Rich and chocolaty cookies with a hidden surprise! These chocolate cherry cookies have a maraschino cherry in each cookie and are topped with a rich chocolate frosting.
Perfect for adding to your holiday cookie tray or for when you're craving something a bit different.
Why make these cookies
These chocolate cherry cookies are a soft rich cookie. The cookie itself reminds me a bit of a brownie.
Each cookie is filled with a maraschino cherry and topped with a rich chocolate ganache.
These cookies are perfect for adding to a holiday cookie tray. They are easy to make and they are a great cookie to have the kids help make. Younger kids can easily help make an impression in the center of each cookie and then place the cherry!
Key ingredients
- Maraschino cherries
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Chocolate chips
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
Step by step directions
- Use a mixer to cream butter
- Add sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add eggs and mix
- Stir in cherry juice and vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Add flour mixture to mixing bowl and combine
- Mix everything until well combined
- Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
- Form cookies into small balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet
- Create a small divvet in the center of each cookie
- Place cherry in center of each cookie
- Make chocolate frosting by place sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan
- Heat over medium low heat until melted
- Stir in cherry juice
- Place a small dollop of chocolate on top of each cherry
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes
- Allow cookies to cool for a minute and then remove from baking sheet and continue cooling on a baking rack
Recipe tips
- I used a half of a maraschino cherry for each cookie. You can use a whole cherry if you prefer a bigger burst of cherry.
- Dry cherries lightly before using
- When creating the divvit in each cookie, use your index finger wet slightly with water to help prevent the dough from sticking to your finger
- Do not overheat your chocolate. Heat just enough to melt the chocolate chips.
Recipe Faqs
These cookies will stay fresh tasting up to 5 days after baking when stored in an airtight container.
Yes, these chocolate cherry cookies can be frozen. Allow cookies to fully cool then place in a layers in a container with waxed paper between each layer.
To use, simply place at room temperature until fully thawed.
More delicious cookies
- Cranberry Swirl Cookies
- Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkles
- M&M Cookies
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious cookie recipes!
Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter (salted, at room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoons cherry juice (from maraschino cherries)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 jar maraschino cherries (10 ounce jar)
Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 teaspoons cherry juice
Instructions
- Drain maraschino cherries, reserving juice. Remove stems from cherries. If using a half cherry, slice cherries in half.1 jar maraschino cherries
Cookie Dough
- Mix butter with a mixer until soft and smooth½ cup butter
- Add sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy1 cup sugar
- Stir in eggs2 eggs
- Add cherry juice and vanilla3 teaspoons cherry juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt1½ cups flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add flour mixture to mixing bowl and mix until well combined
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
Chocolate Frosting
- When ready to form cookies, place sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in a saucepan on medium low heat.½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Stir just until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in cherry juice.3 teaspoons cherry juice
Form Cookies
- Using a small cookie scoop (#60) or your hands, form small round balls of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart. The dough is sticky so you may need to rinse your cookie scoop with cold water a few times while forming cookies.
- Place an indentation in the center of each cookie. Add a ½ of a cherry in the indentation.
- Top with chocolate frosting mixture fully covering cherry
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes
- Allow cookies to cool for a minute on baking sheet. Then remove and finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Notes
- I used a half of a maraschino cherry for each cookie. You can use a whole cherry if you prefer a bigger burst of cherry.
- Dry cherries lightly before using
- When creating the divvit in each cookie, use your index finger wet slightly with water to help prevent the dough from sticking to your finger
- Do not overheat your chocolate. Heat just enough to melt the chocolate chips.
- You will not use all the chocolate frosting
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Recipe inspired from Better Homes and Gardens.
Susan says
Does the “frosting” go on before they are baked?
Kathy says
The frosting gets baked right on the cookies.
Robin says
2 comments. The cookies were hard to remove so I suggest a light coat of oil on the cookie sheet. I did one sheet like this and the cookies came right off and tasted just as good. Second would be how to tell if done toothpick or finger test. We loved the cookies but without the frosting for our household
Kathy says
Hi Robin,
Thanks for your suggestions. As far as testing them, the toothpick method won't work for these cookies. You could use a finger test just touching lightly on the outside. You want them to be soft, not gooey.
Kathy
Valentina says
Like little tiny cakes! LOVE the frosting on top, and how fun to find a surprise in the middle. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
What a fun idea! Every year during the holidays, my mother-in-law gets a box of chocolate-covered cherries. This year I might have to up the game a bit with these chocolate cherry cookies. I love this idea!!