Fresh Cherry Muffins
40 min
|
easy
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
I don't do wimpy muffins; these are plush and tender with buttermilk and melted butter, packed with juicy fresh cherries in every bite.
No mixer, pantry staples, and a quick bake make them clutch for breakfast, brunch, or coffee breaks, with clean buttery flavor that lets the fruit shine.
Ingredients (12 servings)
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Ingredients for the Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.55 lb
- ¾ cup granulated sugar granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder baking powder 0.33 oz
- ½ tsp baking soda baking soda 0.08 oz
- ¼ tsp salt salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted unsalted butter 4 oz
- 2 large eggs large eggs 2 ct
- 1 cup buttermilk buttermilk 8 fl oz
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 1.5 tsp
- 1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted fresh cherries 0.5 lb
How to Make Fresh Cherry Muffins
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Prep the pan and heat the oven
Heat oven to 425 F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the cups.
Use a light-colored metal pan for best doming and even browning.
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Pit and prep the cherries
Pit and chop 1 1/2 cups fresh cherries into bite-size pieces, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Toss cherries with 1 teaspoon of the flour from your measured flour to reduce sinking and bleeding.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.
Break up every clump so the leaveners distribute evenly for a uniform rise.
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Combine the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
Let the melted butter cool until just warm so it does not scramble the eggs.
-
Make the batter
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir with a spatula until a few streaks of flour remain.
Fold in the cherries gently until just distributed, leaving the batter thick and slightly lumpy.
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Rest the batter
Let the batter sit 10 minutes on the counter to hydrate the flour and build taller muffin domes.
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Fill the tin
Divide batter evenly among cups, filling nearly to the top for high caps.
If you saved a few cherry pieces, press them gently on top for a prettier finish.
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Bake with a temperature boost
Bake at 425 F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven reduce to 350 F and bake 12 to 15 minutes more until tops are golden and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Total time is about 17 to 20 minutes depending on your oven and pan.
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Cool just enough
Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a rack to finish cooling so bottoms do not steam and get soggy.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Substitutions
- Buttermilk -> Greek yogurt plus milk
- Use 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt whisked with 1/2 cup milk to reach 1 cup; acidity and fat mimic buttermilk, keeping the crumb tender and the muffins moist.
- Unsalted butter -> Neutral oil
- Swap 1/2 cup melted butter for 1/2 cup neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado; you lose a bit of buttery aroma but gain extra moisture and a softer, longer-lasting crumb.
- Fresh cherries -> Frozen cherries
- Use the same amount of frozen cherries, chopped while still frozen and patted very dry; flavor stays vibrant and the texture remains juicy without bleeding if you keep them cold.
Tips
- Weigh your flour for perfect crumb
- If you have a scale, use 240 g flour to avoid dry muffins; if measuring by volume, fluff, spoon, and level to stay accurate.
- Dry the fruit to prevent blue streaks
- Excess moisture on cherries can create gummy pockets, so pat them dry and toss lightly in flour from the recipe for clean, even speckling.
- Resting the batter builds height
- A 10 minute bench rest hydrates starches and activates leaveners just enough to give those proud bakery domes.
- Use a scoop for consistent muffins
- A #16 or 1/4 cup scoop gives even portions so everything bakes at the same rate and you do not babysit stragglers.
- Light-colored pan, lighter bottoms
- Dark pans overbrown before the centers set; if that is all you have, reduce the temperature by 15 to 25 degrees and check early.
- Finish temperature beats the toothpick test
- Pull muffins when centers read 200 to 205 F with an instant-read thermometer for a moist crumb without guesswork.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 288 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7 | g |
| Total Fat | 9 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- How do I stop cherries from sinking to the bottom?
- Chop them smaller, pat very dry, and toss with a teaspoon of the recipe flour before folding in; a thicker batter from the rest also helps suspend the fruit.
- My muffins are tough and full of tunnels, what went wrong?
- Overmixing develops gluten and drives tunneling; stir just until combined with visible lumps and stop as soon as the dry spots disappear.
- The muffins stuck to the liners, how can I prevent that?
- Use quality parchment liners or lightly spray the liners; let muffins cool 10 to 15 minutes before peeling so steam releases cleanly.
- Can I add a crumble topping without drying them out?
- Yes, sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of a simple butter-sugar-flour streusel on each before baking and keep the total bake on the shorter side so the tops crisp without overbaking the crumb.
- How should I store these so they stay fresh?
- Cool completely, then store at room temperature in an airtight glass container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; rewarm 5 to 7 minutes at 325 F.
- Baking at high altitude, any changes?
- Reduce baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons, increase oven temperature by 15 to 25 degrees, and check for doneness a couple of minutes early.
Serving Suggestions
Sunday brunch perfection with a touch of almond extract or a swipe of salted butter while they are warm, plus a little lemon zest in the batter if you want that bright bakery vibe.
Pair with strong coffee or go dessert and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, because hot-and-cold with juicy cherries is a New York summer in a bite.
More pairings:
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