A soft chocolate cookie with rich chocolate icing covering a sweet cherry makes a wonderful surprise in the center of each Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie.
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy our Chocolate Covered Dried Cherry recipe and Cookie Dough Truffles.
Best Chocolate Cherry Cookie Recipe
This chocolate cookie with chocolate icing is definitely a cookie to remember! We’ve shared many recipes that we love including on a Christmas cookie tray, but this one sticks out as an extra rich and special treat that people remember.
I thought our Triple Chocolate Fudge Cookies were the richest chocolate cookies I’ve eaten until I made these. A friend from church shared this recipe a couple years ago. The icing is my absolute favorite part.
Who knew good quality chocolate chips melted with sweetened condensed milk and thinned with a little cherry juice could make you want to lick the spoon and the pan. Since the icing only calls for a portion of the can of milk and a portion of a bag of chocolate chips we might be known for making extra icing. And using lots of spoons, you know just so we all have one to help clean up.
Christmas calls for fun traditions and these cookies have been added to our list. They go perfectly on a cookie tray with our Best Sour Cream Cookies, Farmhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies, Devil’s Food Cake Cookies, and Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
What Ingredients Are Needed?
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Maraschino cherries, with cherry juice
- Sweetened condensed milk
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies
Use a large bowl to mix together the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa (a premium brand will make the cookies better – we like Ghirardelli), salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Using a mixing bowl beat softened butter and sugar on low speed until the mixture is fluffy. Then add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
Use a cookie scoop to shape dough into balls and set on a lined baking sheet. If a non-stick liner isn’t available use an ungreased cookie sheet.
I prefer to use a rounded teaspoon or possibly half of a tablespoon measuring spoon to make even indents in the center of each ball of cookie dough.
Then place a cherry in the center of each cookie.
Using a small to medium sauce pan measure out 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk and one cup of a premium chocolate chunk or chocolate chip (we like Ghirardelli).
Turn the burner to low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Add 5 or 6 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice to thin the frosting. Additional cherry juice may be used if desired.
Use a tablespoon to spoon chocolate over each cookie. I use between two teaspoons and a tablespoon of frosting on each cookie depending on how rich of a cookie I’m craving that day.
After frosting bake in a 350°F for 9 to 10 minutes until cookies are just baked. We love a soft warm cookie!
Tips for Making Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
- Jars of maraschino cherries are not created equal, different brands use different sized cherries. A medium to large cherry works best in this recipe. If you love cherries grab a jar of extra-large cherries.
- Cherry juice should be reserved to thin the icing to make it a pourable consistency. Icing can be thinned to your desired consistency.
- Use a measuring spoon to make evenly sized indents if you’re not comfortable using your thumb.
- Cookies from a single recipe typically fit on one tray for me.
- Doubling the recipe uses a whole can of milk and a whole bag of chocolate chips for the icing.
More Christmas Recipe Traditions:
- Crock Pot Peanut Clusters – are the easiest candy to make in a crock pot and taste so good you’ll make them several times!
- 7-Up Jello Salad – is super sweet and a classic holiday jello salad that’s perfect when garnished with whipped cream and cherries.
- Blackberry Jam Cake – mixes a jar of blackberry jam into a bundt cake for a classic holiday tradition.
- Farmhouse Ham Loaf – My absolute favorite main dish with ham that’s perfect for a special holiday celebration or a nice meal anytime throughout the year.
Printable Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 10 ounce jar maraschino cherries
Frosting
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 5 teaspoons cherry juice reserved from jar of maraschino cherries
Instructions
- In a large bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt, bakign powder and baking soda.
- In mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; beat until well blended.
- Shape dough into balls. Place on a lined or ungreased cookie sheet. Press down the center of dough with thumb or round side of a teaspoon.
- Drain maraschino cherries and reserve the juice. Put a cherry in the center of each cookie.
- In a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 5 teaspoons of cherry juice and add more 1 teaspoon at a time as needed to make frosting a pourable consistency.
- Spoon a couple teaspoons of frosting over each cherry and spread to cover the cherry.
- Bake in a 350°F oven about 9 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack to cool
Notes
- Jars of maraschino cherries are not created equal, different brands use different sized cherries. A medium to large cherry works best in this recipe. If you love cherries grab a jar of extra-large cherries.
- Cherry juice should be reserved to thin the icing to make it a pourable consistency. Icing can be thinned to your desired consistency.
- Use a measuring spoon to make evenly sized indents if you’re not comfortable using your thumb.
- Cookies from a single recipe typically fit on one tray for me.
- Doubling the recipe uses a whole can of milk and a whole bag of chocolate chips for the icing.
Equipment
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You frost the cookies before baking?
Yes! Great question! Frost first and then bake for this unique cookie. Hope you enjoy!
Can you freeze these cookies?
Hey There! I have not tested it, but I think they would freeze well. Please let me know if you give it a try!