Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Cherries and chocolate just might be the perfect flavor combo. These rich, chewy chocolate cherry cookies prove it. They are simple to make and easy for beginner bakers. While this recipe makes a fairly small batch, you can easily multiply it to make a double or triple batch if needed.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies Ingredients

• Butter: Creaming butter and sugar makes these cookies lighter because the creaming process incorporates more air into the mixture.
• Sugar: White sugar assists with the creaming process and adds sweetness.
• Large egg: An egg not only binds everything but also helps the baked cookies have better structure.
• 2% milk: A little milk adds moisture and makes everything easier to stir.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract provides extra flavor. It makes the chocolate taste seem more well-rounded and complete.
• All-purpose flour: You don’t need any specialty flours for these cookies; all-purpose flour is perfect.
• Baking cocoa: Baking cocoa gives the batter that chocolate flavor throughout. Using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate lets you control the moisture level in the cookies.
• Baking soda: This makes the cookie batter rise a bit. The cocoa powder has an acidic profile and helps activate the baking soda.
• Semisweet chocolate chunks: By using larger chunks instead of smaller chips, you ensure that most, if not all, of the bites you take will have some chocolate in them.
• Dried cherries: These chewy morsels are tangy and stand out among all the chocolate.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Jena Carlin for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar for five to seven minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the milk and then the vanilla extract. Whisk together the flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Gradually add the dry mix to the liquid mix to form the batter. Mix in the chocolate chunks and dried cherries.

Step 2: Bake

Jena Carlin for Taste of Home

Coat baking sheets lightly with cooking spray. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter and drop them on the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cookies are firm. Let them cool for 1 minute and then move them to a wire rack to cool down completely.

Jena Carlin for Taste of Home

Chocolate Cherry Cookies Variations

• Increase the amount of cherries: This recipe, as written, requires 1/2 cup of dried cherries. That’s not much if you’re a cherry fan. Try increasing the amount of cherries so that each cookie has a little more dried fruit.
• Try using other dried fruits: Obviously, if you want to make cherry chocolate cookies, you’ll need cherries. But you can also experiment with the recipe and try making it with other dried fruits, such as golden raisins or apricots, just for the variety.

How to Store Chocolate Cherry Cookies

You can store these cookies at room temperature for up to four days; ensure the cookies are in an airtight container.

Can you freeze chocolate cherry cookies?

To freeze leftover cookies, wrap each in freezer-safe plastic wrap, and then place the wrapped cookies in a freezer storage bag. Eat them within two months.

Chocolate Cherry Cookie Tips

Jena Carlin for Taste of Home

Can you use fresh cherries or maraschino cherries in cherry chocolate cookies?

While you might prefer the taste and texture of fresh cherries or maraschino cherries, it’s difficult to substitute these for dried cherries. Fresh and maraschino cherries contain a lot of moisture. Even if you pat the cherries dry after chopping them, they’re just infused with so much juice that the cookies wouldn’t hold together as well and would have a different texture. Save this recipe for when you have dried cherries to use up. If you still want to make cookies with fresh or maraschino cherries, try these chocolate-covered cherry cookies or these chocolate-cherry sandwich cookies. These simple cherry cookies would be a good option, too.

Can you bake the cookies on parchment paper instead of using cooking spray?

If you don’t have cooking spray or don’t want to use it, you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Parchment paper is generally nonstick; it can occasionally stick when you first try to remove a baked good from it, but it should peel away.

How do you stop dried cherries from clumping together in the batter?

Dried cherries and other fruits have a tendency to stick together, literally. Clumping can be an issue. You can try rinsing the cherries, but you’ll need to dry them, and don’t let them soak in water as that will rehydrate them partially and change their texture. It may be easier to separate the cherries and then toss them with a little bit of the flour. By the way, if it turns out you have leftover dried cherries when you’re done making this recipe, try these chocolate chip cherry oatmeal cookies.