Cherry Muffins
If you love having homemade treats but are short on time, these vegan cherry muffins are your new best friend. This 4-step recipe is a breeze to whip up and always a crowd-pleaser. The muffins are soft, flavorful, and perfect for freezing!
I know a lot of people like donuts. And I’m definitely in the vegan donuts crowd! But I swoon for muffins, especially when berries are involved. Are you with me?
Why I Love This Recipe; It’s always nice to have homemade goodies around the house. And these muffins are so easy to make! Plus, the fact that I can freeze them means I’m prepared for impromptu gatherings. They’re so delicious!
I wanted to make this cherry muffin recipe easy, delicious, and affordable (fresh cherries are pricey). You don’t need to go to a bakery when it’s so easy to make homemade cherry muffin recipes at home.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Vegetable Oil: Opt for a neutral-flavored oil like canola or sunflower oil.
- Coconut Sugar: Adds a warm sweetness, but regular granulated sugar works too.
- Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce, found in the canned fruit section.
- Almond Milk: Any unsweetened plant-based milk will do.
- Ground Flaxseed: Creates a flax egg to add structure – try ground chia seeds if you don’t have flax.
- Cornstarch: I use cornstarch alongside flour because cornstarch can improve the texture of baked goods.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Reacts with baking powder to give the muffins a good rise.White vinegar is a suitable substitute.
- All-Purpose Flour: Standard all-purpose flour is perfect here.
- Baking Powder: Ensures the muffins are light and fluffy.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Frozen Cherries: No need to thaw! If using fresh, pit them first. These are in the frozen fruit aisle.
I love recipes with frozen cherries because it makes cooking with cherries much easier. This from a woman who used to have a cherry tree in her yard! I would spend hours picking and pitting those cherries. Trust me, frozen cherries are great!
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Chrisy
These were awesome. Moist and delicious. I’ll definitely be making these again. My three grand children loved them as well!!
New to Vegan Baking?
The idea of making cookies, cakes, or muffins without eggs or dairy can seem like a hill too tall to climb. But with the simple tips in my Guide to Vegan Baking, you’ll be baking like a vegan pro in no time!
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Refrigerator: Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Freezer: Freeze muffins individually wrapped or in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Crowd Favorite: These muffins’ sweet-tart flavor and tender texture make them disappear fast!
- Magical: The vibrant red cherry peeking out of these golden brown muffins is pure kitchen magic.
- Healthy: Packed with fruit and naturally sweetened for a wholesome treat you can feel good about.
- Convenient — Frozen cherries mean you can skip the pitting, and you can make these muffins all year long, even when cherries are not in season.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these tasty muffins as is, or add these favorite toppings and/or sides:
- Serve warm with a little vegan butter butter on the side.
- Sprinkle muffins with powdered sugar.
- Serve with a warm glass of pink matcha latte to keep the colorful theme going..
- Add a dollop of vegan whipped cream.
Vegan Cherry Desserts
If you love these vegan cherry muffins as much as we do, you’ll want even more cherry recipes. Check out these tasty vegan cherry recipes:
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Vegan Cherry Muffins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup applesauce , unsweetened
- 1 cup almond milk , unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups frozen cherries
- optional vanilla glaze (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a standard muffin pan with papers or spray compartments with a light coating of vegetable cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, sugar, applesauce, milk, ground flaxseed, cornstarch, and apple cider vinegar.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the cherries to the flour and gently toss to coat. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently, until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 20–22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Muffins should be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated to include new text in 2021.
These were awesome.
Moist and delicious. I’ll definitely be making these again. My three grand children loved them as well!!
Thanks, Chrisy! I’m so glad to hear you all loved these muffins. They’re a favorite here, too!
As the author of this cherry muffins recipe, I’m pleased to report it’s both easy to make and delicious!