So I have decided that it is time to start posting some Valentine’s recipes here.  You’re down with that right???  I promise not to go completely overboard, but this is a low fat chocolate cherry muffin top.   Who wouldn’t want this kind of recipe early?

You could wait until February to make these muffins, but I seriously don’t recommend it.  They were delicious!!!  The yogurt in these muffins give them a soft, tender inside.  I really like using yogurt instead of sour cream for muffins.  It helps cut down on the fat content, which is something that I have started to watch a little more.  My kids aren’t big cereal eaters, but they will eat muffins if I keep them on hand.  By making them with yogurt I feel better about them eating chocolate for breakfast.  Of course, we ate them at all times of the day.  They are a perfect afternoon snack when you are craving just a little bit of chocolate.  (that makes me laugh because when I crave chocolate, I don’t want to eat a little)  These chocolate cherry muffins are also a great before bed snack…or a midnight snack!  Whenever you decide to eat them, they will satisfy your chocolate crave!!!

 The great thing about this muffin is that it is easy to make it in a muffin top pan or a whoopie pie pan, or if you don’t have either, just bake it in a regular muffin tin.  I have included both baking times in the recipe for you.    Let’s talk about the cherries for a minute.  If you like fresh cherries, by all means, use the fresh cherries in your batter.  I just happen to love maraschino cherries.  There is usually a jar in my fridge at all times for sundaes or drinks.  And I keep a backup jar in my baking cupboard…does that surprise you that I have more than one jar?  Something about the taste of these jarred cherries makes me happy.  They also keep their bright red color when you bake with them.  I love pretty food!!! Pretty food just looks so much more appetizing!

 See how puffy those chocolate cherry muffin tops turned out?  I know you want a bite 🙂

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Chocolate Cherry Muffin Tops

Yield: 24 muffin tops

Chocolate muffins made with yogurt and filled with chocolate chips and cherries

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cherry juice
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt (I use Chobani)
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Instructions

3. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the cherry juice, egg, and yogurt to the butter and beat again. Sift together the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and flour and add alternately with the coconut milk to the butter mixture and beat gently. Stir in the chocolate chips and cherries by hand.
4. Spoon a large tablespoon of batter into a greased muffin top pan (I used a whoopie pie pan) Bake at 400* for 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Makes 24 muffin tops.

Notes

You can use a regular muffin tin if you don't have a muffin top pan. Bake the muffins for 18 minutes. Makes about 15 muffins.

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Looking for more chocolate muffins?  Try one of these…

MOCHA MUFFINS

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO MUFFINS