Cherry Muffins

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These cherry muffins are one of my all-time favorite muffins. With a sturdy vanilla-flavored crumb, bright juicy bursts of cherry, and a sweet coconut streusel topping, they’re a perfect brunch treat or breakfast on the go.

Overhead view of a basket filled with cherry muffins.

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I first made these sour cherry muffins years ago for a brunch-themed baby shower. Ever since, I always come back to this recipe, especially during these summer months.

If you’re fortunate enough to have access to fresh sour cherries (I mean, for the 2 weeks per year that they’re in season!), this would be a great recipe to take advantage of them. And if not, then canned, jarred, or frozen cherries are great too.

A basket of cherry muffins with one bitten into to show the inside.

Jarred morello cherries are available from Trader Joe’s for instance. I used jarred Montmorency cherries with great results. That said, you can absolutely use fresh or frozen sweet cherries like bing or lambert cherries instead if you like.

In case you’re wondering:

What are Sour Cherries?

Sour cherries, of which Morello and Montmorency cherries are two varieties, are a tart and thin-skinned variety of cherry that are best used for baking rather than snacking on raw.

They are not nearly as sweet as bing or rainier cherries, but there is absolutely nothing better for a cherry pie that really has that classic cherry pie flavor, and they are super delicious in these sour cherry muffins. Here’s a bit more info about sour cherries if you’re interested!

Why You’ll Love These Cherry Muffins

They’re bursting with flavor! Each bite is packed with juicy, tart cherries and the crunchy coconut topping is to die for.

They’re so moist and tender! Thanks to yogurt and butter, these cherry muffins are incredibly moist and tender.

A cherry muffin with a bite taken to show the inside.

They’re perfectly balanced! The coconut streusel adds a delightful crunch and a touch of tropical sweetness.

They’re super easy to make! Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make these muffins a breeze to whip up.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients used to make cherry muffins

For the Cherry Muffins

All-Purpose Flour

This forms the base of your muffins, providing structure and stability. I have not personally tested these with a gluten-free flour blend, but I’d love to hear about it if you do!

Granulated Sugar

I use white granulated sugar in this recipe, but brown sugar will work too. I haven’t tried making this recipe with any other sweetener – but feel free to do so and let me know how it turns out!

Baking Powder

This is your leavening agent, helping the cherry muffins rise beautifully and giving them a light and airy texture. Ensure your baking powder is fresh for the best results!

Note: Since there is a fair amount of baking powder in this recipe, I highly recommend using aluminum-free baking powder such as Rumford which eliminates the potential for a “metallic taste”.

Salt

A small amount of salt goes a long way in baked goods. It enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, balances the sweetness, and brings out the richness in the butter.

Unsalted Butter

Melted unsalted butter adds richness and moisture to the muffins. If you’re using salted butter, make sure to omit the salt from the recipe.

Eggs

The eggs provide structure and also add richness and contribute to the moist texture. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for easier mixing and better incorporation into the muffin batter!

Plain Yogurt

Yogurt is the secret to moist and tender muffins. It also adds a slight tang, which complements the sweetness of the cherries and sugar. The acidity in yogurt also helps to activate the baking powder, contributing to the muffins’ rise. You can use regular or Greek yogurt. I also sometimes use vanilla yogurt instead of plain when it’s what I have on hand.

Sour Cherries

The highlight of these muffins, sour cherries add a burst of tart and juicy flavor. Whether you use jarred, canned, or thawed frozen cherries, make sure they are well-drained to prevent excess moisture from making the muffins soggy.

If you’re using fresh cherries, make sure you remove the pits before adding them to the batter. It is a time-consuming task but pretty easy if you use a cherry pitter!

For the Coconut Streusel

Light Brown Sugar

Brown sugar adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness to the streusel topping for these cherry muffins. Its molasses content gives the topping a deeper flavor that pairs beautifully with the coconut and cherries.

All-Purpose Flour

Flour helps to bind the streusel ingredients together, creating a crumbly and crunchy topping. It also provides structure to the streusel, ensuring it bakes up beautifully on top of the muffins.

Cold Butter

Using cold butter is crucial for creating a perfect streusel texture. When you cut the butter into the flour and sugar, it forms small, pea-sized pieces that melt during baking, creating a deliciously crumbly and crisp topping.

Sweetened Flaked Coconut

The sweetened coconut flakes add a delightful tropical flavor and chewy texture to the streusel that perfectly complements the cherry flavor!

Don’t forget to watch the video!

Most of my recipes include a short step-by-step video tutorial. Just scroll down to the recipe card, or use the “Jump to Video” button at the top of the post!

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with butter or cooking spray.
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
dry ingredients for muffins in a bowl
  1. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs and yogurt
the wet ingredients for the muffin batter
  1. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be very thick, almost more of a dough.
the wet and dry batter combined in a bowl
  1. Evenly distribute about 1/3 of the batter into the muffin cups, and then distribute 1/2 the cherries between the cups.
1/3 cup of muffin batter added to a muffin pan
cherries added on top of the muffin batter in a muffin pan
  1. Cover the cherries with another 1/3 cup of the batter and top with the remaining cherries. Finally, top with the remaining batter.
muffin batter added on top of the cherries
cherry muffins batter in a muffin tin
  1. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and flour.
brown sugar and all purpose flour in a bowl
  1. Cut in the butter in the bowl using your fingers or a pastry blender, until the mixture is crumbly, and then stir in the coconut.
cold butter mixed in the flour and sugar mixture
coconut flakes added to the butter, sugar and flour mix
  1. Top the cherry muffins evenly with the streusel and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check if they’re done by inserting a toothpick in the center which should come out clean.
unbaked cherry muffins topped with a streusel topping
  1. Let your cherry muffins cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes and unmold.
baked cherry muffins in the muffin pan placed on a wire rack

How pretty do these look? They taste just as good!

Recipe Variations

The best part about these cherry muffins are that they’re endlessly customizable.

  • Add a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter for a wonderful almond flavor. You can also sprinkle slivered almonds on top of the streusel before baking for extra crunch.
  • Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or chunks into the batter along with the cherries to make chocolate cherry muffins. The combination of chocolate and cherries is irresistible!
overhead view of cherry muffins cooling on a wire rack
  • Add the zest of one lemon to the batter for a refreshing citrus twist. The lemon pairs beautifully with the tart cherries.
  • Replace 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour with rolled oats for a heartier texture. You can also sprinkle some oats on top of the streusel for added crunch.

Storage Instructions

You can store the cherry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture and another on top of the muffins to keep them from getting soggy. In the refrigerator, they’ll last for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze these cherry muffins. Just wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Overhead view of a basket filled with cherry muffins.

More Cherry Recipes

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chewy Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies

And More Muffin Recipes

Best Banana Pecan Muffins

Lemon Muffins

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Healthy Raspberry Muffins

FAQ

What’s the best way to remove pits from cherries?

Using a cherry pitter is the quickest and easiest method to remove pits. If you don’t have one, you can use a sturdy straw or a small paring knife to push or cut out the pits.

Should I use paper liners to bake muffins?

You can if you want to, but in most cases it’s unnecessary, and I tend not to use them for the sake of avoiding the extra waste.. As long as the pan is properly prepped, the muffins should not stick.

How do you keep the cherries from sinking to the bottom in these cherry muffins?

The batter for this muffin recipe is so thick that the cherries stay suspended and do not sink at all. The method we use by layering the muffin batter and cherries also helps to distribute the cherries evenly in the batter and between muffins. It is not necessary to toss the cherries in flour before adding them to the batter.

Why are my muffins dry?

Muffins can turn out dry if they are overbaked or if there is too much flour in the batter. Ensure you measure the flour correctly and check for doneness a few minutes before the suggested baking time is up. They are done as soon as a toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs, not raw batter.

Tell me what you think!

If you try this recipe, l’d be so grateful if you’d leave a comment and a rating in the recipe card. I love to hear your feedback, and your tips can help other readers too!

A basket of cherry muffins with one bitten into to show the inside.

Cherry Muffins

These cherry muffins with coconut streusel are one of my very favorite muffins. With a sturdy vanilla-flavored crumb, bright juicy bursts of cherry, and a sweet coconut topping, they're a perfect brunch treat or breakfast on the go.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Ann Otis

Ingredients

Cherry Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 16 oz jarred, canned, or frozen (thawed) sour cherries (about 2 cups of drained cherries)

Coconut Streusel

  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup butter cold
  • 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Cherry Muffins

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter a standard 12 cup muffin tin, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs and yogurt. 
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter will be very thick.
  • Distribute 1/3 of the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Distribute half the cherries between the muffin cups and cover with another 1/3 of the batter. Distribute the rest of the cherries over the batter, and cover with the remaining batter. The cups will be almost full.

Coconut Streusel

  • In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbles form. Stir in the coconut. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffins.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the muffins spring back when pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and unmold. 

Video

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook
Storage Instructions
You can store the cherry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture and another on top of the muffins to keep them from getting soggy. In the refrigerator, they’ll last for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze these cherry muffins. Just wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg
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12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Wow! Thanks for the recipe. So incredibly good and will definitely go into my favorite muffins rotation.

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made these twice-once with sour cherries right off our tree, and tonite with blueberries. What an amazing recipe, thanks for sharing!!!!!

  3. Isn’t 4 teaspoons of baking powder a lot? Is this correct? And where do you add the salt that’s listed?

    1. I’ve made this recipe as written for years and they’ve always turned out perfectly, but I think you could probably reduce the baking powder to 3 teaspoons without a problem if you like. If you have concerns about tasting the baking powder, be sure to use aluminum-free. I’ve never had that problem with this recipe though!

  4. There is salt listed in the recipe, but no where does it say to add it. I put it with the dry ingredients. Hope that was correct.

  5. 5 stars
    I made these yesterday using a well drained 15 oz. can of sweet cherries mixed with a bit of flour and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. I also added a teaspoon of coconut flavoring to the batter and substituted sour cream for the yogurt. (It’s what I had on hand.) I added the flour and pecans because after I’d drained them, I had only about a cup of soft, wet cherries. The flour helped to keep them from bleeding into the batter, and the pecans added a bit of filler and made them even yummier. The recipe made 7 delicious jumbo muffins. Very pretty with the streusel topping and a few pieces of pecans pressed into the tops. Well worth the time and effort that went into making them. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Those sound incredible!! So glad you were able to make them work with what you had! Thank you so much for sharing your modifications 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    Hello! Made these tonight after picking tart cherries from our tree. This year we got to them before the birds did! Muffins are delicious! Will make these again! Thank you!

5 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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