Bakery-style muffins with a protein boost? Soft, nutty, and bursting with juicy cherries—this Cherry Muffin Recipe is perfect for breakfast, snack time, or whenever you’re craving something a little sweet and a little nourishing.
9 grams of Protein in each muffin!
I’ve been seeing cherry and pistachio flavors pop up everywhere lately – in lattes, scones, and other unique combinations on social media. So I decided to spin off my very popular Protein Blueberry muffins and make these bakery delicious cherry muffins with 9g of protein in each for cherry season!
Juicy fresh cherries in a tender, fluffy muffin? Say less. These high-protein, homemade cherry muffins are the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and satisfying. They’re made with simple ingredients, boosted with a little extra protein, and taste like something straight out of a cozy bakery case.
And if you want other homemade muffin recipes with 5 star rating, try these Greek Yogurt Banana Muffins, Oatmeal Raisin Muffins or these One Bowl Double Chocolate Chip Muffins that you’ll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – I used all purpose and have not tried any alternatives so substitute with caution.
- Sweetener – This recipe uses brown sugar and maple syrup for the perfect balance of rich sweetness.
- Greek Yogurt – Makes our muffins moist and rich.
- Milk – I used whole milk. A dairy free alternative will also work.
- Almond extract – A hint of almond extract pairs to perfectly with the tart cherries. It gives that amaretto flavor we all know and love, similar to cherry garcia ice cream.
- Vanilla Protein Powder – I used CleanSimple Eats (code: APOP saves you $).
- Baking Agents – Baking powder, baking soda, eggs and salt.
- Oil – Vegetable oil or avocado oil. Melted butter works too.
- Cherries– I used fresh sweet cherries and used a cherry pitter before slicing. Thawed frozen cherries would work or maraschino cherries if you prefer sweeter muffin.
- Pistachios – Adds texture and great flavor. Almonds are tasty, too.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Customize your mix-ins! Fold in chopped nuts for crunch, dark chocolate chips for or white chocolate, or use berries based on seasonality.
- Want to skip the protein powder? Add an extra ¼ cup of flour and you should be good to go. We need less flour as a replacement because it’s much more absorbent as compared to the protein.
- Add topping! Make it a bakery style muffin with a streusel topping made with ¼ cup crushed pistachios, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar and1 tbsp softened butter. Mix these ingredients together and sprinkle generously over the muffin batter before baking.
- Want a richer muffin? Use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds protein and a lighter texture, while sour cream creates a richer, more tender crumb. Choose yogurt for a healthier bake or sour cream for extra indulgence.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line muffin tin with liners and grease with cooking spray.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients together. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, fold together the dry ingredients *I usually try to avoid extra dishes but when baking with protein powder, it’s crucial that all of the ingredients are dispersed evenly!
4. Pour the dry mix into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a whisk to fold everything together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the oil and fold again until a smooth batter has formed. Fold in chopped cherries and crushed pistachios.
5. Use a 3 tbsp cookie scooper and scoop batter into muffin liners – the batter should be to the top but not overflowing. 5. Top each muffin with a few extra cherry pieces, crushed pistachios, and a tsp of turbinado sugar on each.
6. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven at 425F, then without removing the muffins, decrease the temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, once the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Enjoy warm or room temperature! Note: use the 200F rule! When the inside of the muffin reaches 200F, they’re fully cooked inside.
PRO TIPS
- Always use a cookie scoop for uniform muffins! For muffins that bake evenly (and look bakery-worthy), use a medium cookie scoop to portion the batter. Bonus: Less mess!
- I tested this recipe 3x and for best results it’s key to use a whisk when incorporating the dry ingredients to avoid having to over-mixed batter (which causes the muffin to go flat while baking).
Recipe FAQs
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them individually and add to a freezer bag for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. Wrap in foil and reheat in a toaster oven for that fresh-baked vibe.
Yes, using muffin cups is a great idea for homemade muffins —especially since this cherry muffins recipe creates fluffy muffins that are extra moist and include ingredients like yogurt and protein powder that can stick to the pan. Liners make cleanup easier, help the muffins hold their shape, and are perfect if you’re storing or freezing them for later.
If you don’t have any, ensure you HEAVILY grease your muffin pan (I recommend with butter and cooking spray to be extra sure).
Over mixing the batter or over baking are the most common reasons. For bakery style muffins that have a moist crumb, mix until just combined and check for doneness a minute or two early.
Serving suggestions
Cherry muffins pair well with something creamy, fresh, or savory to round out the flavors. Try these delicious muffins with a dollop of Greek yogurt, whipped ricotta, or fresh berries.
For something savory, soft goat cheese scrambled eggs or a mild cheese work great. To drink, go for cold brew, chai tea, or a cherry chocolate smoothie for a fun flavor echo.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Cherry Muffin Recipe {Healthy and High Protein}
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- electric hand mixer
- measuring cups / spoons
- Whisk
- Muffin tin
- muffin liners
- 3 tbsp cookie scoop
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder, I used Clean Simple Eats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Additional ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil, vegetable or avocado
- 1 ⅔ cups halved & quartered cherries, + more for topping
- 1/2 cup crushed pistachios, + more for topping!
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar, optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line muffin tin with liners and grease with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients together. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, fold together the dry ingredients *I usually try to avoid extra dishes but when baking with protein powder, it’s crucial that all of the ingredients are dispersed evenly!
- Pour the dry mix into the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a whisk to fold everything together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the oil and fold again until a smooth batter has formed. Fold in chopped cherries and crushed pistachios.
- Use a 3 tbsp cookie scooper and scoop batter into muffin liners – the batter should be to the top but not overflowing.
- Top each muffin with a few extra cherry pieces, crushed pistachios, and a tsp of turbinado sugar on each.
- Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven at 425°F, then without removing the muffins, decrease the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, once the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. See tip for perfect muffins!
- Enjoy warm or room temperature!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Almond Cherry Muffins calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Savory and dense on top with some fluff on the bottom. They didn’t last long!
I’ll make again!
all of my favorite flavors in one recipe! obsessed!
I am not usually a protein muffin person, but these are WONDERFULLY tasty and satisfying. Nicely done!
Taste just like a normal muffin. So delicious and tasty. Making these on repeat for meal prep. I found that the taste better heated up for 15sec in the microwave if you do plan on making them for meal prep
The best protein healthy muffins I’ve ever had
morning coffee and these muffins have me throwing what i know
Made these again. halved the recipe, used just 1/3 cup honey instead of maple syrup + sugar (didnt have any), and chocolate protein powder. turned out insane 😛