Make these 6-ingredient air fryer muffins with sour cherries-no mixer, butter, or stress! Dairy-free options included. Fluffy, tart, and ready in 26 minutes-no fancy tools needed! If you love an easy muffin-style bake, be sure to also try our savoury quick homemade Italian pizza cupcakes for a kid-friendly appetiser.
🍒 6 muffins | 🌿 Gluten-free option | ⏱ 26-min total time
Imagine pulling warm, golden muffins from your air fryer - no oven, no mess, and just six simple ingredients sitting in your pantry right now. I'm obsessed with how these turn out: tender crumb, pops of tart cherries, and a recipe so easy, my 11-year-old daughter can make them.
The best part? You'll dirty just one bowl and be done before your coffee finishes brewing.
Love easy recipes? Try these 5-ingredient recipes next!
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☕ One-Bowl Scones (20 Minutes): Pair them with strawberry jam and clotted cream for a fuss-free treat.
🥚 Zucchini Egg Muffins: Protein-packed, gluten-free, and perfect for meal prep! These keto-friendly muffins take minutes to bake.
💗 Why This Recipe Works
- 6 ingredients, the recipe uses only pantry essentials
- No mixer, just a bowl and a whisk or fork.
- No butter, we are using coconut oil instead.
- Air fryer, faster than oven baking.
- Tart-sweet bursts, thanks to sour cherries, my favourites.
🥧 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Sour Cherries (no measuring cup needed!): I love using a heaped handful - fresh or frozen. You'll get little bursts of tartness in every bite. No need to thaw frozen ones!
- Large Eggs: I use room-temperature eggs - they blend smoother. You can swap with flax eggs (1 tablespoon flax + 3 tablespoon water per egg) if vegan.
- Cup Coconut Oil (melted): I microwave mine for 20 seconds. You'll love how it keeps muffins moist without butter. If it hardens in cold yoghurt, just warm the bowl in your hands!
- Plain Yoghurt: I use the Greek option for protein, but you can use any plain one, just like in my 7-ingredient yoghurt cake without flour. For a dairy-free version, use almond yoghurt.
- Stevia: I dissolve mine first to avoid graininess. You can use regular sugar - just swap with ¼ cup and skip the water.
- Self-Rising Flour: I sift mine for fluffier muffins. You can make your own: 1 cup plain or all-purpose flour + 1½ teaspoon baking powder + ¼ teaspoon salt.
♻️ Substitutions
- Coconut oil: Use vegetable oil, butter or melted ghee.
- Stevia: If you are not a stevia fan, I've tested this with honey and maple syrup too - use 3 tbsp!
- Sour cherries: Swap for raspberries, blueberries, or chopped strawberries. Peach, plums or cranberries work too.
- Self-Rising Flour: If you're making this gluten-free, just use a gluten-free flour that says "1:1" or "cup for cup" on the label. That means you can use the same amount as regular flour, with no extra changes needed.
💡 Have a specific food allergy?
Click the buttons below to ask AI how to alter it for your diet!
📋 Variations
- Add chocolate chips, or mix in lemon zest for a citrus taste or sprinkle with oats or crushed nuts before baking.
👩🍳 How To Make 6-Ingredient Air Fryer Muffins!
The photos walk you through the whole process - from whisked eggs to soft, golden muffins. If you're in the mood for more quick bakes, check out my 20-minute scones with jam or try a simple French-style cherry clafoutis.
Step 1: Whisk the eggs in a big bowl, then stir in the coconut oil. If it firms up, warm the bowl with your hands or set it near the air fryer.
Step 2: Add the yoghurt and the stevia (dissolved in water or milk). Stir everything together gently.
Step 3: Sprinkle in the flour and fold it in with a spatula-don't overmix.
Step 4: Once the batter looks combined and you don't see dry spots, gently stir in the cherries.
Step 5: The batter should be smooth and easy to scoop with an ice cream scoop or a spoon.
Step 6: Spoon the batter into lined silicone cups or a greased silicone tray. Bake in the air fryer at 160°C / 320°F for 16 minutes.
Pro Tip: Preheat your air fryer for 2 minutes before baking. This ensures even cooking and helps your muffins rise beautifully.
💭Expert Tip
Don't skip the muffin liners in silicone cups-liners alone can collapse under the batter's weight. For best results, pair muffin liners with individual silicone cups, or just use a 6-cup silicone muffin tray. This way, your muffins hold their shape and bake evenly.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
- Great with coffee or tea
- Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt or drizzle some coconut milk date caramel on top
- Pack in kids' lunchboxes
❓6-Ingredient Air Fryer Muffins FAQs
Just pop the silicone muffin cases or tin into the air fryer basket and bake for about 12-15 minutes. They're ready when the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Yes, as long as they're oven-safe. But don't use them on their own-paper liners can collapse under the weight of the batter. I like to pop them inside silicone cups so they stay upright while baking. You can also skip the paper and just use a silicone muffin tray that fits your air fryer. Either way, your muffins will bake up nicely and hold their shape.
Not exactly. Air fryers use high heat and fast-moving air, which cooks things quicker and can give a slightly crispier edge. Ovens use dry heat that's a bit gentler, which can be better for keeping muffins soft and moist. If your air fryer has a bake setting, it works a lot like a mini convection oven-it just does the job faster!
Yes, you can use a silicone muffin tray in an air fryer! Just make sure it fits comfortably in the basket and allows for good air circulation. Silicone is heat-resistant and flexible, making it perfect for easy removal of your baked goods without sticking. Plus, it's super easy to clean!
As long as the tin fits in your air fryer and allows air to move around it, you're good to go. Just keep in mind that baking time might be a bit shorter than in a regular oven, so check on it early.
More Cherry Recipes You May Love
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📖 Recipe
6-Ingredient Air Fryer Muffins (No Mixer, No Butter!)
Equipment
- Air fryer (any model with a bake setting)
- Use muffin liners placed in individual silicone cups or a 6-cup silicone muffin tray.
- 1 mixing bowl + whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cherries pitted (Fresh or frozen!)
- 2 large eggs Vegan? See swaps below!
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ⅔ cup plain yogurt (Dairy-free works!)
- 2 tablespoon stevia sugar or regular sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoon water or milk
- 1 ¼ cups self-rising flour (GF? Use 1:1 blend!)
Instructions
- First, grab your favorite mixing bowl - I like using a wide one so I don't make a mess. Crack in the eggs and whisk them up. Then add the coconut oil (don't worry if it's a little lumpy), yogurt, and stevia that you've dissolved in two tablespoons of water or milk. Take your whisk and stir everything together. See those small lumps? Perfect - overmixing makes muffins tough, so we want to keep it gentle.2 large eggs, ¼ cup coconut oil, ⅔ cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoon stevia sugar or regular sugar
- Little Tip From My Kitchen: If your coconut oil firms up, warm the bowl in your hands for a minute or place it near the preheating air fryer. No stress!
- Sprinkle the flour over your wet mixture and fold it in with a spatula or whisk. Once you don't see any dry flour, gently stir in the sour cherries.1 ¼ cups self-rising flour, ½ cup sour cherries
- If you've got muffin liners, pop them into your silicone cups. If using a silicone tray, no liners needed! A swipe of coconut oil works just fine. Fill each cup about ¾ full - I like using an ice cream scoop for this. Less mess, more fun!
- Place the muffins in your air fryer (any model with a bake setting works great) at 160°C (that's 320°F for my American friends) for 16 minutes. Your kitchen will start smelling amazing around the 12-minute mark - totally normal!
- When time's up, do the toothpick test: stick one in the center, and if it comes out clean, you're good to go!
- Quick note: Every air fryer is a little different, so take a peek at 14 minutes just in case. You've got this!
Video
Notes
- If using frozen cherries, no need to thaw-just toss them in frozen.
- For a vegan version, swap the eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoon water, rested for 5 mins).
- Dairy-free yoghurt works great here-plain coconut or almond yoghurt are both good picks.
- Want to go gluten-free? Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend made for baking (with xanthan gum included).
- Don't worry if your coconut oil solidifies-warm the bowl slightly or set it near your air fryer.
- Don't overmix the batter-some small lumps are totally okay and make for softer muffins.
- All air fryers bake differently-check on your muffins at the 14-minute mark to avoid overbaking.
- For fluffier muffins, let the batter rest 5 minutes before baking.
Swathi says
Easy cherry muffins is delicious love the idea air fyer. I like the idea of making it in the air fryer.
Kim says
This is my first time making muffins in the air fryer and I am so impressed with them. They turned out perfect and the flavor was outstanding.
Lauren says
Really loved this recipe. The texture of the muffins was perfect and it was so easy!
Krystle says
This is my first time baking in my air fryer and I am not disappointed! Great when you need something last minute.
Paula says
My mind is blown that you can do this in an air fryer! It actually turned out so good, my kids LOVED them!!!
Nicole says
My family loved this!
Swathi says
I like the idea of making six-ingredient muffins in the air fryer. They're perfect and delicious. Thanks for sharing with us.
Ashley says
Muffins in the air fryer?! So amazing and easy. Thanks for another great recipe!
Leslie says
I loved the texture of these muffins. I cannot get over how fluffy that were with a perfect crisp. Love!
Sonja says
These muffins came out so nice and fluffy! I loved the cherries in it and that I didn't have to heat the oven.
Andrea says
These muffins were super easy and quick to make, and the tart cherries added a nice pop of flavor.
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!