Cherry Muffins with Almond Crunch and Agave Drizzle 🍒

Cherries are a delightful fruit that brings a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness to baked goods. These cherry muffins are the perfect way to enjoy them, whether you're using fresh cherries in the summer or frozen ones year-round. With a soft, moist texture and a golden-brown crust, these muffins make an excellent breakfast, snack, or even a light dessert.

What makes this recipe special is the step of cooking the cherries before adding them to the batter. This extra step enhances their natural sweetness and creates a slightly jammy texture, ensuring that each bite is packed with juicy flavor. The combination of almond slices and a drizzle of agave syrup on top adds a subtle crunch and a touch of extra sweetness, making these muffins truly irresistible.

Despite their bakery-style taste, these muffins are incredibly simple to make. You don’t need any fancy equipment—just a bowl, a whisk, and a muffin tin. The batter comes together quickly, and with just six muffins in a batch, it's perfect for small households or those who prefer fresh-baked treats without leftovers going to waste.

Whether you're making them for yourself or to share, these muffins will quickly become a go-to recipe for a quick and delicious treat.

You will need:
For 6-8 muffins

• 150 g. cherries, pitted and halved (mine were the sour ones, frozen)
• 40 g. granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 150 g. all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 100 ml. plant-based milk
• 45 ml. vegetable oil
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• Almond slices (for topping)
• Agave syrup (for drizzling)
  

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a 6-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it. I actually made 8 muffins but it might depend on your tin size!
2. In a small saucepan, combine the cherries with 20 g. of granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries release their juices and the mixture thickens slightly. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
   
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 20 g. of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice).
   
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
   
6. Gently fold the cooked cherries into the batter, including any juices from the saucepan.
   
7. Divide the batter evenly among the 6-8 muffin cups. Sprinkle a little extra sugar on top of each muffin if desired.
   
   Add some almond slices as toppings and drizzle some agave syrup on each muffin.
   
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!