Let’s take a minute to talk about how delicious cherries right now are. The cherries are more expensive at Kansas markets, but as soon as I saw them and grabbed a sample of one to check for ripeness/flavor, I knew I was in. With chocolate and cherries, I headed to the kitchen.
Vegan chocolate-cherry muffins! Oh boy. I know that chocolate-covered cherry is a thing. My mom loves them, but I have always found them to be a bit gross. It’s the weird taste and slimy texture. When the cherries are crisp and the chocolate is thick and dark, I am all for it.
The muffins require only a few ingredients and a single mixing bowl. Plus, these muffins are surprisingly healthy.
Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, and cherries are a great source of fiber, vitamin B, and cancer-fighting flavonoids. Yes, and yes.
The muffins are vegan, but neither the flavor nor texture suffer. They’re light and cakey with a sweet, nutty taste from the almond extract and brown sugar. The cherries are plentiful and full of flavor. The chocolate peeks out to add just the right amount of decadence.
Ingredients
- One heaping cup of ground oat flour
- Use 1 cup of whole wheat pastry or unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- One pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
- Use 1/4 cup coconut oil (or substitute olive/avocado).
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- Fresh cherries, pitted and lightly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped (divided),
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder with salt, brown sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Pour the almond milk into a liquid measuring glass. Add melted coconut and almond extract, and stir. If the coconut oil thickens, microwave for 20-30 seconds until it melts again.
- Mix ingredients until combined. Fold in the cherries and 3/4 dark chocolate until you have just combined.
- Pour into nine muffin tins lined with paper or grease. Top with the remaining chocolate (amount according to original recipe // adjust for changing batch size). The muffin tins will be filled to the brim, how I like it.
- Bake for 23-25 mins or until golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer it to a cooling rack.
- Serve with non-dairy or plain butter. To keep the food fresh, store it in an airtight container. After a few days, transfer to the freezer.
