Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Name: Sweet Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12 muffins
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus 1 tablespoon for coating the mix-ins; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature; 1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; 1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries, quartered or roughly chopped, divided; 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided; 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, such as turbinado or sparkling sugar

Imperial June 14, 2026June 14, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Quick Ingredients

Dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Wet ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream; 1/3 cup whole milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Mix-ins: 1 1/2 cups pitted chopped sweet cherries, 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Topping: 1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Do This

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Reserve a little cherry and chocolate for topping, then toss the rest with 1 tablespoon flour.
4. Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
5. Fold wet and dry ingredients together, then fold in the coated cherries and chocolate chips.
6. Divide batter among muffin cups, top with reserved cherries, chocolate, and coarse sugar.
7. Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 350°F and bake 15 minutes more. Cool before serving.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft and bakery-style: The yogurt and melted butter keep the crumb tender, moist, and rich.
Dessert-like but easy: Sweet cherries and melty chocolate chips make these feel special without complicated steps.
Great for fresh or frozen cherries: Use ripe summer cherries or keep it simple with frozen, thawed cherries.
Perfectly playful flavor: A hint of almond extract makes the cherries pop and gives the muffins a subtle bakery flavor.

Grocery List

Produce: Fresh sweet cherries, or frozen pitted cherries if fresh are not available
Dairy: Unsalted butter, large eggs, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, whole milk
Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, fine salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, semi-sweet chocolate chips, coarse sugar

Full Ingredients

For the Muffin Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus 1 tablespoon for coating the mix-ins
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the Cherry Chocolate Mix-Ins

1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries, quartered or roughly chopped, divided
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

For the Topping

1 tablespoon coarse sugar, such as turbinado or sparkling sugar

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the oven and muffin pan

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease each cup well with butter or nonstick baking spray. If your muffin pan tends to stick, lightly grease the top surface of the pan too, since these muffins rise nicely and may spread slightly over the edges.

Step 2: Prep the cherries and chocolate

Pit the cherries, then quarter or roughly chop them into bite-size pieces. Set aside 2 tablespoons of chopped cherries and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips for topping the muffins. Place the remaining cherries and chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss them with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. This light coating helps keep the fruit and chocolate suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.

If using frozen cherries, thaw them completely, drain off any liquid, and pat them very dry with paper towels before chopping. Extra cherry juice can make the batter too loose and may create gummy pockets in the muffins.

Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Whisking the dry ingredients first helps distribute the leaveners evenly, which gives the muffins a soft, even rise.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted and slightly cooled butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture looks glossy and well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the Greek yogurt or sour cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.

The batter will be richer and smoother if the eggs, yogurt, and milk are at room temperature. Cold dairy can cause melted butter to firm up into little bits, which is not harmful, but a smoother wet mixture makes the muffins easier to mix evenly.

Step 5: Combine the batter gently

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold everything together just until no large streaks of flour remain. The batter should be thick and soft. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and much better than overmixing, which can make muffins tough.

Step 6: Fold in the cherries and chocolate chips

Add the flour-coated cherries and chocolate chips to the batter. Fold gently until they are evenly distributed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Try not to crush the cherries too much; keeping some juicy pieces intact gives the muffins lovely bursts of fruit.

Step 7: Fill and top the muffin cups

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Each cup should be about 3/4 full to nearly full. Scatter the reserved chopped cherries and reserved chocolate chips over the tops, then sprinkle each muffin with a little coarse sugar. The sugar adds a delicate crunch and a pretty bakery-style finish.

Step 8: Bake, cool, and serve

Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 15 minutes, for a total bake time of 20 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are domed and lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Melted chocolate on the toothpick is fine; wet batter is not.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. They are wonderful slightly warm, when the chocolate chips are soft and melty, but the cherry flavor becomes even more pronounced once the muffins cool.

Pro Tips

Measure flour carefully: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour and make the muffins dry.
Dry the cherries well: Cherries are juicy, especially if frozen and thawed. Blotting them keeps the muffin crumb soft instead of soggy.
Do not overmix: Fold only until the batter comes together. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the muffins dense.
Use the high-heat start: The first 5 minutes at 425°F help create taller muffin tops, then the lower temperature finishes the centers gently.
Let them rest before eating: Warm muffins are delicious, but a 10 to 15 minute rest helps the crumb set and makes the cherry chocolate flavor taste fuller.

Variations

Dark chocolate cherry muffins: Use dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for a more intense, slightly less sweet muffin.
Cherry almond crunch muffins: Add 1/3 cup sliced almonds to the batter and sprinkle 2 tablespoons more over the tops before baking.
Black forest style muffins: Replace 2 tablespoons of the flour with 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for a light chocolate muffin base.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Because cherries add moisture, place a paper towel under the muffins and another over the top before sealing the container to help prevent stickiness. To refresh, warm a muffin in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

To freeze, wrap each cooled muffin tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour, or microwave from frozen for 25 to 35 seconds. For make-ahead prep, pit and chop the cherries up to 1 day in advance, then refrigerate them in a covered container and blot dry before using.

Nutrition (per serving)