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I tested this recipe five times because maraschino cherries add more moisture than you would expect. I worked through the spreading and structure issues so your cookies bake up soft and full of cherry flavor. Every step is tested and reliable. You can trust that this recipe will deliver.
These cookies are SO GOOD! I used cherry juice instead of almond extract and mini white chocolate chips, and made them extra big- 12 cookies a batch. Definitely making these again, boyfriend was obsessed too!
-Jenna
Cherry Cookies
When I set out to develop this recipe, it started with a family tradition I love. Every year my nieces and nephews choose any cookie they want for their birthday and I bake and ship it to them.
When one of my nieces picked maraschino cherry cookies, I knew this recipe would require real testing because cherries bring a lot of extra moisture. I approached it the same way I approach every classic dessert I share here, with curiosity, patience, and a commitment to results that work for every home baker.
I made five full test batches to nail the texture. Some of those early versions were comical. Cherries can cause spreading, streaking, and wet pockets that ruin the crumb. So I tested how finely to chop the cherries, how much juice to blot, and how to balance the moisture with flour and dry ingredients. Each batch brought me closer to that soft and chewy center with crisp edges and bright cherry flavor that holds its structure beautifully.
The final version is dependable and flexible. I mailed a batch without chocolate chips to my niece and they arrived soft and perfect.
If you love chocolate as much as I do, the chocolate chips make these irresistible. This recipe is designed to support any level of baking experience and still deliver a cookie that looks and tastes impressive. You can trust that every step is here for a reason and tested until it worked.
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions for making Cherry Cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies their thick, chewy structure. Proper measuring (spoon and level) keeps them soft instead of dry.
- Cornstarch: A small amount makes a big difference, helping the cookies stay soft, tender, and slightly thicker.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: 2 cups guarantees melty chocolate in every bite. Add a few extra on top to get that loaded, bakery-style look.
- Unsalted Butter: Room-temperature butter creams smoothly with the sugars, creating the soft, chewy texture these cookies are known for.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and chew, which pairs perfectly with the cherries and keeps the cookies from drying out.
- Almond Extract: Just 1/8 teaspoon boosts the cherry flavor and gives the cookies that classic cherry-almond vibe.
- Pink Gel Food Coloring: Optional, but gives the dough its fun pink color without adding extra liquid.
- Maraschino Cherries: The star flavor. Drain them well, blot with paper towels, and finely chop so they blend evenly into the dough. Press a few extra on top for a loaded cookie appearance.
I love the flavor the 1/8 teaspoon almond extract adds to this cookie recipe. Cherry-almond cookies were a match made in heaven!
How to Make Cherry Cookies
- Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb excess juice. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, Set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. You want this mixture to be fluffy and pale in color.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beat for 30 seconds.
- Add in the pink gel food coloring until you reach your desired color and mix. I recommend gel food coloring as this will help give the cookies a deep pink color.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. The dough will be thick.
- Add in the finely chopped cherries and 1 cup of chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
- Use a #40 cookie scoop to form 2 Tbsp sized cookie dough balls. Press the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and additional chopped cherries on the outside of the dough balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This will help them maintain their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. After freezing, place about 6-8 cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Be sure not to over bake or the cookies will loose their pink color and turn brown. The cookies will look slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but they will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet. Pulling them out at the right time will help keep them chewy!
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, I like to add extra chocolate chips to any spots that look sparse. I do not recommend storing these cookies covered because they will become soft from the added moisture from the cherries.
Gluten Free Cherry Cookies
I have made these cookies multiple times with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour with great success.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips
- For the best texture, properly measure the all purpose flour using the spoon and sweep method. Too much flour will make the cookies dry and cakey, so take your time with this step.
- Use a 12 ounce jar of maraschino cherries and drain them very well. After pouring off the juice, spread the cherries on a few layers of paper towels and let them sit for a few minutes so the excess moisture can be absorbed. Moisture is the biggest challenge in cherry cookies, so this step makes a huge difference.
- Once the cherries are drained, finely chop them. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly through the dough and help prevent wet pockets that can cause spreading.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Chilling gives the flour time to hydrate and helps control spread in the oven.
- Use a cookie scoop for consistent size and even baking. A medium scoop works great for thicker, bakery style cookies.
- For cookies that look extra loaded like the photos, press a few additional chopped cherries and chocolate chips onto the tops and sides of each dough ball before baking. This gives you those bright pops of color and chocolate in every bite.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. They continue to set as they cool and this helps maintain their shape and texture.
Can you freeze maraschino cherry cookies?
Maraschino cherry cookies freeze beautifully! Wrap them in individual portions with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between the layers to keep them from sticking.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
In the mood for more sweets? Learn how to add crumb topping to any muffin or try chocolate pudding pie!
More Recipes From The First Year
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Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¼ cups (267g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp pink gel food coloring
- 1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
This recipe requires that you chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
- It's critical that you measure the flour accurately. The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a kitchen scale, weighing it in grams. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, follow this method. Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Flour becomes heavy and compact as it sits. Aerating is the same as fluffing the flour, but not the same as sifting it. Do not sift the flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it. Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup against the counter, as this will compact the flour. Use the back of a butter knife to level off the excess.
- Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb excess juice.1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, Set aside.3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt
- In a larger mixing bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. You want this mixture to be fluffy and pale in color.1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, 1¼ cups (267g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beat for 30 seconds.2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp almond extract
- Add in the pink gel food coloring until you reach your desired color and mix. I recommend gel food coloring as this will help give the cookies a deep pink color.¼ tsp pink gel food coloring
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. The dough will be thick.
- Add in the finely chopped cherries and 1 cup of chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.2 cups (12 oz bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup drained & finely chopped maraschino cherries
- Use a #40 cookie scoop to form 2 Tbsp sized cookie dough balls. Press the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and additional chopped cherries on the outside of the dough balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This will help them maintain their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. After freezing, place about 6-8 cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Be sure not to over bake or the cookies will loose their pink color and turn brown. The cookies will look slightly underbaked when you pull them out, but they will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet. Pulling them out at the right time will help keep them chewy!
- Once the cookies come out of the oven, I like to add extra chocolate chips to any spots that look sparse. I do not recommend storing these cookies covered because they will become soft from the added moisture from the cherries.
Notes
This recipe was updated to reflect reader feedback in December 2024. If you are reading a comment prior to that date, they are referring to the OLD recipe.
Is the almond extract necessary.?
Hi Landa! It’s just for flavor – you can substitute vanilla extract!
Thank you for sharing. How long do these cookies keep in an air tight container?
How many calories per serving
I didnt add enough food coloring but these cookies are insane. So good, so moist. So fun to make, I tripled the recipe! Love them.
144 calories per cookie I believe
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!
When I write a recipe, brown sugar means light, and if it calls for dark, I add the word dark. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, it’s easy to make. 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 Tablespoon molasses = 1 cup light brown sugar. For dark brown sugar, add 2 Tablespoons molasses instead of 1. If you want to end up with a brown sugar like it comes in a package, combine the sugar with the molasses by hand or in a small food processor. In a recipe, like this one, where it is an ingredient, add the granulated sugar and molasses separately. They don’t need to be combined. For this recipe, 3/4 cup brown sugar = 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 Tablespoon molasses (or 2 1/4 teaspoons). Using molasses in a cookie recipe makes the cookie softer and chewier, especially in a chocolate chip cookie.
I used dark and they didn’t come out as pink. I suggest light for a better pink possibly
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.
Can I use regular sugar instead of brown
Hi Jackie – it will change the texture and structure of the cookie!
These sound amazing. I’m sure my family will devour them. I currently don’t have any chocolate chips. So I’m going to try it with cocoa. Should be interesting. I’ll keep you posted. Lol
How’d it turn out!?
What is the yield for this recipe? I teach 7th grade culinary arts and I am thinking of trying this recipe with my students.
About 20 cookies.
The cookie dough is definitely delicious! I’m hoping the baked cookies will be just as good coming out of the oven. The only thing I can add to this recipe is this: Be careful. Cherry juice stains. C:
Oh yes! I had red fingers for a day!!