Easy Cherry Almond Cupcakes
Delicious (and easy) cherry almond cupcakes with a quick, honey-tossed cherry filling in the center. No electric mixer needed!
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond meal* (or almond flour)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk (I used 1%)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract**
For Cherry Filling:
- 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped (or frozen - thawed and drained)
- 2 Tbsp honey
For Topping:
- whipped cream (optional)
- fresh cherries (optional)
- sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar. Add in eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Whisk until combined.
- Using a sieve, sift the dry mixture into the wet mixture. (This is important to remove any clumps). Gently whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter into the 12-cup lined muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. (Tip: use a large cookie scoop for easier measuring).
- Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place cupcakes on a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the cherry filling. Place pitted, coarsely chopped cherries in a bowl. Drizzle with honey and toss with a spoon to coat. (If making cupcakes ahead of time, stop at this step and read the storage tips in the Notes section).
- Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small spoon or knife to core a hole out of each cupcake, about 1 inch in diameter, reaching about 2/3 of the way down the cupcake. (Don't go too deep, or the filling will seep out). Spoon cherry filling into each cupcake's center.
- Lastly, top with whipped cream or frosting and decorate as desired. Then, serve!
Notes
*To make homemade almond meal: Place raw, unsalted almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Process until they reach a fine texture. Start with 1/2 cup of almonds, then measure out 1/4 cup almond meal once processed. (If using salted almonds, leave out the added salt in the recipe). The almond meal/flour can be replaced with an equal amount of all-purpose flour, but the cupcakes won't have as much of an almond flavor.
**For a lighter almond flavor, leave out the almond extract.
Storage Tips: Store unfilled, unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store pre-made cherry filling in the fridge for up to 1 day. (Wait to add the cherry filling and whipped cream/frosting until just before ready to serve.)