Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies are super moist and tender. The cherries are topped with a fudgy frosting that gets baked right on the cookies, making them chewy and utterly irresistible!
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies are a Holidays Favorite
I can’t resist the combo of chocolate and maraschino cherries — and it’s hard to resist chocolate cherry cookies as wonderful as these!
My aunt Patsy’s Chocolate Covered Cherry Cordials have been a special Christmas tradition for as long as I can remember. Her recipe provided the inspiration for my Cherry Brownies.
So it should come as no surprise that these Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies are right up my alley. This recipe has been a longtime family tradition, thanks to Mom and her lengthy list of annual Christmas baked treats. Our girls and I like these cookies so much that we often bake them for Valentine’s Day, too.
The chocolate cookie is super moist and tender, with a delightfully thin crisp outer crust. And then the sweet, juicy cherries are buried under a chocolate frosting that gets baked into heavenly fudgy goodness. The resulting cookie is chewy and utterly irresistible. I love biting into that sweet, juicy cherry in the middle!
Maraschino Cherry Cookies Ingredients
These cookies have a pretty basic ingredients list, as far as cookie recipes go. I’m guessing you’ll only need to pick up maraschino cherries and possibly sweetened condensed milk.
- maraschino cherries + their juices – Save the juices to thin and flavor the fudgy frosting!
- flour
- cocoa powder
- butter
- sugar
- kosher salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
- semisweet chocolate chips
- sweetened condensed milk
How to Make Chocolate Covered Cookies
I always look forward to these maraschino cherry cookies. They’re not only pretty and delicious, but they’re also fun to make!
If you have young kids, this is a great recipe to get them involved in the kitchen. Depending on their ages, etc., task them with gathering the ingredients, measuring each ingredient, and then whisking, beating, and assembling.
Here’s how to make these cookies:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Drain: Drain the maraschino cherries in a colander, reserving the juices.
- Make the chocolate cookie dough: Add flour and cocoa to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Then beat butter in a large bowl, until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and beat again until well combined. Add egg and vanilla, and beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Beat, beat, and then beat again! :) The chocolate dough will be soft and thick.
- Shape and indent: Now shape the dough into 1″ balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2″ apart. I like to use a small scoop to portion the dough. Scoops are my cookies-baking BFF in the kitchen! Then roll the dough in the palms of your hands to form into balls. Next, press down in the center of each dough ball with your thumb to create an indentation. This is great for the youngest helpers in the kitchen…except you’ll want to do it all by yourself because it’s fun!
- Cherry time! Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each indentation.
- Frost: Create a simple fudgy frosting on the stovetop by melting together the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and a bit of the reserved cherry juices. Then spoon a bit of the frosting over each cherry. These cookies are especially fun because you spread the frosting on the cookies before baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Take care to not over-bake, as the goal is a super moist and fudgy cookie.
- Cool: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
I love this photo from when Tessa was little! She has always enjoyed baking, and likes to roll the dough, stamp her thumbprint, and fill the dough with cherries.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Cherry Cookies
This is a very easy recipe, but I do have a few helpful hints that’ll give you the best cookies possible!
- Use good quality ingredients for the best overall flavor. That means using only pure vanilla extract (no imitation vanilla extract!) and good quality chocolate – I really like Guittard brand
- Portion dough evenly for cookies that are all the same size. That’s why I recommend using a small scoop for these cookies.
- Thin the frosting if it becomes thick and hard to spread easily. Do this by simply stirring a bit more of the cherry juices into the chocolate frosting. It sometimes also helps to return the saucepan of frosting back to the burner over low heat, to warm it up just a bit. Works like a charm!
- Do not over-bake. The goal here is a soft, fudgy cookie. Take care to not over-bake.
More Cookie Recipes
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
- 48 undrained maraschino cherries (about one 10-oz. jar)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Drain maraschino cherries, reserving the juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds, or until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
- Shape dough into 1″ balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2" apart. I like to use a small scoop to portion the dough into uniformly sized balls. Press down in the center of each ball with your thumb to create an indentation. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie’s indentation.
- In a small saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice until mixture is completely smooth. Turn off heat and let saucepan sit on warm burner. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of this chocolate frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover the cherry fully. If the frosting is too thick, just add a little more of the reserved cherry juice to thin it out. Sometimes it also helps to warm the saucepan again – just turn the heat back to low.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- On the counter: Place cookies in airtight containers, in single layers separated by wax paper or parchment paper. If serving within a couple days after baking, just set the container in a cool spot. We like to use our 3-season sunroom for storing some of our homemade Christmas treats, because it’s always cold enough out there during the winter. My mom always stores some of her treats in their garage.
- To freeze: These cookies freeze very well. Add the cookies to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
This post was originally published in 2012, and then updated in 2020.
I am going to learn more cooking basics, like how to chop better!
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I’m starting to shop/eat local, and supporting the small businesses in my area. I have found so many new things and resources in doing this!
After 32 years of marriage, I am beginning 2012 with peace and love for myself and my sweet sons.
i’m going to try needlepoint in 2012!
For 2012, I plan to back up all our digital photos – including printing & enjoying in photo albums. As much as I like to watch the pictures via slideshow, there’s nothing like snuggling on the sofa w/the family & reminiscing with a photo album.
That’s quite the undertaking…but so rewarding to have done. Best wishes!!
These sound so good! I cannot wait to try them. That can be my new thing for January 2012! :)
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I just signed up for beginner cake decorating class at Michael’s. I have 3 sons and they didn’t care what the cupcakes looked like. But I want to make something special for the granddaughters.
So sweet, love it! Have fun with that!
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In 2012, I plan to become a reader. I’ve never been that interested in reading, sadly, but I want that to change. So far I’ve found a couple books I like reading and hope to continue reading regularly throughout the year.
I have been consciously trying to do that myself. I like reading alot, but often find myself only reading magazines, short articles, etc. I’ve been trying to read BOOKS again, and I LOVE it!!
I tweeted about the giveaway https://twitter.com/#!/shanerus/status/161139484883300352
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I shared this on Facebook. :)
My “something new” for 2012 is to get my kitchen organized starting with a remodeling project this Spring and putting together a binder of my favorite recipes.
2012 is going to be a great year! Something that I decided to try this year was to make something new each week to share with my family. My first attempt was an absolute HIT! I made YOUR Lasagna Soup! It was incredible my 10 year old asked for seconds! Thanks for sharing your world with all of us!
You’re going to have so much delicious fun this year! I’m so glad you liked the soup. It’s on my list for tomorrow, a very welcome thought in this frigid weather we’re having! Thanks for visiting!!
i am trying to eat healthier this year so i am always looking for new things to cook at home for my family. I am also exercising more so that i can live a longer life for my children