Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
I believe I have mentioned this before, whenever it’s one of my nieces or nephews birthdays, they get to pick what kind of cookie I make and mail to them. Pretty lucky, huh?!
Well one of my nieces doesn’t like chocolate… I know, I don’t understand – I live off chocolate. So I was giving her a few options of cookies I could make and one of the options was maraschino cherry cookies.
I got to work and made five test batches! Some of the batches were pretty funny looking – working with an add in like maraschino cherries can be hard because they have so much moisture. But I finally got the recipe just right!
The ones I mailed her didn’t have chocolate chips so you can definitely make these cherry cookies without the chips, but for us chocolate lovers, more chocolate the better!
I’d bet these maraschino cookies would also be really good with white chocolate chips!
The combination of maraschino cherries and chocolate chips reminds me of this delicious cherry cordial ice cream that the ice cream shop near our house has. I love the taste of cherry ice cream, especially if there’s chocolate :)
A few notes about the recipe:
-You need 3/4 cup chopped & drained maraschino cherries. Plus an extra 2 tablespoons or so for garnish. 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries is about half a 16 oz jar.
-Be sure to drain the cherries well. Once you drained off the juice, put the cherries on a few napkins and let the extra juice soak up.
-Once the cherries have been drained, finely chop them.
-If you want the tops of your cookies to look loaded with cherries & chocolate chips like the ones you see in the photos, be sure to add additional cherries and chocolate chips to the outside of the dough balls before baking the cookies.
-The recipe yields about 20 cookies.
Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 20 cookies
Total Time: 1 hour
Thick & chewy maraschino cherry chocolate chip cookie recipe! Candied cherry cookie recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- Small amount of pink gel food coloring
- 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries (plus extra for garnish)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus extra for garnish)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a mixing bowl beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 1 minute, or until combined. Add in the egg and extracts, beat again.
- Add in a small amount of pink gel food coloring and mix. In separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing by hand with a spatula.
- Add in the finely chopped maraschino cherries and chocolate chips, mix by hand until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop dough balls onto a silicone lined baking sheet. Press additional cherries and chocolate chips into the outside of the dough balls.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes - be sure not to over bake or the cookies will loose their pink color and turn brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool to the touch on the baking sheet (about 15 minutes) then move them to a cooling rack.
chocolate and cherries! Could there be anything so delicious!?????! I think not!
In love with this recipe and judging from your photos the cookies just look so appealing! Lovely cookies that I cannot wait to bake and eat!
They are SO so good!
Please make an option to email the recipes. I know lots of people who would appreciate that.
Hi Pam! I have an e-mail that goes out once a week updating my subscribers with the most recent recipes! Would you like me to add you?
There is not much butter in this recipe (1/2 Stick)…. Is this a misprint? Typically Chocolate Chip Cookies call for 1 Cup which equals 2 Sticks
Hi Roni! 1/2 stick is correct – this recipe only yields 20 cookies, so it’s not as large as a normal batch.
Delicious!! They came out very nice looking! Do you have anything with splenda??
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Veronica! I don’t currently have any recipes with splenda.
Could this be made without almond extract? Does it need a replacement? I’m guessing it is find if you don’t have gel food colouring, too, as it just won’t look as bright.
Thanks.
It’s just for flavor – you can substitute vanilla extract!
Can you use candied instead of maraschino cherries? Thank you for this recipe. My Daughter is in love.
Hi Cille! I would say yes – let me know if you try it and report back!
This recipe sounds so good..can’t wait to try it! Don’t know if you are near Publix; but they have an ice cream that is our favorite..Cherry Chip..Publix brand
We don’t have Publix here, but that ice cream sounds quite delicious!
Found this on Facebook and had to make it! I had a 4yr old help me, so I messed up the order of things. (I should have know better to add dry ingredients together first!) So, this recipe is fool proof! lol I didn’t have almond extract on hand so I added a little more vanilla. I also only had liquid food coloring and used that. While the pink wasn’t as bright, it worked. I wished I reserved some cherry juice to add to batter. I think that would have made the cookie taste even better! Also, because I messed up the steps, my dough was dry. I had to add some water. For someone who doesn’t like cherries that much, I give this recipe a 5 star! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Mary!! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed making and eating these cookies!
Is it possible to make these without the pink gel food coloring? I don’t mind the looks of the cookies more focused on the taste.
Hi Bradley! Definitely – it’s just for aesthetics!
can you sub. out the choc. chips for some thing else-also can you use a regular cookie sheet lined with parchment paper-my family hates choc-
Hi Diane! You can omit the chocolate chips – I did that when I sent these to my niece who doesn’t like chocolate. And yes, you can use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper!
Is the almond extract necessary.?
Hi Landa! It’s just for flavor – you can substitute vanilla extract!
How many calories per serving
Hello, these look delicious. I want to put them in my Christmas goody bags this year. Have you tried freezing them? Thank you!
Hi Kristen! I haven’t tried freezing these cookies. Sounds like a great cookie to put in goody bags!
Why do u not add all of chocolate chip and cherries save time just add all to mixture I even like a few walnuts in mine.
Hi Diane! I like putting extra garnishes on the outside of my cookie dough balls so they look extra yummy!
Is it light or brown sugar?
I have a variety in my pantry – so use whatever you have!
I can’t wait to make some. I make a cherry chocolate cookies that sounds kind of similar to these but they use some cherry juice in it and instead of chocolate chips it calls for a Hershey kiss to be pressed into the center of the cookies when they first come out of the oven.