Vegan Chocolate & Cherry Bakery Style Muffins
Vegan Chocolate & Cherry Bakery Style Muffins
~ Fluffy, decadent chocolate muffins packed with dark chocolate chunks and spoonful's of cherry ~
These are fluffy, decadent, moist, and packed with bitter dark chocolate chunks, contrasted with pockets of sweet amaretto cherry conserve. These are absolutely perfect, especially for this time of the year. Not only are they insanely delicious, they only require a few common ingredients and you don't even need fresh cherries! They are very simple to make, but they are definitely not simple in flavour.
This recipe requires two egg replacers, vegan Greek yogurt and flax eggs. The yogurt creates an unbelievably fluffy and moist texture, and the flax eggs bind the muffin together to help them keep their shape, and allow them to rise nicely leaving us with a lovely muffin top. If you are looking for something to bake this spring, I highly recommend you give these a try. Not only are they delicious, they are completely vegan!
To give the muffins the best flavour, I used half and half of vegan milk chocolate, and vegan dark chocolate. This makes sure that the muffins get the richness and slight bitterness of the dark chocolate, and the creaminess and lightness of the milk chocolate so the dark chocolate is not too overpowering. If you are a big fan of dark chocolate, you can use all dark, or if you have more of a sweet tooth, you can use all milk. Personally, I think half and half works best flavour-wise.
If you are a muffin lover like me, you will probably want to check out my other muffin recipes (they are delicious). Vegan 'Bakery Style' Blueberry Muffins , Vegan Starbucks Copycat Banana & Caramel Muffins , Vegan Coconut and Blueberry Muffins.
Make sure to follow my Instagram for more vegan baking content, videos, photos and stories. Click here for the link. Feel free to send me a message or comment with any questions or feedback :).
Equipment and Ingredient notes
Equipment needed:
- A large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups / kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon / spatula
- Muffin pans
Ingredients needed:
Vegan butter - This is used melted in the muffins for a better flavour and a good structure. Oil can be used in place of this, but butter will give you the best result.
Sugar - This will give your muffins sweetness. I used granulated sugar but you can also use caster sugar and it will work the same.
Flax eggs - These will replace the eggs. Flax eggs are made by combining ground flaxseeds (flax meal) with water which works in a similar way to eggs. To make one flax egg, combine 1tbsp ground flax, with 2tbsp water. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, and it will create a loose jelly like structure, similar to an egg.
Flax eggs - These will replace the eggs. Flax eggs are made by combining ground flaxseeds (flax meal) with water which works in a similar way to eggs.
Vegan Greek yogurt - This is another egg replacement. This will ensure that the texture of your muffins is fluffy and moist. You can use normal vegan yogurt, but Greek works best.
Vegan milk - I used oat milk, but you can use your favourite. Oat, almond, coconut, soy, cashew, etc.
Flour - Make sure to use self-raising flour rather than plain. Self-raising contains a raising agent which will help your muffins rise.
Baking powder - This is a type of raising agent. It will also make sure your muffins rise properly.
Baking soda - This will make sure your muffins are nice and fluffy.
Salt - This will enhance the flavour of your muffins.
Cocoa powder - Try and use a good quality cocoa powder for the best flavour and looks.
Vegan milk chocolate - The Moser Roth vegan classic cocoa bar is personally my favourite vegan plain chocolate. The packaging is also recyclable.
Vegan dark chocolate - I used 70% dark chocolate and lets be honest, it is quite bitter. But, when it melts into the muffin along with the vegan milk chocolate and sweet cherries, it tastes delicious. You could always go with a less bitter version, if you prefer it.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step one (the batter):
In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegan melted butter and sugar. Whisk well.
Once combined, add in the vanilla, vegan Greek yogurt, flax eggs and vegan milk. Whisk again until creamy and smooth.
Then add in the dry ingredients; self-raising flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until there are no/very little lumps.
Chop up your vegan milk and dark chocolate into small chunks, and add them in to the batter. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold them in gently without overmixing the batter.
Step two (the baking):
Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c fan oven.
Line a 12 muffin pan with muffin cases.
With an ice-cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the muffin liners.
Add about 2-3 teaspoons of amaretto cherry conserve onto the top of each muffin.
With a knife, swirl the cherries into the batter slightly.
Now you can sprinkle on an extra few chocolate chunks if you like.
Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes (time may differ depending on your oven) until the muffins have risen and they have a slight crunch on the top.
When they are ready, let them cool completely in the tray and enjoy! (or eat them warm paired with some vegan ice cream).
The History Of Muffins
The word "muffin" is thought to have originated from the German word "muffe" meaning "small cake". However, this is not the only theory. Some sources suggest that it relates to the Greek bread "maphula" meaning "a cake baked on a hearth or griddle." Others believe that it came from the old French word "mou-pain" which may have turned into "mouffin" meaning "soft bread".
When people began to use the word "muffin", it originally meant "any various kind of bread or cake". The first recorded muffin recipe dates all the way back to the 1700s. 1747, to be precise. The recipe appeared in "Hannah Glasse's The Art Of Cookery". The muffins were described as "honey-comb looking" on the inside.
In the 1900s, muffin-men became popular. Similar to milk-men, they would go around (mostly London) with a small cart and muffins, door to door selling them. Many people think this expression came from a poem in 1754, where the expression is first used "Hark! The shrill muffin-man his carol plies...".
Tips and Tricks
Measuring ingredients - It is very important to measure your ingredients precisely, so the recipe works as it is supposed to. When using measuring cups, I suggest spooning the dry ingredients into the cup, then with the back of a butter knife, smooth the top. This will make sure you have the right amount of ingredients.
Overmixing the batter - This is a very common mistake in baking. Try your best NOT to overmix the batter because this will overwork the gluten resulting in a dense, slightly chewy muffin. It will also cause your muffin to be less fluffy and not rise as well as it should. Make sure to avoid this mistake!
Fun Facts
- Cherries that were first cultivated in Mesopotamia in 8BC were first given the name Kirsch.
- A typical cherry tree produces 7,000 cherries.
- Cocoa was domesticated over 5,000 years ago.
- It takes about 400 cocoa beans to produce a single pound of chocolate.
- In Mayan times, cocoa beans were used as currency, and were considered to be worth more than gold dust. So, chocolate was actually once money that grew on trees.
- Until 1847, chocolate was enjoyed as a bitter liquid.
~ Fluffy, decadent chocolate muffins packed with dark chocolate chunks and spoonful's of cherry ~
Prep time: 20 mins Serves: 12 muffins Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (melted)
- 1 cup sugar (caster / granulated)
- 2 flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 2 tbsp water per egg)
- 1 tbsp vanilla (extract / paste)
- 1/3 cup vegan yogurt (Greek / normal)
- 1/3 cup + 4tbsp vegan milk (oat, coconut, soy)
- 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup vegan milk chocolate (more if desired)
- 1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate (more if desired)
- 2-3 teaspoons amaretto cherry conserve per muffin
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c fan oven.
Line a 12 muffin pan with muffin cases.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegan melted butter and sugar. Whisk well.
Once combined, add in the vanilla, vegan greek yogurt, flax eggs and vegan milk. Whisk again until creamy and smooth.
Then add in the dry ingredients; self-raising flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until there are no/very little lumps.
Chop up your vegan milk and dark chocolate into small chunks, and add them in to the batter. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold them in gently without overmixing the batter.
With an ice-cream scoop, divide the batter evenly between the muffin liners.
Add about 2-3 teaspoons of amaretto cherry conserve onto the top of each muffin.
With a knife, swirl the cherries into the batter slightly.
Now you can sprinkle on an extra few chocolate chunks if you like.
Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes (time may differ depending on your oven) until the muffins have risen and they have a slight crunch on the top.
When they are ready, let them cool completely in the tray and enjoy! (or eat them warm paired with some vegan ice cream).
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