Desserts

Homemade Cherry Chip Cupcakes

ByClaire Laurent February 6, 2026

Let’s Bake, Friend: The Story Behind My Cherry Chip Cupcakes

You know, I never meant to become the family’s cupcake person. But here we are. It all started with a sad, crumpled birthday invitation my daughter handed me—she just wanted pink cupcakes, nothing fancy, but they had to be “like grandma’s but pink.” Enter these cherry chip cupcakes. If I’m being honest, half the time my first batch comes out looking like they’ve been through a tumble dryer, but once you taste them, none of that matters. Honestly, I think the little chunks of cherry save the day every time—turns out, a few sticky fingers in the batter are a tradition around here (mine included!).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe (Or at Least Why I Do)

I make these cherry chip cupcakes pretty much anytime there’s a birthday, sleepover, or honestly just because someone looks a bit gloomy. My family goes absolutely mad for these, mostly because they have actual cherry pieces (not just flavoring—which, trust me, I tried once… not the same!). Oh, and if you’re worried about things getting too sweet (I was, at first), something about the tang from the cherries just balances the whole thing. I did have one batch where I overmixed the batter and ended up with oddly chewy cupcakes, but even those disappeared before breakfast. Also, I know there’s a bit of fussiness with chopping the cherries and all, but hey, that’s why we taste as we go, right?

What You’ll Need (Plus My Occasional Shortcuts)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I sneak half whole wheat in if I’m feeling virtuous, but don’t tell the kids)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (truth: I’ve used margarine in a pinch, and no one noticed)
1 cup granulated sugar (I swap in light brown sugar for half if I’m nearly out)
2 large eggs (just don’t use the teeny tiny ones, learned that the hard way)

1/2 cup whole milk (skim works-ish, but the texture isn’t quite as dreamy)
1 tsp vanilla extract (my grandmother swore by the fake stuff, but actually, real makes a difference)
1/4 tsp almond extract (I skip it sometimes—and honestly don’t miss it)

3/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped up smallish (save that juice!)
2-3 tbsp maraschino cherry juice (for a pinker cupcake, or just because it’s fun)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (totally optional—my youngest says they ‘interrupt the cherry situation’)

Let’s Get Mixing: How To Actually Make These

Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners, or just grease it—I’m pretty loose about this depending on how many liners are left in the box (sometimes there’s a wrestling match between me and the last crumpled liner…)
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. No fancy tricks here—a fork works if you’re short on whisks.
In a bigger bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. I use an old hand mixer where the speed buttons don’t match the labels, but somehow it works. If mixing by hand, you’ll get a nice arm workout (silver linings).

Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat after each; yes, it’ll look a bit separated—don’t freak out, it’ll all come together. Stir in vanilla and almond extract, too.
Now alternate adding flour mix and milk, starting and ending with flour. About 3 additions if you’re counting; or just until it’s mostly smooth, not cement. Sometimes I give up counting and pour.
Stir in the cherry juice and cherries (and chips, if using). This is the point where I usually sneak a spoonful. The batter should be almost pink, kind of a sunset-y shade depending on cherry juice vigor.

Spoon the batter into liners, about 2/3 full. If you overfill, don’t sweat it—just scrape some off into the next cup (or make a mini cupcake for yourself).
Bake for 18-22 minutes. They’ll look slightly golden and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Mine sometimes get a little peaky, but that just means more room for frosting, right?
Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tin (except that one you nab for “testing”), then pop onto a rack. Frost once cool—or not, if you’re in the no-fuss camp.

Things I Figured Out (The Hard Way…)

If the cherries aren’t blotted dry, your cupcakes will have random soggy spots and some technicolor swirls. Pretty, but a bit weird to bite into.
Don’t overmix once the dry ingredients are in—trust me, I tried once to ‘smooth’ out every lump. It tasted like bread pudding, and not the good kind.
If you forget to line your pan, those cupcake bottoms will stick, but you can usually pry them out with a butterknife (not that I’ve ever scraped and eaten the leftovers straight from the tin… ahem).

Variations I’ve Toyed With (and One Flop)

I swapped the cherries for diced strawberries once; tasty, but the texture changed—it’s a bit more jammy, which I didn’t love unless you dial the baking time down a smidge.
A splash of orange zest is surprisingly fun here, though my husband insists it’s “confusing.”
Tried using canned cherry pie filling as a shortcut—nope, too goopy, don’t recommend unless you love sticky napkins.

Sometimes I halve the chocolate chips or throw in a handful of shredded coconut just to mix things up.

What If You Don’t Have All the Fancy Gear?

Honestly, you can totally mix this batter by hand with a wooden spoon if you don’t have an electric mixer. Once, on vacation, we used a wine bottle as a rolling pin to flatten cupcake tops (bit random, but it worked!). If you don’t have a wire rack, just cool them on a clean towel. Old-school still works, friend.

How to Store These (But Good Luck Making Them Last)

These cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for, oh, two to three days at room temp. Or in the fridge if it’s muggy out—especially with frosting. But to be honest, between afternoon snacks and late-night fridge raids, they’re usually just a memory by day two in my house.

How I Like to Serve ’Em

Sometimes I pile on a homemade buttercream with extra cherry juice so it’s hilariously pink (the kids call it “unicorn icing”). Other times, just a dusting of powdered sugar is enough. Oh—once we stuck cocktail umbrellas in them for a beach party vibe. Just because we could.

Things I’ve Learned Not To Do (Pro Tips…Sort Of)

Don’t try to speed up chilling by popping the hot cupcakes straight in the fridge—mine collapsed in the middle like sad little soufflés once.
If you’re tempted to use less sugar to “make it healthier,” just know you’ll lose that nice crusty top. I tried. It tasted fine, but not quite as cupcake-y?

And, actually, I find it works better if you chop the cherries pretty small. Big hunks look fun but clump together and sink. Live and learn!

Frequently Asked (Real) Questions, As I’ve Heard Them

Can I use fresh cherries instead of maraschino?: Sure, if you want a more subtle flavor; just pit and chop ’em extra fine. But you’ll miss the pink juice—that said, sometimes I just add a little extra vanilla to fix up the flavor.
Is there a way to make these dairy-free?: Yeah, go for a good dairy-free butter (I like the coconut oil-based ones) & almond milk; the texture’s not exactly the same, but nobody complained.
Can I freeze these?: Technically yes, but—eh—thawed cherry bits get sort of weird. I prefer eating them fresh, even if it means making a smaller batch.
What should I do if I don’t have vanilla?: Skip it, or swap in a favorite extract. Almond’s nice, or even maple. It’s not the end of the world; once I forgot both and my neighbor still asked for the recipe!

On a totally unrelated note, have you ever tried adding rainbow sprinkles to scrambled eggs by mistake thinking they were salt? No? Just me. Anyway—back to the cupcakes. If you make these, let me know how it went. Or just tell me how you like your cherries. The world needs more cupcake stories, if you ask me.