Chocolate cherry muffins are soft, fluffy, and full of fresh cherries and chocolate chips. No mixer needed! They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacking.
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I make these muffins every summer during cherry season. They’re quick, easy, and always a hit. The juicy cherries and melty chocolate make every bite so good.
If you love chocolate and cherries, you’re in the right place! Try my frosted cherry pop tarts, cherry yogurt popsicles and chocolate cherry focaccia.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Soft and tender: They’re so soft just like my chia seed lemon muffins and pumpkin and banana muffins.
- Delicious: They’re flavored with cinnamon, ginger and vanilla! Chocolate with cherries makes these as yummy as my chocolate chip banana bread muffins!
- Easy: Mix them up by hand in just minutes. They super easy to make just like these fresh peach muffins!
- Perfect anytime: Enjoy them for breakfast, a snack or dessert. They’re especially yummy during cherry season but are delish year round too.
Ingredients
Here are some useful notes on the ingredients.
- Sugar: Use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar works. Make sure the brown sugar is fresh.
- Cherries: I recommend using fresh cherries. I wouldn’t recommend using frozen cherries. Use a cherry pitter to remove the pits then slice cherries in half. If you love baking with cherries, try my cherry pie bars! For more fruity recipes, try these banana rhubarb muffins and apple strawberry crumble.
- Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. Melt the butter then allow it to cool slightly.
- Ground cinnamon and ginger: Cinnamon and ginger add a hint of warm flavor.
- Buttermilk: Use room temperature buttermilk. Buttermilk adds a delicious, slightly tangy flavor, and a moist, tender texture to muffins.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions
- Add extra cinnamon if you don’t have ground ginger.
- Swap in chocolate chunks, chopped chocolate or dark chocolate chips can in place of the chocolate chips.
- If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk substitute.
- You can also use whole milk or plain, full fat yogurt in place of buttermilk.
- Almond extract can be used in place of vanilla extract.
- Swap in turbinado sugar in place of streusel.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Quick Video Recap
Instructions
Step 1: (Picture 1 above). Combine the melted butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl butter in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork.
Step 2: (Picture 2 above). Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
Step 3: (Picture 3 above). In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the add the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and eggs.
Step 4: (Picture 4 above). Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula. Add the cherries and chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
Step 5: (Picture 5 above). Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake tin. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
Step 6: (Picture 6 above). Bake at 425 F for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 17-19 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Fill the muffin cups all the way to the top. I use an ice cream scoop—it keeps things even and less messy.
- Avoid overmixing. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Enjoy these at room temperature or warm. Rewarm them in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven at 300 F for 5 about minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Stick a toothpick into the center of one. If it comes out clean (i.e. without any wet crumbs), they’re done. Another way to check is to press a muffin lightly with your finger. If it springs back, they’re finished baking.
I don’t recommend using frozen cherries. Frozen cherries release water as they bake and will change the texture of the muffins. Fresh cherry muffins tend to have more flavor as well.
Fresh cherry muffins are best enjoyed the same day they’re made. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 3 days. Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) light brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon (1/4 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 1 pinch (1 pinch) salt
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons (2½ teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup (160 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup (138 g) cherries pitted, halved
- ½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark
Instructions
Cinnamon Streusel
- Combine the melted butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl butter in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork. Set aside in the fridge to chill while you prepare the batter.
Chocolate Cherry Muffins
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Melt the butter in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease muffin tin with butter.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the add the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula. Add the cherries and chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake tin. Sprinkle the streusel on top.
- Bake at 425 F for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without wet crumbs when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- Let cool in tin for 10 minutes then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Shannon S
These muffins are incredibly delicious! Just what I was looking for. Simple pantry ingredients that I already had on hand. I made my own “buttermilk”. So many muffin recipes called for sour cream or yogurt and I just couldn’t get to the store to get some. I’m glad I didn’t go with a different recipe because this was perfect. So fluffy and great flavor. I added a half teaspoon of almond extract. Definitely a new favorite recipe!
Natalie
Hi Shannon, Thanks so much for making these muffins and for sharing your helpful recipe notes and feedback. Love to hear it’s a new favorite recipe and hope you have a great day!!
Stella
With chocolate and cherries as ingredients I had to make these muffins! They were so moist & delicious. Will make them again and again!
Natalie
So happy you enjoyed these chocolate cherry muffins Stella! Chocolate and cherries are so good together! Excited for you to make them again. Have a great night! Natalie