Chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite flavor combos! These dark chocolate cherry muffins are filled with dark chocolate chips and fresh cherries!
An ongoing debate in our house is about the difference between muffins and cupcakes. Kyle insists that since my muffins aren't "healthy" they are actually cupcakes. To which my response is that cupcakes are frosted and they don't have things mixed into the batter. But whatever you call them, these chocolate cherry muffins are delish!
If you love cherry season as much as I do, be sure to check out the rest of our fresh cherry recipes! You might also like these cranberry orange muffins!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these dark chocolate cherry muffins!
- Cherries - Use fresh, ripe cherries for the best flavor! I do NOT recommend substituting with frozen cherries. I highly recommend using a cherry pitter to remove the pits.
- Dark chocolate chips - If you like dark chocolate, I highly recommend the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking chips. The flavor is amazing and the baking chips are slightly larger and flatter than normal chocolate chips and melt beautifully inside your cookies.
- Almond extract - I love how almond extract compliments the flavor of the cherries! But you can leave it out if preferred.
How to Make Muffins
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk until combined and smooth.
Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the milk. Then stir in the remaining dry ingredients.
Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and cherries.
Spoon the batter into your muffin cups so that they are about ⅔ full.
Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins. Rotate the pan about halfway through so that the muffins brown evenly.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Note: While I photograph my chocolate cherry muffins in this cute rustic pan, I definitely do not bake in it! For all my muffins and cupcakes I use my USA Pan muffin pan. In fact, almost all of my baking pans are USA Pan because they are super high quality and durable. I highly recommend them!
Tips for the Best Baked Goods
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. [Measure cocoa powder the same way!]
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Make sure you baking powder is fresh! Baking powder is important for helping baked goods rise properly, but it has a relatively short shelf life once opened, so it's one of the few items I never buy in bulk! To test if your baking powder is still fresh, add a small amount to boiling water. If it bubbles it's still good to use, but if not it's time to toss it!
Recipe FAQ's
These are best eaten the same day. Since the muffins are so moist, they will mold quickly when left at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Yes, but I don't recommend it. Fresh cherries have a better flavor and won't release as much water into the muffins as they cook.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Recipes You Might Like
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Recipe Card
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and prepare you muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and whisk until combined and smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and stir until combined.
- Mix in the milk. Then stir in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Gently stir in the cherries and chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into your muffin cups so that they are about ⅔ full.
- Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins. Rotate the pan about halfway through so that the muffins brown evenly.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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