to see more recipes gluten free recipes and recipes without so much sugar! 😊
Unfortunately, I’m don’t share diet specific recipes on my website. But, as the Dietary Adaptations section in the copy, you can make them with 1-to-1 gluten-free flour and recipe the sugar to support your needs. 🙂
Excellent muffins. I made these muffins with fresh sour cherries. I substituted canola oil and added a little almond extract and the vanilla extract too.
I’m so happy you liked them, and thank you so much for sharing the substitutions! 🙂
Fantastic tasting muffins. I subbed out the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and sour cream/plain yogurt and subbed in spelt flour, coconut sugar (2/3 cup instead of 3/4), and cherry Greek yogurt. VERY tasty, moist muffins. Will make this again for sure.
I’m so happy you liked them and love the swaps and substitutions. Thank you so much for sharing!
Yum! These were a great way to use the very last freshly picked cherries from our trees this year (there’s more in the freezer though…). I subbed half a cup of ground hazelnuts for some of the flour and added a teaspoon of almond extract, with just a half teaspoon of vanilla, plus a teaspoon of cinnamon. We will be making these again!
Love the swaps and additions, thank you so much for sharing, Joanna!
Delicious. Very easy to make.
Wonderful! These are so moist with lots of flavor. I did stir in dark chocolate chips. Will make again!
Love the addition of chocolate chips, thanks for sharing, Gretchen!