Scrumptious homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries are a cinch to make with just a handful of ingredients. They always look so wonderful on my holiday candy and cookie trays. Or box them, wrap them, and give them as a holiday gift.
I love to drizzle them with different kinds of chocolate for an even more dramatic flair. I love to delight my friends and family and make a batch for Christmas Eve. They look gorgeous on my holiday trays with Peanut Clusters, Buckeye Balls, Snowball Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.
Why I Love This Recipe
- With only six ingredients, these gorgeous candies come together easily without any fancy tools. Just a little mixing, rolling, dunking, and drizzling to create these beauties.
- These scrumptious treats are so much better than the store-bought brands, with fresh ingredients and good quality products.
- All the ingredients for this yummy recipe are easily found at your local grocery store. In fact, you might already have some of the ingredients on hand.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Maraschino cherries: You can use stemmed maraschino cherries or maraschino cherries with the stems removed. I have always found it much easier to work with the ones without stems, as it is easier to roll the powdered sugar mixture around them. However, that said, you can dip the stemmed ones in the melted chocolate using the stem.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for a better setup.
- Chocolate chips: Use semi-sweet, milk, dark, or white chocolate chips. You can use candy melts, which are easier to work with, but I think the chocolate chips give them a genuine taste.
- Coconut oil: I use this or shortening to thin the chocolate slightly.
How To Make Chocolate Covered Cherries
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Dry the cherries well.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and maraschino cherry juice until the mixture pulls away from the side.
- Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.
- Roll the mixture into almost 1-inch balls and flatten them with the palms of your hands. Add a cherry to the center, pulling up the fondant around the cherry. Roll it into a smooth ball and place it on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
- Freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate and thin it with a bit of coconut oil.
- Using a fork, dip the covered cherries into the chocolate. Place them on parchment paper or wax paper until set.
Preparation Tips For Success
- Thoroughly dry the cherries so the fondant batter sticks.
- When rolling the fondant around the cherries, lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar.
- If you like the combination of cherry and almond, add a few drops of almond extract to the dough mixture.
- Don’t skip the chilling periods: fondant is much easier to roll after chilling, and the balls are much easier to dunk in melted chocolate when frozen.
More Candies To Try
Chocolate Covered Cherries Recipe
These fun and festive Chocolate Covered Cherries are a cinch to make with just a handful of ingredients. They will make your Christmas candy and cookie trays look gorgeous.
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Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 298kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries (reserving 1/4 cup juice)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3½ – 4 cups powdered sugar
- 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips optional
- 4 ounces dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Lay the cherries out on paper towels. Dab them dry several times with paper towels and let them sit will you start the rest of the recipe. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, combine the butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice. Add the last cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture pulls away from the side and forms a soft ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll in a little less than 1-inch balls and flatten with the palms of your hands. Add the cherry to the center pulling up the fondant around the cherry. Roll it into a smooth ball and place the prepared baking sheet. Continue until all the fondant is rolled up around the cherries, placing them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes uncovered.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate and coconut oil for dipping the cherries according to the instructions on the package of chocolate. Using a fork, carefully dip the cherries in the chocolate. Gently sliding them off the fork using a table knife onto a parchment-covered sheet. Let them sit until the chocolate sets.
- If desired, melt white chocolate and drizzle over the cherries. For an over-the-top presentation, melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over the cherries too.
Notes
- Store the cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 weeks.
- If you like liquid centers, let them sit for about a week before enjoying them.
Nutrition
Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
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Karen
5 STARSSSS….The cherries were delicious! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe, it was so so good.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Karen!
Kat
This recipe hit all the comfort tick boxes for me. I appreciate how simple it is to whip these chocolate covered cherries together and the festive vibe they bring without needing a ton of fuss.
Heather
These chocolate covered cherries are perfect for the upcoming holidays. They are so fun to make! Thank you, Beth!
Ben
These are amazing! My Mama Ruby used to make something very similar to this when I was a kid. Loved it.
Claudia
These were so much easier to make than I thought they would be. I’m very excited about them because this treat has always been a favorite of mine.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Claudia! Enjoy!
Kira
Never would have thought to do these but the combination is brilliant . Absolutely delicious
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Kira!
Shery Sullivan
I can’t wait to make these. They will be given to my mom to t for Christmas. They look so easy too.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Shery! I hope your Mom enjoys them!
April Free
These are scrumptious! For an “ADULT” version, I drain most of the juice out and replace with Amaretto and soak for about a week. Then I continue on with this recipe…using the Amaretto in place of the juice for making the fondant. I’ve used this one for a few years. These bring a smile to my friends that I gift them too.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip April! I love the idea!!
Patricia
These are my mom’s favorite treats! I can’t wait to surprise her with these! Love it!
Long
I love how easy these are to make! Easy and Delicious! I omitted the shortening, and the chocolate held fine. Thank you for the recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! Glad that they turned out well for you!