Cherry Muffins
intro
Tender, fluffy quick-bread muffins bursting with sweet-tart fresh cherry chunks and crisp golden tops, perfect for portable summer treats.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and muffin tin
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) with a rack positioned in the middle slot. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper baking liners, or lightly grease each cup with non-stick spray or extra melted butter to prevent sticking.
Prep cherries and dry mix
Toss the quartered pitted cherries with 8 grams (1 tablespoon) of the measured all-purpose flour until every cherry piece is lightly coated; this prevents cherries from sinking during baking. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the remaining 232 grams of all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, fine salt, and lemon zest for 30 seconds until evenly combined.
Whisk wet ingredients
In a separate medium mixing bowl, gently whisk together the cooled melted unsalted butter, lightly beaten room-temperature egg, room-temperature whole milk, and vanilla extract for 20 seconds until smooth, with no streaks of unincorporated egg visible. Avoid over-whisking to prevent adding excess air to the batter.
Fold batter and cherries
Pour the full wet ingredient mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the mixtures together only until no dry flour streaks remain; the batter will be lumpy, which is normal. Add the flour-coated cherries and fold in 2-3 quick turns to distribute them evenly, taking care not to overmix, which creates tough, dense muffins.
Portion batter into tin
Use a 45ml (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each liner no more than 2/3 full to leave space for the muffins to rise as they bake. Top each portion with 1-2 extra cherry pieces for a decorative bright top, if desired.
Bake until golden domed
Place the tin in the preheated 200°C (400°F) oven and bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) without opening the oven door, and bake for 12-15 additional minutes. Muffins are done when tops are deep golden, and a toothpick inserted into a center muffin comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs attached, no wet batter.
Cool before serving
Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 more minutes. Muffins can be served warm or at room temperature.
Tips
2.Coating cherry pieces in a light dusting of flour before adding them to batter prevents the heavy fruit from sinking to the bottom of the muffin cups during baking, ensuring even cherry distribution in every bite.
3.The initial 5-minute high-heat bake creates the signature tall, domed muffin top; avoid opening the oven door during this period to keep the oven temperature consistent for proper rise.
OMG these are SO good! I made them for my kid’s soccer team snack this weekend and every single parent asked for the recipe. The cherries stay so juicy, no dry crumbly muffin garbage here. I swapped half the all purpose flour for whole wheat and you couldn’t even tell! 10/10 will be making these weekly for meal prep.
Brought these to our neighborhood block party potluck last night and they were gone in 10 minutes flat! Everyone kept saying how much they loved that they weren’t overly sweet, you could actually taste the fresh cherries instead of just sugar. Perfect easy recipe for a crowd.
Total game changer for Sunday brunch. I was worried fresh cherries would make the muffins soggy but nope, the cooking time is spot on. I added a tiny sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top for crunch, chef’s kiss. Will make again when cherry season hits next year!
First time baking muffins from scratch and these turned out perfect! The recipe was so easy to follow, no fancy equipment needed. Mine took 38 minutes in my oven instead of 40 but that’s just oven differences I guess. Only thing is I forgot to pit the cherries first… whoops, learned that lesson the hard way lmao
These are the perfect pairing with my morning iced latte. So moist, not dry like every other store bought muffin I’ve wasted money on. I froze half the batch after baking and they thaw perfectly in 30 seconds in the microwave — ideal for busy school mornings.
Used sour cherries from my backyard tree instead of sweet cherries and added a tiny bit more vanilla, absolute banger. My wife said these are better than the muffins we get at our local bakery. Easy enough to make after work even on a weeknight.
I made these last week with regular flour and they were incredible! 5 stars for sure. Has anyone tried making them with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I’m dying to make them for my niece who has celiac when she visits next month but I don’t want them to turn out weird.
Added a handful of mini white chocolate chips to the batter and wow, that combo is unreal. The sweet white chocolate pairs so perfectly with the tart fresh cherries. Don’t sleep on that add in, trust me.
Super easy recipe, came together in 15 minutes of prep before I popped them in the oven. The only note I have is that my muffin liners stuck a little, next time I’ll spray them with a tiny bit of nonstick spray first. Flavor is 10/10 though, will definitely be a summer staple.
My twin toddlers are obsessed with these! I’ve been trying to find less processed snack options for them and these are perfect — no weird additives, just real fruit, and they beg for them every afternoon. Way better than the processed muffins in the grocery store snack aisle.
I’ve been baking muffins for 40+ years and this recipe is a keeper. The crumb is so tender, the cherry flavor is bright, and it’s simple enough for even a new baker to nail. I shared a batch with my former coworkers at the elementary school and they all texted me asking for the link within an hour.
Made these to take on a day hike last weekend and they were the perfect trail snack. No messy crumbs, held up great in my pack, and gave me the perfect little sugar boost when I was halfway up the trail. Will be adding these to my regular hiking meal rotation for sure.
Y’all I was so sure I messed these up — I accidentally added melted butter instead of softened and thought they’d be ruined, but they still came out insanely moist? How is that possible? This recipe is foolproof I swear. Even my kitchen mishaps can’t kill it.
These hold up so well for meal prep! I made a batch on Sunday, stored them in an airtight container in the fridge, and they were still perfectly moist on Friday. No sad dry muffins by the end of the week, which is basically a miracle for muffin recipes.
Made these for a casual breakfast date with my partner and they thought I picked them up from a fancy gourmet bakery. Little do they know it took me 15 minutes of prep and zero fancy skills. This recipe is my new secret weapon for impressing people without trying.