These VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE CHOCO CHERRY GARCIA MUFFINS are BOMB. Think cherry Garcia ice cream in muffin form!
They’re crumbly on the outside & moist, soft & chewy on the inside. They’re bursting with naturally sweet flavour, antioxidants, vitamin C & indulgent melted chocolate chunks!
I’m so excited to share the recipe with you babes & I really hope you love them as much as I do!
But before we get to the recipe, here’s a little tip! When buying your frozen tart cherries, make sure what you’re buying is actually dark TART cherries & not dark SWEET cherries. Tart cherries have a higher antioxidant content & are the ones that have been studied for years for their amazing benefits regarding restful sleep, muscle recovery, vitamin C content & immunity-enhancing properties.
They’re low in added sugar (& contain no refined sugar), gluten-free, possibly nut-free, oil, butter & dairy-free & absolutely MARVELLOUS! ‘NUFF SAID.
INGREDIENTS:
(Recipe yields enough for 9 medium muffins)
- 1 cup frozen dark tart cherries
- 1/3 cup homemade cashew milk or any other plant-based milk of choice
- 2 tbsp. organic unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbsp. creamy almond buter (or nut-free alternative)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 2-3 tsp. raw organic cacao powder (unsweetened)
- A few pinches of sea salt
- 1/2 your fave vegan dark chocolate bar (crumbled) or 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
TO MAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350F & line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Add all the ingredients (except the chocolate chunks or chips) to a large mixing bowl & mix until combined & incorporated.
- Gently fold in the chocolate.
- Add the batter to the lined muffin tin & bake for 15-16 minutes, until tops are browned & crumbly & a knife comes out clean!
- ENJOY!
- Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.
