Chocolate Cherry Protein Muffin

Black Forest cake earned its reputation honestly — dark chocolate and tart cherries doing the most together, no filler flavors getting in the way. That same pairing shows up here in muffin form, without the layers, the frosting, or the sugar load that usually comes with anything calling itself “Black Forest.”

Real cherries are folded through the batter, not just sprinkled on top, so every bite gets some of that tartness working against the richness of dark chocolate chips made with no added sugar. Whey protein and non-fat Greek yogurt give the crumb structure and a protein boost that a standard bakery muffin never had to begin with, while olive oil keeps things moist and tender in place of butter. Monk fruit sweetener handles the sweetness that would otherwise come from refined sugar, which matters here more than in some of the other flavors — cherries and chocolate can get cloying fast if the sugar isn’t kept in check, and this recipe leans on the natural tartness of the fruit instead of piling on more sweetener to compensate.

The result is a muffin that’s genuinely rich without being heavy. It’s soft, a little fudgy in the center from the chocolate, and finishes with that distinct cherry tang that keeps it from tipping into “too sweet” territory. This is the closest thing on the menu to a guilt-free cheat — dessert-leaning in flavor, but built with the same protein-forward, low-refined-sugar approach as everything else, so it doesn’t have to be treated like an occasional splurge.

At 8g of protein per muffin with zero added sugar, this fits into a macro-friendly routine the same way the rest of the lineup does — it’s just doing it while tasting like something you’d usually feel like you have to earn. That makes it a solid option for an after-dinner craving that would otherwise send you toward something with none of the nutritional upside, or for an afternoon slump when a plain protein bar isn’t going to cut it emotionally. It also works fine as a breakfast-on-the-go option for anyone who wants something a little more dessert-forward to start the day, and it holds up well as a pre- or post-workout bite if chocolate and fruit sound better than banana or lemon that day.

Because the chocolate and cherry flavors are bold, this one tends to pair especially well with something simple on the side — black coffee, sparkling water, or nothing at all. It doesn’t need much help. The ingredient list stays just as short as the rest of the lineup: flour, whey protein, Greek yogurt, almond milk, monk fruit sweetener, olive oil, eggs, cherries, dark chocolate chips with no added sugar, and baking powder. Nothing hiding in there, nothing that needs a glossary.

This flavor launched most recently, which means smaller batches for now while it finds its footing — a good excuse to order it sooner rather than later if the description alone is doing its job. For anyone whose idea of a treat has always leaned chocolate-and-fruit rather than chocolate-and-caramel, this is likely to become a regular order rather than a one-time try.

It’s a muffin for the days when you want something that feels like it should be off-limits and isn’t — rich enough to satisfy a real craving, built with the same protein-and-no-refined-sugar approach as the rest of the menu, and honest about what’s in it. No forced positivity required to enjoy it; it’s just good, and it happens to fit.

The cherry-and-chocolate combination also makes this one of the more visually distinct options once it’s out of the tin — deep brown crumb studded with dark chocolate and flecked with cherry, which tends to photograph well and stand out in a 12-pack next to lighter flavors like Lemon Poppyseed or Blueberry Lemon. For anyone ordering a mixed box for the first time, this is usually the one people are most curious about before they’ve even tried it, purely because “Black Forest” as a muffin flavor isn’t something most bakeries are doing.

Storage-wise, this holds up well in the freezer the same way the rest of the lineup does, though the chocolate chips can soften slightly at room temperature on a warm day — worth keeping in mind if it’s sitting out for a while before eating. A quick ten seconds in the microwave brings back that just-baked texture if it’s been in the fridge, with the chocolate turning slightly melty in a way that makes it taste closer to fresh out of the oven.

For anyone building a weekly rotation across multiple flavors rather than sticking to one, Black Forest tends to work best as the two or three muffins in a 12-pack reserved for the days that need something a little richer — paired against lighter options like Blueberry Lemon or Lemon Poppyseed for the rest of the week. That kind of variety keeps a macro-friendly routine from feeling repetitive, which is often what actually determines whether a routine sticks or falls apart after a couple of weeks.

Available in 6-pack or 12-pack, baked fresh in small batches.