Introduction
Have you ever wondered what happens when you take the nostalgic comfort of a classic chocolate chip cookie and marry it with the bright, candy-like sweetness of a jar of maraschino cherries? The result is these Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, a recipe that has become a legend in the Sharif household. Every time I pull a tray of these soft cherry chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, my daughter Jana, 9, is usually the first one in the kitchen, followed closely by Adams, 12, who claims he can smell the maraschino cookies from clear across the street. This recipe isn’t just a treat; it is a labor of love that reminds me so much of my grandmother’s kitchen back in Texas. While she was the queen of BBQ, she always had a jar of cherries tucked away for special Sunday sweets. I wanted to recreate that feeling for my wife Emily and our kids, making something that feels like a celebratory festive cherry cookie but is easy enough for a Tuesday afternoon project. Whether you are looking for Valentine’s Day cherry cookies or just a way to brighten up a rainy day, this easy cherry chocolate chip cookie recipe is the answer.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients for Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Make Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pro Tips & Variations
- Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Serving Suggestions
- Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Storage & Reheating
- FAQ about Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Final Thoughts
Why You’ll Love This Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Unbeatable Texture: These are soft and chewy cherry chocolate chip cookies that stay moist for days thanks to the moisture in the cherries and the perfect balance of sugars.
- Visual Appeal: The pops of red against the golden dough and dark chocolate make them festive cherry cookies perfect for holidays like Christmas or Valentine’s Day.
- Kid-Approved: My kids, Adams and Jana, helped me perfect this best cherry chocolate chip cookies recipe, so you know it passes the ultimate taste test.
- Customizable: You can easily adapt this into cherry chocolate chip cookies with almond extract for a deeper flavor or even bakery-style cherry chocolate chip cookies by adding sea salt on top.
- Beginner Friendly: This is a cherry chocolate chip cookies for beginners guide, meaning no complicated techniques, just simple, honest baking.
- Make Ahead Magic: This is a freezer-friendly cherry chocolate chip cookie dough, so you can have fresh cookies in minutes whenever the craving strikes.
Ingredients for Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gathering your ingredients is the first step toward kitchen bliss. For these homemade cherry chocolate cookies, you will need:
- Unsalted Butter: Ensure it is softened to room temperature for that perfect creamy consistency.
- Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: We use a mix to get those crisp edges and a chewy center.
- Eggs plus one Egg Yoke: The extra yolk makes these soft cherry chocolate chip cookies even more decadent.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract: Trust me, the almond extract is the secret to heavenly maraschino cherry cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour: The sturdy base of our cookie.
- Baking Soda and Salt: For lift and to balance the sweetness.
- Maraschino Cherries: Drained very well and chopped. This is the star of our maraschino cherry chocolate chip cookies.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips: These provide the classic chocolate covered cherries flavor profile.
- Cornstarch: A secret ingredient I often use in my strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe to keep the dough from spreading too much.
How to Make Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the Cherries: This is the most important step. Drain your jar of cherries and pat them dry with paper towels. Chop them into quarters. Pat them dry again. You want to avoid excess moisture so you don’t end up with soggy dough.
- Cream the Fats and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. You want it light and fluffy, almost like a cloud. This usually takes about three minutes with a hand mixer.
- Add Liquids: Beat in the egg, the extra egg yolk, the vanilla extract, and that crucial almond extract. The aroma at this stage is incredible, it smells just like a gourmet bakery.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. If you enjoy a fruity twist, you might recognize this technique from my blueberry cheesecake swirl cookies recipe.
- Combine: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Over-mixing leads to tough cookies, and we want chewy cherry chocolate cookies.
- The Fold: Gently fold in your chopped maraschino cherries and the semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand. If you want a fun pink tint, you can add a tiny drop of pink gel food coloring now.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too thin.
- Bake: Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be just barely golden.
- Cooling: Let them rest on the baking sheet for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This is the hardest part, Jana usually tries to sneak one while they are still piping hot.
Pro Tips & Variations
If you want to take your cherry chocolate chip cookies recipe to the next level, consider these professional tweaks. First, always weigh your flour if you can. Too much flour makes a crumbly cookie. Second, if you want that bakery-style cherry chocolate chip cookies look, press a few extra chocolate chips and a cherry piece into the top of the dough balls immediately before baking. For a triple chocolate cherry cookies experience, replace half a cup of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich, dark base. If you are baking for someone with dietary restrictions, you can make gluten-free cherry chocolate chip cookies by using a high-quality 1-to-1 flour blend. You can even try vegan cherry chocolate chip cookies by substituting the butter for a plant-based block and using a flax egg. For more inspiration on festive baking, I often look at resources like The First Year Blog to see how others handle fruit-based doughs. Finally, for a sophisticated touch, sprinkle a bit of maldon sea salt flakes on top right after they come out of the oven. It makes the chocolate pop.
Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Serving Suggestions
Serving these cookies is all about creating an experience. I love setting out a platter of these next to some pink chocolate dipped strawberries for a beautiful dessert spread. If you are hosting a party, they look stunning on a sweets charcuterie board alongside nuts and cheeses. For a cozy night in with Emily and the kids, we serve them warm with a tall glass of cold milk or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The combination of the warm chocolate and the cold ice cream is truly heavenly. If you want to get really fancy, you can crumble a few cookies over a bowl of chocolate pudding or use them to make cookie sandwiches with a nice cream cheese frosting. This recipe also pairs beautifully with a hot cup of tea or a latte, especially if you have added that hint of almond extract.
Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Storage & Reheating
Proper storage is the key to maintaining that soft and chewy cherry chocolate chip cookies texture. Keep your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. If you find they are losing their softness, add a slice of white bread to the container. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and stay soft. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies for up to three months. When the kids want a treat, I just pop one in the microwave for 10 seconds to get that homemade cherry chocolate cookies taste again. You can also freeze the raw dough balls. Just freeze them on a tray first and then move them to a bag. When you are ready to bake, just add two minutes to the baking time. It is the perfect way to have a festive cherry cookie ready at a moment’s notice.
FAQ about Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
How do I prevent my cherry cookies from turning blue or grey?
This usually happens due to a reaction between the cherry juice and the baking soda. To prevent this, make sure you drain and dry your cherries thoroughly as mentioned in our easy cherry chocolate chip cookie recipe. Using a light hand when mixing the fruit also helps.
Can I use fresh cherries instead of maraschino?
Yes, you can, but the flavor will be less like chocolate covered cherries and more like a fresh fruit tart. If you use fresh cherries, ensure they are pitted and chopped small. You may also want to increase the sugar slightly as fresh cherries aren’t as sweet as the jarred variety.
Why are my cookies flat?
This often happens if the butter was too melted or if the dough wasn’t chilled. For how to make soft cherry chocolate chip cookies that hold their shape, ensure your butter is just room-temp soft and never skip the 30-minute chill time in the fridge. For more tips on cookie structure, check out Easy and Yum.
Final Thoughts
As I sit here finishing off the last crumb of a cookie Jana brought me, I am reminded that the best things in life are the ones we share. Cooking is my way of telling my family I love them, and these Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies carry a lot of that heart. I hope you find as much joy in your kitchen as I do in mine. If you make these, please leave a comment and let me know how they turned out. Did you add nuts? Did you make them for a special someone? I love hearing your stories. Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest so you can find it whenever that cherry craving hits. Grab your apron and get baking, my friends. Your family is going to love these.
Heavenly Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Drain and dry the maraschino cherries thoroughly with paper towels. Chop them into quarters and pat dry again to remove excess moisture. This prevents soggy dough.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, extra egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until well combined. The batter should smell aromatic.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Optionally, add a drop of pink gel food coloring for a fun tint.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up and prevent spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
