These easy vegan cherry and coconut muffins are inspired by the best baker and cook I knew in my family: my grandmother. They are light and fluffy and the coconut adds a nice, “buttery” and slightly tropical flavor. Just like grandmothers sheet cake!
Cherries have a very special place in my heart: my grandparents had a very old cherry tree in their garden. Its bark was so wrinkled that it gave excellent support to tiny children’s shoes climbing all the way to the top- my brothers and my favorite activity. And the cherries had white and light pink skin, but were full of flavor and sweetness. I am still not sure if it was due to the kind of cherries or the fact that this tree had been living for so long.
We would pick them and eat the fruits straight from the tree. Or collect them in a basket, hoping that our grandmother would make her delicious sheet cake with cherries instead of apricots.
These muffins are inspired by her cake to which she always added coconut shredds whenever she used cherries.
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Ingredients you need for the vegan cherry and coconut muffins
The recipe for these easy vegan cherry and coconut muffins is simple. Really simple actually, but that’s what makes them even better! All you need is:
- FLOUR: You can use any type of wheat flour, like regular or a wholegrain variety. I haven’t tried the recipe with a gluten free mix, so I can’t give more information if it would end in a great result too. But if you feel experimental, give it a try and let me know how it worked!
- AQUAFABA: Also known as “chickpea brine”. It is basically just the reserved water from a tin/jar of chickpeas. People often use it as egg white substitution in desserts like mousse au chocolat or vegan meringues as it results in stiff peaks once beaten long enough. Aquafaba also tends to make baked goods extra fluffy. We have to add something to hold its form though, so in this case we need cream of tartar.
- BAKING POWDER& BAKING SODA: These help to make sure the muffins are soft and fluffy and don’t end up completely flat. I would recommend you use cream of tartar baking powder as you also need it for the aquafaba.
- GROUND FLAXSEEDS: Serve as egg replacer and hold the dough together.
- DESICCATED COCONUT: For an extra delicious flavor. I prefer grounding them into a fine flour by blending them in my blender. I find it creates a finer consistency, but this step is totally optional.
- FRESH OR FROZEN CHERRIES: Because cherry muffins without the cherries would be impossible 😉 They add a nice sweet-tangy flavor!
- SUGAR: Any type of granulated sweetener will work, like coconut blossom sugar, regular or brown sugar, etc.
- PLANT MILK: To make the batter runny enough. You can use any plant milk that works best for you!
- APPLE SAUCE: For the same reason as with the plant milk.
- VEGAN BUTTER: One of the things we do NOT want are dry, crumbly muffins. Adding butter helps with avoiding this exactly 😉
- LEMON ZEST: Adds a nice refreshing hint.
Simple steps to make these easy vegan cherry and coconut muffins
From start to finish, making these muffins is not very difficult and time consuming. All you need are the ingredients and 45 minutes:
- We are going to start by preheat the oven and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with muffin forms. You could also use silicon forms.
- Next we need to prepare the flaxseeds: Combine them with water and let everything until thickened.
- To make the batter, we start with combining the flour, sugar, desiccated coconut, baking powder and soda.
- In another bowl we combine the plant milk, apple sauce, vegan butter (or nut/ seed butter) and flaxseed gel.
- Now we prepare the aquafaba: we whip up it with the help of a hand held mixer until stiff peaks form. Halfway through the process we should not forget to add the cream of tartar.
- Then we combine the dry with the wet ingredients. Once everything is mixed together, we fold in the aquafaba. Last but not least, we add in the cherries, but be careful to avoid overmixing everything!
- Finally, we divide the batter between the muffin forms and bake them for around 20 minutes.
- Oh, and as hard as this part always is, we need to let the baked muffins cool down COMPLETELY before removing them from the tin and ENJOY them!
Substitutions
You could make substitutions for the following ingredients:
- WHEAT FLOUR – Spelt flour would work fine too! I haven’t tried the recipe with a gluten free mix, so I can not give more information if it would end in a great result too. But if you feel experimental, give it a try and let me know how it worked!
- VEGAN BUTTER – I wanted the muffins to taste as close as possible to the original, so I went for vegan butter and it creates the best result. But in case you feel very experimental, you could try using any type of nut or seed butter!
How to store the vegan cherry and coconut muffins
Once baked, these easy vegan cherry and coconut muffins taste best fresh. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you do not plan to eat them in this time span, you should put them in the freezer (in an airtight container) where they will keep for 1-2 months.
If you like these muffins, you may also enjoy:
- Easy vegan panettone muffins
- Strawberry and rhubarb cheesecake crumble bars
- Vegan baked cinnamon raisin donuts
Let’s get started!
Well then, I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do! If you give them a try, I would love to know what you think! It would be awesome if you could take a moment to leave a comment and rate them. And make sure to tag me on instagram or send me apicvia Instagram direct so i can see your creations!
ALL THE BEST
Vegan cherry and coconut muffins
Ingredients
- 125 g flour *
- 1 Tsp baking powder
- 1/2 Tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 40 g desiccated coconut **
- 75 g sugar coconut, brown,…all work fine!
- 1/3 Cup plant milk
- 1/3 Cup aquafaba
- 1/4 Tsp cream of tartar optional, but reccommendet***
- 1 good Tsp zest of an organic lemon (about 1/4 lemon)
- 2 Tbsp (30g) vegan butter or cashew butter ****
- 120 g apple sauce
- 150 g fresh or frozen cherries destoned and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with muffin forms.
- Combine theflaxseeds with 3 Tbsp of water and let sit for 10 minutes until thickened.
- Add the flour, sugar, desiccated coconut, baking powder and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.
- In a smaller bowl combine the plant milk, apple sauce, vegan butter (or nut/seed butter) and flaxseed gel.
- In another mixing bowl whip up the aquafaba with the help of a hend held mixer until stiff peaks form (about 3 minutes). Halfway through, add the cream of tartar as well if using.
- Combine the dry with the wet ingredients. Once everything is mixed well together, fold in the aquafaba. Finally, fold in the cherries too, but be careful not to overmix everything!
- Divide the batter between the muffin forms and bake for around 20 minutes.
- Let the ready baked muffins cool COMPLETELY before removing from the tin. Enjoy!
