Love the flavors of chocolate and cherry? They come together perfectly in these decadent double chocolate cherry muffins! Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and fresh cherries combine to create the ultimate chocolate muffin flavor!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- So easy to make! This cherry muffin recipe is easy enough for any level baker or cook to prepare!
- Great flavor! The combination of chocolate and cherry is divine.
- A way to highlight fresh seasonal produce.
If you love cooking with fresh cherries, try this cherry bread and my chocolate cherry bundt cake.
Ingredients
Here's a look at the main ingredients for this chocolate cherry muffin recipe. The complete list and quantities are in the recipe card.
- Ricotta: Adds a rich, dense texture to these cherry chocolate muffins. I used low fat but whole-fat ricotta is also great!
- Sugar: You can use your choice of white or brown sugar. It’s also possible to use a sugar substitute suitable for baking.
- Eggs: Add moisture and structure to the muffins.
- Milk: Any milk works but I used almond milk.
- Vanilla: Balances all the flavors and adds its gentle warmth to your baked muffins.
- Melted butter: I love the rich flavor the butter gives these muffins but you can also use a neutral oil if you prefer.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour but I prefer baking with whole wheat pastry flour.
- Cocoa powder: Make sure it’s unsweetened. I especially like Hershey's Special Dark for its intense chocolate flavor.
- Leavener: We are using a combination of baking powder and soda.
- Cherries: You can use frozen cherries with the pits removed or you can buy fresh and pit your own.
- Chocolate chips: You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips!
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Muffins
These chocolate and cherry muffins go together in just a few minutes! Here's a look at the process.
- Start by pitting your cherries if you're using fresh. This can be done by slicing around the middle of the cherry and then removing the pit with your finger or you can use a cherry pitter! Then chop them up.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
- Combine the ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk in another bowl and mix together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix just until combined. It's important to avoid over-mixing.
- Add the cherries and chocolate to the mix.
- Fold them gently into the muffin batter.
- Scoop the mixture into a prepared muffin pan.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until a toothpick comes out almost clean.
PRO TIP: For a super moist muffin cook but leave them slightly underbaked. They will continue to bake even after you remove them from the oven.
- Serve and enjoy! My family definitely did. These tasty little things were gone in no time!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Use fresh cherries if possible. If you are using frozen be sure to thaw them out and drain off any excess water before adding them to the muffin mixture.
- Slightly underbake for a moister muffin.
- Store leftover muffins at room temperature for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months. Allow them to cool completely before you store them in an airtight container.
How do you pit cherries with a pitter?
There are several simple ways to remove cherry pits. Use a pastry tip, chopstick, or skewer to push it through. You can also cut around the cherry, pull it apart and remove the seed.
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Double Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Love the flavors of chocolate and cherry? They come together perfectly in these decadent chocolate cherry muffins! Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and fresh cherries combine to create the ultimate chocolate muffin flavor!
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup ricotta I used lowfat, but whole is also great!
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk I used almond milk, but use the milk you prefer.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted You can also use any other neutral oil you prefer.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I like Hershey's special dark
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup fresh cherries, chopped
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips I also like dark chocolate chips!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare pan. You can either use a loaf pan, muffin pan, or square brownie pan like I used. Spray well, so the muffins won't stick. Set aside.
- Combine the ricotta, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and butter in bowl.
- In separate smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Combine wet and dry, careful not to over mix. Add in chopped cherries and chocolate chips. Fold to combine.
- Bake until toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. These will continue to bake even after you pull them out.
- Allow to cool, or eat immediately. Your choice!
- Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!
Notes
Use fresh cherries if possible. If you are using frozen be sure to thaw them out and drain off any excess water before adding them to the muffin mixture.
Slightly underbake for a moister muffin.
Store leftover muffins at room temperature for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months. Allow them to cool completely before you store them in an airtight container.
Mona J Twining says
I am not a fan of ricotta. What can I replace it with?
admin says
Greek yogurt works really well in place of ricotta!