These chocolate cherry madeleines are a dreamy little treat. Delightfully soft, deeply chocolatey with bursts of fresh cherries in every bite! Perfect for when you want something special without the fuss!
These madeleines with chocolate and cherries are always a big hit at my home. Tender and tiny, the soft tea cakes look so fancy. But making them? That’s so easy. The recipe is as simple as it can get. Dip them in chocolate and they’re out of this world.
Best part? They store well in the fridge for a couple of days. The crumb remains super soft, and the flavor of fresh cherries just magnifies!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨These madeleines are a delightful twist on the classic French madeleines!
✨Cherry and chocolate are a match made in heaven, creating an absolutely balanced taste - sweet and dark, rich yet not heavy.
✨They’re the perfect pick-me-up for a mid-week slump with a cup of tea, Vietnamese iced coffee, or a blueberry matcha latte! They are wonderful for a sweet breakfast treat or a dessert platter, too.
✨Madeleines look fancy but are so easy to make. As long as you have the right mold, you can make these beautiful, bakery-style French treats at home.
✨Chocolate cherry madeleines are also great for gifting. They hold well, pack beautifully, and are the kind of gift people rave about.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour is the classic base for light and tender madeleines.
Milk: I use coconut milk, but regular milk works like a charm every time. Almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk - all will work well in this recipe.
Butter: I used salted butter. You can also use unsalted butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients if using unsalted butter.
Fresh cherries are the star of the show. Chocolate and cherries taste just fantastic together! Try them in chocolate cherry cake or vegan cherry chocolate chip muffins.
Chocolate: My family loves dark chocolate madeleines, so that’s my recommendation. 55% to 70% chocolate is a fantastic choice. But feel free to use lighter chocolate if you prefer something sweeter and milder.
Cocoa powder: For that deep, chocolatey flavor.
Coconut sugar gives chocolate cherry madeleines a mild caramel taste that I love. Brown sugar works well, too.
Homemade vanilla extract really lifts the flavor of the madeleines.
Please see the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Eggless Chocolate Cherry Madeleines
Step 1: Melt your butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Take it off the heat and let it cool.
Step 2: While the butter cools, sift all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
Step 3: Stir in sugar.
Step 4: To these dry ingredients, add milk and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Slowly stir in the melted and cooled butter, and finally fold in the chocolate chips and chopped, pitted fresh cherries.
Step 6: Cover the batter in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The chocolate cherry madeleines are also a great make-ahead recipe, as you can chill the batter for up to 2 days.
Step 7: If you’re using a metal mold like me, grease it with a liberal hand and then sprinkle with flour. Pipe the batter ¾th of the way in each cavity and then bake. But if you’re using a silicone mold, no prep is needed.
Step 8: Bake the eggless cherry madeleines for 12 to 14 minutes in a preheated oven, or until the tops are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Pro Tips
- For that light and airy texture, don’t overmix the batter.
- It's important to chill the batter for at least 2 hours. This helps the gluten relax and gives the madeleines their characteristic, beautiful domed tops.
- If you’re using a metal mold, grease it liberally and then sprinkle it with flour. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed.
- Don’t overfill the molds. Fill them about ¾ of the way. This gives them space to rise and fill out the classic shell shape.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures even blending of the ingredients and makes for a lighter texture.
How To Serve Chocolate Cherry Madeleines
These tiny, buttery tea cakes with crisp edges and fluffy centers are a delight any way you serve them. I love them warm and fresh from the oven. As-is, they’re absolutely irresistible. Lightly dusted with icing sugar, they’re classic, elegant, and lovely.
Want to make them fancy enough for gifting (or just treating yourself!)? Dip the cherry madeleines in glossy dark chocolate!
Recipe FAQs
Madeleines are petite, shell-shaped French tea cakes. Light, buttery, and perfect with coffee or tea. Originating from Commercy and Liverdun (communes in France), they’re similar to sponge cakes but have a slightly denser, more compact crumb. Classic madeleines are known for their signature hump on one side and scalloped shell design on the other.
Make sure your madeleine mold is clean and dry. Any traces of grease or water will mess up your chocolate layer.
Melt your chocolate and let it cool slightly.
Spoon 1–2 teaspoons of melted chocolate into each cavity and spread it around evenly, covering the base. Keep the layer a bit thick.
Place the cooled madeleine into the mold, shell side down, into the chocolate. Press it down gently, so the melted dark chocolate covers it nicely.
Pop the mold in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Check if the chocolate has set. The edges would have hardened. Give it an additional 5 minutes, if need be.
Tap to release the madeleines. Once set, tap the mold 2–3 times on the counter gently and turn it over. They should pop out easily. Don’t tap too hard, or it may break the chocolate layer.
If one’s stubborn, a butter knife around the edge will do the trick.
These eggless chocolate cherry madeleines are best eaten fresh, the day they are made. But you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Chilling the batter is essential to making madeleines. It develops flavor and helps create that signature hump! I like to chill the batter for at least 2 hours, but even a 30-minute rest in the refrigerator will make a difference.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Madeleines
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 cup Coconut sugar You can use brown sugar too
- 2/3 cup Coconut milk You can use regular milk too
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup Butter, melted and cooled
- 1/3 cup Cherries, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup Dark chocolate chips
- Dark chocolate, melted for the glaze
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl.1 1/4 cup All-purpose flour, 2 tbsp Cocoa powder, 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- Stir in the sugar.1/2 cup Coconut sugar
- In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, and vanilla extract.2/3 cup Coconut milk, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Now gently fold in the flour mixture. Please don't over-mix.
- Gently stir in the melted butter.1/3 cup Butter, melted and cooled
- Fold in the chopped cherries and chocolate chips.1/3 cup Cherries, pitted and chopped, 1/3 cup Dark chocolate chips
- Cover the batter and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or for up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180C. Grease and flour the madeleine molds. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed.
- Spoon the batter into the molds, about three-quarters of the way. There is no need to level the batter. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tops are springy to touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Turn them out on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- To glaze the madeleines - drop a spoonful of melted chocolate into each of the madeleine molds. Use a spoon and pastry brush to coat the mold properly. Make sure the coating is a bit thick. A thin coating will crack/break easily.Dark chocolate, melted for the glaze
- Place the cooled madeleines into the molds, design side down. Press lightly so all the madeleines get a nice chocolate coating.
- Place the tray in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate hardens.
- Tap the tray a couple of times on the kitchen counter to loosen the madeleines and take them out.
- Repeat with all the madeleines. Place on a serving dish and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For that light and airy texture, don’t overmix the batter.
- It's important to chill the batter for at least 2 hours. This helps the gluten relax and gives the madeleines their characteristic, beautiful domed tops.
- If you’re using a metal mold, grease it liberally and then sprinkle it with flour. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed.
- Don’t overfill the molds. Fill them about ¾ of the way. This gives them space to rise and fill out the classic shell shape.
- Use room temperature ingredients. This ensures even blending of the ingredients and makes for a lighter texture.
EASYFOODSMITH says
Another gorgeous gorgeous baked creation from you. I can stare at the screen and admire these madeleines the whole day 😀
Natasha Minocha says
Gracias my friend! These are really so simple to make. And the chocolate coating just makes them extra 🙂