These Chocolate Cherry Cookies are a fabulous treat. They are a soft fudge cookie with a plump, sweet maraschino cherry in the center, drizzled with chocolate fudge sauce.
Are you making cookie trays for the holidays? Small Batch Almond Joy Cookies and Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies are delicious and beautiful additions to your cookie trays.
Who could ask for more? Not only are these cookies a delectable treat, but they are so attractive. See what I mean! We love these cookies; they are perfect for the season. What could be prettier for the season than chocolate and cherry? If you like this recipe, you must try chocolate cherry cake, chocolate-covered cherries, cherry cheesecake, and cherry bars.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: unsalted. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt.
- Sugar: I like a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Cocoa: use good quality unsweetened cocoa. My preferred brand is Ghirardelli, but there are other excellent brands.
- Vanilla extract: the pure stuff, or substitute 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet or dark chocolate
How to make Chocolate Cherry Cookies
First, using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars. Then add eggs one at a time and mix in. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then, add the vanilla and cherry juice and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
Smooth some butter on your hands and roll the dough into one-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using your thumb, press a slight indentation in the center of each cookie and place a maraschino cherry in the hole. Bake for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk on low. When melted, add the cherry juice and drizzle over cooled cookies.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Cover baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Use your thumb to press a small indentation in the cookie before baking. You want the cherry to be very prominent, so just a slight impression to get the cherry to cradle on the top of the cookie.
- The fudge topping is semi-soft, so serve in a single layer.
- Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freeze the dough in a practice commonly known as flash freezing. Roll the dough and place it on parchment-covered baking sheets. Ensure the dough balls aren’t touching so they don’t freeze together.
Place the whole sheet in the freezer until frozen, and then transfer the balls to a freezer bag. Store that bag in a sturdy freezer container. When you are ready to bake, place the cookies on a parchment-covered baking sheet and let them thaw until you can press a small indentation and add the cherry. Frozen cookies may require an additional one to two minutes of baking time.
If you must have a stackable cookie, replace the chocolate drizzle with melted chocolate. Melt 2/3 cup of chocolate morsels according to package instructions. Drizzle and then allow to cool until set.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper. They should not be touching, as they will freeze together. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen, double-wrap them in freezer bags and place them in a sturdy freezer container.
More Holiday Cookies
Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cherry juice from maraschino cherry jar
- 30-36 jarred maraschino cherries
Chocolate Drizzle
- ¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon cherry juice from maraschino cherry jar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter and both sugars with a mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix in.
- Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup dry mixture to butter mixture at a time. Blending after each addition just until combined and scraping the side of the mixer bowl as needed. Add vanilla and 2 teaspoons of cherry juice and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer and refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Butter hands and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Using your thumb, press a small indentation in the center of each cookie and place a maraschino cherry in the hole.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk on low. When melted, add 1 tablespoon of cherry juice. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Notes
- Cover baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Use your thumb to press a small indentation in the cookie before baking. You want the cherry to be very prominent, so just a slight impression to get the cherry to cradle on the top of the cookie.
- The fudge topping is semi-soft, so serve in a single layer.
- Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Nutrition
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Terri Yessian
I’ve made this twice now. Very delicious and everyone loves them. What am I doing wrong? My drizzle sauce seems too thick. It doesn’t “drizzle”. It kinda clumps. Doesn’t affect the flavor but what can I do so they look a little nicer? Thx
Beth Pierce
Add just a little more cherry juice till it reaches drizzling consistency. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon at a time till it reaces desired consistency.
Melissa Ann Bowstring
Yummy 😋
Kristi Enigl
I’ve made these 6 times now, and not at Christmas!! My roommate freakin inhales them! They have a very, very short shelf life here.. thanks for the delish recipe .
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Kristi! So happy that you and your roommate like them!
Flora
Do you need to use the sweetened condensed milk or can I substitute something else for it or can I just leave it out?
Beth Pierce
You can just melt the chocolate with maybe a teaspoon of cherry juice and drizzle it over the top.
Yvette Hegler
This cookie is delicious. Everyone in my family loved them. I’m definitely adding this to my yearly Christmas list of things to bake.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Yvette! I am so glad that everyone loved them!
Nancy
I’m getting ready to make these now. Am I able to refrigerate the dough until tomorrow to bake them? Thank you.
Beth Pierce
Sorry I missed this! I was busy writing and cooking. Yes you can refrigerate till tomorrow.
Michelle
These are so tasty and perfect for the upcoming holidays. I ran a test run for my Christmas cookie tray and hubby loved them.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Michelle! So happy that you liked them!
Lynn
Those cherry cookies don’t only look delicious, they look so festive, too. I am going to prepare them for Christmas.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lynn! Enjoy!
Juliana
Chocolate and cherries are such a fantastic conbo! These cookies were delicious and easy to make. We fought over the last few cookies!