These Dark Sweet Cherry Muffins are soft, golden, and bursting with juicy cherry flavor in every bite. With just the right balance of sweetness and a tender crumb, they make a perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or gifting. A splash of almond extract adds a subtle bakery-style twist, and a whole cherry on top makes them extra charming. This easy recipe makes about 12 muffins—share a few, keep the rest!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pitted dark sweet cherries, halved or chopped (fresh or frozen, if frozen, don’t thaw)
- Optional: ¼ tsp almond extract for an extra cherry-almond flavor boost
- Whole cherries for topping (optional but adorable!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and (optional) almond extract until smooth.
- Combine: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined — don’t overmix.
- Fold in cherries: Gently fold in the chopped cherries. Save a few to press into the tops before baking if desired.
- Scoop & top: Fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Add a whole cherry on top of each muffin if you’d like the look from the photo.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temp!
