Can I use maraschino cherries, frozen cherries, or cherry pie filling?

I don't recommend using maraschino cherries or cherry pie filling. It would give the muffins a completely different flavor, and they would be too soggy. Fresh cherries are your best option, but you can use frozen cherries as well. Don't defrost them and toss them in 1 teaspoon of tapioca or corn starch first to absorb some of their moisture as they cook.

Can I make the muffins dairy-free, gluten-free, or vegan?

Yogurt and milk: You can use full-fat vegan yogurt, like coconut yogurt, and dairy-free milk like almond milk. Flour: I always use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour, so all my recipes are tested and made gluten-free by default. Eggs: I haven't tested any substitutes for the eggs to make the muffins fully vegan, though, so I can't guarantee results.

Can I make these in a mini-muffin pan instead of a full-size one?

Yes, you can! You'll just have to adjust the baking time because the muffins will be much smaller. Somewhere between 12-15 minutes will probably be enough.

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Name: Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 34 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use gluten-free flour mix by Bob’s Red Mill); 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 2 large eggs; ½ cup cane sugar; ¼ cup avocado oil (or other neutral-tasting cooking oil); 2 tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp fine sea salt; ½ cup Greek yogurt (or good creamy vegan yogurt); ½ cup milk (I use almond milk); 1 cup chopped pitted cherries; ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate; 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)

Description

These Chocolate Cherry Muffins are light, fluffy, and the perfect summer treat! They're so easy to make and delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or you can bring them to a picnic or a potluck!

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour (I use gluten-free flour mix by Bob’s Red Mill)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral-tasting cooking oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or good creamy vegan yogurt)
1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk)
1 cup chopped pitted cherries
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F and prepare a 12-muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cane sugar, avocado oil, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt until well combined.
Whisk in Greek yogurt and milk.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches and whisk and fold in until just mixed. Don’t overmix, it’s ok if there are a few clumps.
Fold in halved pitted cherries and chocolate chips, reserving some from each for garnish if desired.
Divide the batter between your 12 muffin cups and garnish with any remaining cherries and chocolate chips.
Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar if desired (I do about ½ tsp on each).
Transfer the muffins to the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.
Without opening the oven, lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 22-24 minutes or until golden.
Let the muffins rest for at least 5 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

Notes

Storing: Store the muffins (once completely cooled) in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3-5 months.

Reheating: I recommend enjoying the muffins warm. If the muffins are frozen, defrost them in the fridge overnight first or reheat from frozen. Transfer the muffins to a small baking sheet and reheat at 300°F for 5-10 minutes or at 250°F for 15-20 minutes if frozen. You might have to slice them in half to get them to warm up in the middle if they’re frozen.

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