Cherry Muffins

It feels impossible to pass up the dark, sweet red cherries at the store during summer. If you’re like me, you always grab a bag. They’re perfect by themselves, but after a while the snack can become monotonous. That’s when I start to chop them up for all sorts of cherry desserts. My first go-to? These cherry muffins with almond extract and a crunchy sugar topping.

While the cherry muffin recipe consistently makes 18 tender, fruit-studded muffins, it’s easy to change up certain components as needed: Use frozen cherries if that’s all you have; add mix-ins like chocolate chips and nuts to the batter; or finish them with different toppings like streusel and a glaze. No matter how you make these muffins, always serve them warm from the oven for the best, freshest flavor.

Ingredients for Cherry Muffins

• Butter: Soften the butter to room temperature so it creams easily with the sugar. To soften the butter quickly, cut it into pieces and leave it at room temperature for around 30 minutes. The butter should be soft and pliable, but not so warm that it becomes greasy and melted.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins and helps the outsides crisp and turn golden brown. For a deeper sweetness, use brown sugar instead.
• Eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge when you take the butter out. Room-temperature eggs emulsify better into the batter, creating more voluminous muffins.
• Whole milk: Whole milk thins the batter without reducing its richness. If you prefer, you could use 2%, skim or nondairy milk alternatives in this recipe.
• Almond extract: Almonds and cherries famously pair well, so almond extract is perfect in these cherry muffins. You can swap vanilla extract for almond extract if you prefer the flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Whenever I bake muffins, I sift the flour to aerate it. This helps it dissolve into the batter more easily, so I don’t have to stir as much. Too much mixing and stirring will overdevelop the gluten and create dense muffins. However, just-combined batter keeps the muffins light, bouncy and tender.
• Baking powder: Test the baking powder if it’s been sitting in your pantry for a while. It loses its potency over time, inhibiting the batter from rising to its full potential.
• Cherries: You can use fresh or frozen cherries when making these muffins. Wash fresh cherries thoroughly, then remove the stems and pits before chopping them. If you’re using frozen cherries, allow them to thaw completely to room temperature, then drain the excess liquid.
• Coarse sugar: Coarse sugar, like turbinado sugar, creates a pleasantly crunchy topping that adds sweetness and even a bit of shine and sparkle. It’s optional, but I really recommend it!

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the milk and almond extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Editor’s Tip: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to make the creaming process easier.

Step 2: Add the cherries

Fold in the chopped cherries until they’re evenly dispersed.

Editor’s Tip: A rubber spatula is the best tool for folding. Try not to mix the batter too much so you don’t overdevelop the gluten, which can lead to dense muffins.

Step 3: Portion into muffin tins

Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full of batter. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: Use a cookie scoop to evenly and cleanly disperse the batter between the muffin cups.

Step 4: Bake

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins at room temperature in their pans for five minutes. Remove the muffins from their pans and transfer them to a wire rack. Serve the muffins while they’re still warm.

Recipe Variations

• Include mix-ins: Dark chocolate chips, toasted hazelnuts or slivered almonds would taste great with the cherries. Add any mix-ins when you add the cherries to the batter. You could also pipe a bit of pistachio paste into the center of the muffins for a rich surprise.
• Add a streusel topping: Thick, crumbly streusel can add a nice texture to muffins and quick breads. Whip up a streusel crumble, add it to the portioned muffin batter, and bake everything together using the same method in the directions.
• Finish with a glaze: Want to turn these into true bakery-style muffins? Go above and beyond with a quick and easy powdered sugar glaze. You could even doctor up the cherry muffins recipe with cherry juice to turn them pink so they hint at what’s inside!

How to Store Cherry Muffins

Store cherry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to seven days. Make sure they are completely cooled before closing the lid on the container. You could store the muffins in the fridge, but we don’t recommend it because the fridge will dry out the crumb a bit as the days go on.

Can you freeze cherry muffins?

Yes, you can freeze cherry muffins. To freeze muffins, allow them to cool completely to room temperature, then place them, uncovered, on a baking sheet. Freeze the muffins until they’re frozen solid, about 30 minutes. Remove the muffins from the baking sheet and close them in a zip-top bag, making sure to squeeze all the air out. Freeze the muffins for two to three months, then thaw them at room temperature.

Cherry Muffins Tips

How do you pit cherries?

The best way to pit cherries is with a cherry pitter. Don’t have this gadget? You can pit cherries with a reusable straw using the same technique you’d use to hull strawberries. Place the reusable straw on top of the cherry, then push the straw through to remove the pit.

Can you turn these cherry muffins into jumbo or mini muffins?

Yes, you can bake these cherry almond muffins in jumbo or mini muffin tins. Line the muffin wells with paper, then add the batter until they’re three-fourths full. Bake the muffins at 375° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, 9 to 15 minutes for mini muffins and 25 to 30 minutes for jumbo muffins.

Is it better to grease muffin tins or line them with paper liners?

It’s better to line muffin tins with paper liners than to grease them. A paper liner gives the batter something to hold onto as it rises and grows during baking. A greased muffin tin is slippery and won’t offer much for the batter to hold onto as it bakes.