Cherry and Coconut Muffins

By: Susan Joy

These delicious, easy cherry and coconut muffins are moist and soft with a light almond flavour. I’ve made them with fresh cherries but frozen whole cherries can be used. The muffins were my hubby’s idea after we were gifted a large box of fresh local cherries. I know he was pleased with what I created as I found the empty container.

Serves: 10 | Prep Time: 00:10 | Cooking Time: 00:25

Ingredients

  • 180gms pitted cherries, frozen can also be used but don’t allow them to thaw 
  • 2 cups almond meal/flour 
  • 1/3 cup coconut (organic finely-shredded) 
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour, or tapioca 
  • 2 tsp baking powder (gluten free) 
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt 
  • 3 lge egg(s) 
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup (100%) 
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, soft 
  • 2 tsp almond extract (organic) 
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (organic)

Directions

Preheat oven to 170c. Line a large muffin tin with cafe muffin paper liners.

Remove stems from the cherries and use a cherry and olive pitter to easily pop the seeds out (if you don’t have a pit remover, use a chopstick or straw to push through the top where the stem was removed and pop the seed out through the bottom).

Add all the ingredients, except for the cherries to a large mixing bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer on medium speed to mix all the ingredients together.

Stir the cherries through the mixture, if using frozen cherries mix gently (you want to keep the cherries intact).

Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners making sure the cherries are evenly distributed (should be at least 2 – 3 whole cherries in each muffin).

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 – 10minutes then remove to a wire rack.

Serve warm. Optional: you may like to dust them with a little coconut flour to look like icing sugar (push the coconut flour through a small fine sieve).

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or place in the fridge, then warm before serving.

Article supplied with thanks to The JOYful Table.

About the Author: Susan is author of The JOYful Table cookbook containing gluten & grain free, and Paleo inspired recipes for good health and well being.