Cherry cheesecake muffins are very light, very moist, and very juicy. The perfect snack or dessert made with only basic ingredients and barely any effort. Want a recipe that doesn’t sit heavy but is still rich? Try these easy cherry muffins.
Every bite of these cherry cream cheese muffins has bits of fruit popping through, perfectly counterbalanced by the tangy light golden pockets of cream cheese. And since this cherry muffin recipe doesn’t beat cream cheese with sugar, the sweetness of the fruit shines through.
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Cherry cheesecake muffin recipe
Try the cheesecake muffins because
It’s a quick and very easy muffin recipe
It’s great for breakfast, snack, or dessert
It’s an excellent way to use fresh fruit in bakes
They’re utterly light, with a crumb so light and so moist it disappears with the first bite
How to make cherry cream cheese muffins?
The recipe for these cherry cheesecake muffins is a variation of my vegan chocolate cherry muffins with a few Tasha twists. The biggest one is cream cheese. Instead of beating it into the batter, I broke it into pieces, an idea I borrowed from Kelly Neil.
Yes, it is a 2-minute effort, but it took the cheesecake muffins up a notch, making them so moreish with the fluffiest crumbs.
Step 1: Cream cheese is slightly sticky, so I tossed it with a teaspoon of flour to make it easier to break it with my hands. Put the little pieces in the fridge to chill until they are ready to use.
Step 2: Combine lukewarm milk with vinegar and set it aside for 5 to 6 minutes to make buttermilk.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then stir in sugar.
Step 4: By now, your buttermilk will be ready. Add coconut oil and vanilla extract to it.
Step 5: Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together.
Step 6: Fold in pitted and halved cherries. I like to toss the cherries in flour before I mix them, so they don’t get weighed down and sink to the bottom of the cheesecake muffins.
Step 7: Bring out the chilled cream cheese pieces and combine them with the batter, making sure it doesn’t stick in one huge clump. Be patient, and the cream cheese will distribute evenly.
Step 8: Line your muffin tray and divide the batter equally into 12 cups.
Step 9: Bake the cherry cheesecake muffins for 20 to 22 minutes in a preheated oven.
My tips for cream cheese muffins
- Never overmix muffin batter.
- Right before I baked the cream cheese muffins, I sprinkled them with castor sugar. This is an optional step, and feel free to skip it.
- If your cherries are dark red, like mine were, you’ll notice grayish streaks. Don’t worry. The cherry cheesecake muffins haven’t gone bad. It’s the fruit juices that paint the batter with a light tinge.
- To check if the cherry muffins are done, insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, they are ready. Overbaked muffins have a dry crumb.
- Let the cheesecake muffins cool for a few minutes before you turn them onto a rack.
- Do cream cheese muffins need to be refrigerated? Yes, because they have cream cheese in them. They store well and taste wonderful when cold. But if you prefer warm cherry cheesecake muffins, nuke them for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave.
- Get a weighing scale for your kitchen and measure each ingredient. It’s a little thing, but it changed the way I bake for the better. If you think keeping one will be a pain, find a small one you can stick in a cupboard.
Ingredient substitutes
Vegan: I used regular milk and cream cheese, but if you want to bake vegan cherry cheesecake muffins, switch to plant-based milk and cream cheese.
Sugar: Cane sugar is a good alternative to white sugar for this easy cherry muffin recipe.
Variations
Cherries: Don’t have fresh cherries? Use frozen ones or replace them with any berries you love.
Add-ons: Chocolate chips or chunks would pair really well with cherry cheesecake muffins. Lemon zest would be a fantastic addition. Chopped almonds will go very nicely with cherries.
Dessert ideas for fresh cherries
Vegan Chocolate Cherry Muffins
Cherry Cheesecake Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups ( 280 gms) All-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup ( 100 gms) Sugar
- 3/4 cup ( 170 gms) Milk
- 2 tsp Vinegar
- 1/3 cup ( 72 gms) Coconut oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 cup ( 190 gms) Cherries, pitted and halved
- 3/4 cup ( 200 gms) Cream cheese
- 2 tsp All-purpose flour ( for tossing in the cherries and cream cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease and flour a muffin tray or line it with paper baking cups.
- Start with cream cheese. It is slightly sticky, so toss it with a teaspoon of flour to make it easier to break using your hands. Put in the fridge to chill until they are ready to use.
- Combine the milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk in the sugar.
- Add oil, and vanilla extract to the milk-vinegar mixture.
- Pour into your dry ingredients and mix well.
- Toss the cherries with 1 tsp of all-purpose flour and fold into the batter.
- Gently fold the chilled cream cheese bits into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups dividing the batter evenly. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let them cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes before turning them out on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Shruti says
Soft, buttery and delicious. Even though I am not a big fan of cheese, I like the sourness of the cream cheese against the mild sweetness of the miffin and the slight tartness of the cherries. Foolproof recipe, thanks
Natasha Minocha says
Oh thank you, Shruti! I'm so glad you enjoyed the muffins. xoxo