Cherry muffin recipe with streusel

This fresh cherry muffin recipe is bursting with juicy summer cherries and topped with a buttery cinnamon almond streusel that bakes up crisp and golden, then drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze. Mixed by hand with simple pantry ingredients—no mixer required—these homemade cherry muffins come together quickly and bake up with tender, fluffy interiors and beautifully domed tops, just like bakery-style muffins.

You may also be interested in my easy blueberry muffins and my peach muffins recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my muffin recipes in one place.

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Cherry Muffin Recipe

Muffins are always best on the day the are baked, which is why I normally save them for the weekends, because we can slow down enough to actually enjoy them.

Cherry season is fairly short, so get them while you can. Bing cherries are the most common variety you’ll find at the grocery store. They have dark red skin, and are sweet and juicy. Rainier cherries are a bit more delicate, so I’d advise being extra gentle when folding into the batter, if you choose this variety.

Ingredients

Aside from the fresh cherries, you probably have everything you need already. I used the cinnamon streusel recipe from my banana muffins for the topping. It pairs beautifully with the fresh cherries and can be used on any kind of crumble. 

• Flour – All-purpose flour gives these muffins structure.
• Vanilla – Vanilla rounds out the flavors and complements the cherries.
• Baking powder – The primary leavening agent, it gives the muffins their tall, domed tops.
• Salt – A small amount of salt balances the sweetness of the batter and streusel.
• Milk – Provides moisture to the batter. Use any milk (dairy or non-dairy) you prefer.
• Cherries – Sweet cherries are the star of the recipe, adding bursts of fruit in every bite.
• Eggs – Eggs provide structure and richness, and they bind the batter as it bakes.
• Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and a deeper flavor than white sugar.
• Sugar – Sweetens the muffins and helps create a lightly golden crust.
• Butter – Melted butter keeps these muffins moist while giving them a tender crumb.

Make sure that the milk and eggs are room temperature before you start. Why does this matter? Because when you pour melted butter into cold milk, it will immediately clump up instead of incorporating properly into the mixture. When everything is room temperature, this doesn’t happen.

What is the muffin method?

The muffin method is a simple mixing technique that helps create tender, fluffy muffins. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make muffins tough instead of light and tender.

How to make

Here’s a quick summary of how to make Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe. 

1. Make the streusel topping, and set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in one bowl, and set ingredients in a separate bowl. Fold together until just combined, then gently fold in cherries.
3. Add batter to lined muffin tin, then sprinkle streusel topping on top. Do not press it into batter.
4. Bake until tester comes out clean, then cool completely on rack before glazing.

Cinnamon Almond Streusel

The streusel recipe for these cherry muffins is simple – mix the sugars, flour, oats, almonds and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Pour the melted butter in and mix with a fork to combine. Try not to break the chunks of streusel into small pieces, as it will melt into the muffins. You want big pieces of streusel to sprinkle over the tops.

Streusel Ingredients

• Brown sugar – Brown sugar gives the streusel a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
• Butter – Cold butter is worked into the dry ingredients to create a crumbly streusel that bakes up crisp and buttery.
• Sliced almonds – Sliced almonds add crunch.
• Cinnamon – A touch of cinnamon adds warmth.
• Oats – Oats give the topping a little heartiness and crunch.

Tips for bakery-style muffins

• Fill liners 2/3 full and bake in a hot oven for tall domes – baking at 400°F vs 350°F makes a difference.
• Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots. 
• If your oven has a convection (fan) setting, use it. It will help to evenly brown the muffins by circulating the hot air inside the oven.

Cherry Muffin Recipe FAQ’s

Variations and substitutions

• Try a different fruit in the muffin batter to make variations of this recipe.
• If you don’t feel like making the glaze or the streusel, leave either or both of them off. The muffins will still taste great!

Helpful tools and equipment

• A cherry pitter makes prep quick and easy.
• Tulip style paper liners – these are the exact same liners that I used.
• A 2 ounce scoop will give you uniform muffins. I highly recommend using it.

Please share

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Originally published 8/10/21, most recent update 7/10/26.