Vegan Cherry Muffins
These vegan cherry muffins are soft, moist, and ready in about 35 minutes. Made with all-purpose flour, soy milk, olive oil, coconut sugar, and fresh pitted cherries, they contain no eggs or dairy — just simple pantry ingredients mixed into a single bowl and baked at standard temperature until golden and fluffy.
If you’ve been following Gourmandelle for a while, you already know how much I love cherries. They’re one of those ingredients I genuinely look forward to every summer — bright, slightly tart, and perfect in baked goods. These muffins started as a way to use up a big bowl of cherries I had sitting on the counter, and they quickly became one of my favorite things to bake.
I’m a sweets person through and through. I’d eat dessert at every meal if I could. What I love about these muffins is that they satisfy that craving without any of the guilt — no butter, no eggs, no refined white sugar. Just real ingredients that happen to come together into something really, really good.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A quick summer bake using fresh cherries
- A dairy-free and egg-free muffin that still comes out fluffy
- A single-bowl dessert with minimal cleanup
- A treat to pack for lunchboxes or picnics
- A simple vegan baking project for beginners
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl, no fuss — dry ingredients first, wet ingredients second, cherries folded in last. Done.
- Naturally dairy-free and egg-free — soy milk and olive oil do all the work that butter and eggs usually do.
- Sweetened with coconut sugar — lower glycemic than refined sugar and adds a subtle caramel depth.
- Bright lemon flavor — lemon zest lifts the whole muffin and keeps it from tasting flat.
- Moist and fluffy texture — baking powder plus olive oil gives you a tender crumb that stays soft the next day.
- Freezer-friendly — bake a batch, freeze half, and have muffins ready whenever you want them.
Ingredient Notes
Cherries — Use 1 cup of fresh, pitted cherries. Fresh summer cherries give the best flavor and stay juicy while baking. Make sure they are fully pitted before folding them into the batter — any stray pits will be unpleasant in a finished muffin.
All-purpose flour — The recipe uses 1 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour for structure. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to dense muffins.
Olive oil — Half a cup of olive oil replaces butter here. It keeps the muffins moist and tender. Use a light or mild olive oil if you want a more neutral flavor, or extra-virgin for a slight fruity note that pairs nicely with cherries.
Vanilla soy milk — One cup of vanilla soy milk adds both liquid and a hint of sweetness. Any plant-based milk will work in a pinch, but vanilla soy is the one called for in the card and gives the best result in terms of flavor and texture.
Coconut sugar — One cup sweetens the batter with less of a blood-sugar spike than white sugar. It has a slight molasses flavor that works well with cherries and lemon. You can swap it for another sweetener if needed (see Substitutions).
Baking powder — One teaspoon of baking powder is what gives these muffins their lift. Make sure yours is fresh — if it has been open for more than 6 months, test it by dropping a small amount into hot water. If it bubbles vigorously, it is still active.
Lemon zest — The zest of one lemon adds brightness and fragrance to the batter. Zest only the outer yellow layer — the white pith underneath is bitter. A microplane or fine grater works best here.
Pure vanilla extract — One teaspoon rounds out the flavor. Use pure vanilla extract rather than imitation for the cleanest flavor — the difference is noticeable in simple batters like this one.
Tips
- Do not overmix. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir only until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough and chewy rather than tender.
- Fill the liners about 3/4 full. This gives the muffins room to dome without spilling over the sides of the tin.
- Use the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin at the 25-minute mark. If it comes out clean, they are done. If there is wet batter on it, bake for a few more minutes and check again.
- Cool in the tin first. Let the muffins rest in the tin for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This lets them firm up so they do not break apart when you handle them.
- Pat the cherries dry. If your cherries are very juicy, pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them into the batter. Excess liquid can make the muffins sink in the center.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sweetener swap — The card lists coconut sugar as the first option but notes any sweetener works. Try cane sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup (reduce soy milk by 2 tablespoons if using a liquid sweetener).
- Plant milk — Vanilla soy milk is specified, but oat milk or almond milk will work. Avoid full-fat coconut milk, which can make the batter too heavy.
- Frozen cherries — When fresh cherries are out of season, frozen and thawed cherries can be used. Drain them well and pat dry before adding to the batter.
- Add chocolate chips — A handful of vegan dark chocolate chips folded in with the cherries turns these into a chocolate-cherry muffin — great if you enjoy that flavor combination.
Storage and Make Ahead
Room temperature: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Place a sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture and keep the bases from going soggy.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before eating, or warm them for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Freezer: These muffins freeze well. Once completely cool, place them in a zip-lock bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Make ahead: You can mix the dry ingredients the night before and store them covered at room temperature. Mix in the wet ingredients and cherries fresh before baking — the batter should not sit for long once the baking powder is activated.
If you love simple vegan bakes, you might also enjoy these vegan muffin recipes for more inspiration, or try the chocolate chip coconut muffins if you are in a chocolate mood. For something fruit-forward and a little more decadent, the vegan chocolate cherry cake is a natural next step.
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Fluffy Vegan Cherry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherries pitted
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1 cup coconut sugar or any other sweetener you like
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest.
- Pour in the olive oil, vanilla extract, and vanilla soy milk, then stir until you get a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Gently fold in the pitted cherries until they are evenly distributed.
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners and divide the batter evenly between them.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the muffins are risen and golden on top.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin — it should come out clean. If not, bake for a few more minutes.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — this recipe contains no eggs at all. The batter uses olive oil and vanilla soy milk to provide moisture and binding, which means no egg replacer is needed. The baking powder provides the lift that makes them fluffy.
Yes, frozen cherries work when fresh are out of season. Thaw them completely first, then drain and pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them into the batter. Too much extra liquid can cause the muffins to sink in the center.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay fresh for up to 2 days. In the fridge they last up to 5 days, and in the freezer up to 2 months. Let refrigerated or frozen muffins come to room temperature before eating for the best texture.
The recipe card notes that any sweetener you like can be used in place of coconut sugar. Cane sugar, brown sugar, or even a liquid sweetener like maple syrup all work. If using a liquid sweetener, reduce the soy milk slightly to keep the batter from becoming too wet.
Sinking usually happens for one of three reasons: overmixing the batter (which toughens the structure), too much liquid from juicy cherries that were not patted dry, or underbaking. Always do the toothpick test at the 25-minute mark and bake a few extra minutes if the toothpick comes out with wet batter.
Yes. The recipe calls for vanilla soy milk, but oat milk or almond milk are good substitutes. Vanilla-flavored plant milks work best since they add a hint of sweetness and flavor to the batter. Avoid full-fat canned coconut milk as it can make the batter too dense.
I have some cherries around and was searching for a recipe to use them, voilà! I’ll make a double batch and have muffins to send in my daughter’s snack bag to school. Love me some easy vegan recipe with only simple ingredients! Thanks!
Glad you like it! Let me know how it turns out! 😀
Sooooo good! These turned out even better than I thought. Perfect for using up some old cherries. I left out the lemon zest and added dark chocolate chunks 🙂
So happy you liked them! Great idea with the chocolate chunks.
What´s the heat for oven?
It’s 180C.
Extremely flavorful and fresh! Thanks for the recipe!