Enjoy these delicious Chocolate Cherry Cookies topped with juicy maraschino cherries. Each bite offers a perfect blend of rich chocolate and sweet cherries, making them a delicious fudgy cookie for the Christmas season or for Valentine's Day.
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Rich chocolate flavor: These cookies are great for chocolate lovers. They are topped with smooth chocolate ganache and pair great with a glass of cold milk.
Sweet cherries: The addition of a sweet maraschino cherry on top of each cookie adds a burst of sweet cherry flavor to each bite, perfectly balancing out the richness of the chocolate.
Perfect for the holidays: These cookies are a great addition to the holiday table and to cookie trays.
Ingredients in Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- all-purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- room temperature unsalted butter
- white sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- undrained maraschino cherries (reserve 4 teaspoons of cherry juice)
- semisweet chocolate chips
- sweetened condensed milk
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl. Set this mixture aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until it is light in color.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
- Slowly beat in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press the dough balls down with the palm of your hand or a spatula, as these cookies do not spread much while baking.
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the reserved 4 teaspoons of cherry juice to enhance the flavor. You can thin the mixture with more cherry juice if it is too thick.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture over the center of each cookie, spreading it to cover the center. Top each cookie with a maraschino cherry.
- Allow the chocolate to set and store it in an airtight container in a single layer.
Quick Tips for Making Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Don't overmix the dough: Be careful not to overmix the cookie dough once you add the dry ingredients-this can result in tough cookies instead of soft and chewy ones.
Use a cookie scoop: Portion out your dough using a cookie scoop to get the same-sized cookies every time.
How to Store Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. Place them in a single layer to prevent smashing the cherries and to prevent the cookies from getting stuck together.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Other Cookie Recipes
These Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies is another chocolate cookie recipe that is a fudgy cookie perfect for chocolate lovers.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a great cookie recipe and a holiday favorite during Christmastime.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter - softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache Topping
- 48 undrained maraschino cherries - reserve 4 teaspoons cherry juice
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl and set it aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until it is light in color.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
5. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
6. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Press the dough balls down with the palm of your hand or a spatula, as these cookies do not spread much while baking.
7. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
9. combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the reserved 4 teaspoons of cherry juice to enhance the flavor. If the mixture is too thick, you can thin it with more cherry juice.
10. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture over the center of each cookie, spreading it to cover the center. Top each cookie with a maraschino cherry.
11. Allow the chocolate to set and store it in an airtight container in a single layer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
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Dana is the lead recipe developer and photographer for PopularRecipes.com. With her 10+ years of experience creating, testing, and photographing recipes, she has become an artist in developing wholesome, family-friendly meals that are a hit with both kids and parents.
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