Buttery, moist, soft Almond Cherry Muffins. Full of flavour & bursting with juicy cherries in every bite. And they can be made gluten-free!
Almond Cherry Muffins. As soon as cherry season starts, that’s it, I’m hooked. It’s so short and we are without them for so long, that when they are here I just have to eat them like a cherry crazed fiend.
I mean like cherry EVERYTHING.
I might just have eaten my Black Forest Overnight Oats for breakfast every day for the past week. I love them that much! I didn’t go all out and add the whippy coconut cream though. I do have some restraint. Every day might have been a bit much for that.
Then in between breakfast and snacking on handfuls of cherries, I have been eating testing these Almond Cherry Muffins since the minute cherry season arrived. They took a little while to get just right and I have now reached the stage where I don’t want to see another muffin for as long as I live….
Until next week…. I’ll have forgotten about them by then and will be ready to eat muffins all over again….????
So, these Almond Cherry Muffins. They are buttery, soft, fluffy, not too sweet and studded with b-eautiful chopped fresh cherries.???? They are buttery thanks to the ground almonds. Just like in my Easy Vegan Butter recipe, the almonds are there for that very reason. And of course in these muffins because they go so well with cherries.
Almonds and cherries are like the perfect marriage. Absolutely made for each other.
OIL-FREE & A GLUTEN-FREE OPTION!
Despite being buttery these muffins are completely oil-free. The only fat in this recipe is that which is naturally occurring in the almonds. There is no added oil at all. And for the gluten-free crew out there (because I know there are a lot of you), there is a gluten-free option. Yes Gluten-Free Almond Cherry Muffins!
You can use regular all purpose flour or you can use oat flour. Both give great results. (The muffins in my photographs are made with oat flour). The quantity of flour varies slightly for each so make sure you check that carefully before you get going.
The almond flour is pretty necessary in this recipe to get the very best flavour but you could sub it for some extra oat or all purpose flour if you needed to because of nut allergies. I like to use natural almond extract but if you have a nut allergy to consider, I believe that some imitation almond extract is nut-free. Always check the packaging or with the manufacturer first though just in case.
I love to top my Almond Cherry Muffins with some some shards of raw almond. It makes them look pretty but the main reason is for texture. It’s so nice to have a bit of crunch going on when you are eating the slightly crusty muffin tops. I used a sharp knife and whole almonds to make my shards because I have somehow ended up with a trillion million almonds in my pantry but almonds slivers/flakes from the store will look a little neater. Mine are what you call rustic!
I can’t wait to hear what you think about my Almond Cherry Muffins. Hit me up on Instagram or in the comments below to let me know. Use the hashtag #avirtualvegan if you share any pics. I’d love to see!
For more gluten-free baked goods made with oat flour, check out these great options:
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Blueberries
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Fudgy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
And if you love this recipe, please do check out my cookbook, and subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Almond Cherry Muffins
Ingredients
- 135g / 1 cup all purpose flour , spooned into the cup then levelled off with the back of a knife. Don't scoop as the weight will be significantly different.
- OR 150g / 1.5 cups oat flour for the gluten-free option. Use instead of the all purpose flour and be sure that the oats are certified gluten-free
- 30g / ¼ cup almond flour , see recipe notes for how to make it if you only have whole almonds
- 100g / ½ cup sugar , lighter coloured varieties work best for flavour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder , be sure to use an aluminum free variety to avoid having your muffins turn a lovely shade of blue!
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup / around 10 - 11 fresh cherries , pitted and quartered (see recipe notes for alternatives)
- 1 teaspoon natural almond extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 127g / ½ cup apple sauce , unsweetened
- 60mls / ¼ cup plant-based milk ONLY IF USING ALL PURPOSE FLOUR - DO NOT USE IF YOU ARE USING OAT FLOUR
- 20g / ¼ cup flaked or slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and prepare a muffin tin. Either grease it or line with liners.
- Add the flour (either all purpose OR oat flour), almond flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a bowl. Stir together well.
- Add the almond extract, vinegar, apple sauce and milk (use milk ONLY if using all purpose flour), to another small bowl or jug and mix thoroughly.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until it is just combined. Do not beat it together. You just want to make sure no dry flour is visible.
- Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin tins so they are about ¾ full. You should get about 6, possibly 1 or 2 more depending on the size of your tin.
- Sprinkle the tops with the flaked/slivered almonds and get into the oven as quickly as you can.
- After 5 minutes in the oven turn the temperature down to 375°F (don't open the door) and cook for another 12 - 15 minutes. A tooth pick inserted into one of them should come out clean after that time. If it doesn't give them a minute or two more.
- Once cooked remove from tin and leave to cool in a cooling rack.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Sandy says
August 10, 2017 at 10:52 amI just made these using the regular flour because I didn’t have enough oat flour and was too lazy to grind it. They are sweet and crunchy and delicious, I am freezing xsome cherries for the next time when I want to try the oat flour method. I may risk decreasing the sugar but don’t want to sacrifice the testure.
Thank you for a new favorite recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
August 10, 2017 at 2:06 pmSo glad you enjoyed them Sandy. I like both versions but I think I prefer the oat flour ones. They are a little lighter and more delicate which I like. I haven’t tried them with less sugar. You should be able to lose a few tablespoons without too much damage though. I hope you enjoy your next oaty batch just as much!
Jim Manning says
July 26, 2017 at 5:04 pmMel: These are fantastic! The taste and texture is amazing , all the more so given that there is no added fat or shortening in the recipe. My wife made a batch of these this afternoon using homemade almond flour, oat flour and applesauce. We live on a small island so sourcing “specialty” ingredients can be challenging. I was skeptical about not needed any additional moisture (plant-milk) with the oat flour, but the batter and the finished muffins were perfectly moist. We will be making another batch very soon – not just because my wife and I love be them, but because while my wife was bringing me the first muffin from the batch back in my home office, our petite little 100 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback was in the kitchen helping herself to the remainder of the muffins off the cooling rack! I rate them Five-Stars, Matilda rates them Five-paws!
A Virtual Vegan says
July 26, 2017 at 7:58 pmOh no! Naughty Matilda! She obviously has good taste though ???? I’m so glad you at least got to eat one. Hopefully Matilda won’t take a fancy to the 2nd batch. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know that you (and Matilda) enjoyed them. I really appreciate it!
jacquie says
July 25, 2017 at 5:38 pmthose look great – i bet they would work with blueberries or other fruits as well. Do you think i could reduce the sugar by half? that seems like a lot given the sweetness of the cherries and the applesauce (i know it is unsweetened but apples are still sweet) thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
July 26, 2017 at 2:19 pmThank you! Blueberries would be great in them. As for the sugar, these muffins aren’t overly sweet as they are, and if you reduce it, it will be a case of trial and error to see how much you can get away with, if any. Sugar doesn’t just act as a sweetener in cakes and muffins, it also provides structure. If you reduce it you could affect the rise and texture. As long as you are willing to take the risk then give it a shot. I’m sure they would still be edible even if they do end up a little flatter.Good luck!
Alice says
July 25, 2017 at 10:35 amJust made these and they were SOoooo goooddd! I had all ingredients but the applesauce on hand too, which is great!! The texture came out perfectly and they weren’t too wet/moist which is a recurring problem I have with muffins. Thank you! I posted a pic on my instagram too, @pupsandpancakes , if you wanna see how it came out! :)
A Virtual Vegan says
July 25, 2017 at 11:38 amThanks so much for sharing a picture on Instagram! They look great! I’m glad you were pleased with the texture. A pet hate of mine is claggy damp sponge so I make sure that doesn’t happen in my muffins & cakes etc. Enjoy eating them all up and thank you for leaving feedback. I really appreciate it!
Alice says
August 5, 2017 at 9:53 amJust made another batch and had to comment because I added chocolate chips and OMG it took them to a whole ‘nother level….highly recommend …. !! (Also omitting the almond extract+almonds on top)
A Virtual Vegan says
August 5, 2017 at 5:34 pmOh no! Now I have to make them again with chocolate chips! ???? So glad you are enjoying them and that is a great idea! Almost like Black Forest flavour. Yum!
Paula says
July 25, 2017 at 9:14 amThis is really good. I made a batch and a half and got 12 muffins out of it. I used the oat flour rather than regular flour. I baked them 15 minutes but they could have used one more minute. My muffins turned out blue but I should have folded the cherries in at the last rather than with the wet ingredients. This is a keeper. Thanks. I freeze lots of cherries when they come in season so I will have them for recipes just like this one.
A Virtual Vegan says
July 25, 2017 at 11:46 amCheck your baking powder. If you have one that contains aluminum it will make cakes etc turn blue with fruit like raspberries and cherries. The substance that makes the fruit red, reacts with the aluminum and causes the colour change. The same can happen with blueberries only they can turn green. Next time you need baking powder look for the aluminum free varieties. Bob’s Red Mill makes one but most stores sell at least one these days. I will make a note of it in the recipe now to warn others! I’m so glad you like them though and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback!