These chocolate cherry cookies are an easy, irresistible sweet treat perfect for any occasion. Add sprinkles to make them festive for holidays or celebrations.
If you love chocolate-covered cherries, these cookies will be a hit: a chewy chocolate cookie base, a sweet maraschino cherry nestled in the center, and a smooth chocolate frosting on top. They’re simple to make and easy to customize.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- All ingredients are common pantry staples and easy to find.
- The dough comes together quickly—no chilling required—so these bake up fast.
- You can add sprinkles or decorations to suit any holiday or gathering.
How to make your cookies
- Cream room-temperature butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Beat in the dry ingredients until incorporated, then press the crumbly dough together by hand into a cohesive mass.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls, place them on baking sheets about 2 inches apart, press an indentation in the center of each cookie, and top with a maraschino cherry.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies appear set. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely before frosting.
- Sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder together into a bowl.
- Stir in melted butter, milk or cream, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Frost each cooled cookie with a generous scoop of frosting and, if desired, press sprinkles onto the frosting before it sets.
Serve and enjoy.
Recipe notes and tips
- You’ll typically need one 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries to top about 30 cookies. If you’re a little short, cut a few cherries in half to stretch them.
- Using cream instead of milk yields a richer frosting. If you prefer a sweeter frosting, you can use some of the cherry juice in place of part of the milk or cream.
- If you want to add sprinkles, do so immediately after frosting each cookie—the frosting sets quickly and sprinkles won’t stick once it’s firm.
How to store your cookies
Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator, layered with wax paper, for 3–4 days.
For longer storage, freeze cookies in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours; they’re also enjoyable straight from the freezer. These cookies taste best at room temperature, so let refrigerated cookies sit out for about 20 minutes before serving.
Butter at room temperature: how to tell
Room-temperature butter is important for this cookie dough. Depending on your kitchen, it can take 20 minutes to an hour to reach the right temperature.
Butter is ready when it yields slightly when pressed with your finger but still holds its shape. If it’s too soft or melted, the dough won’t have the proper texture. To speed up softening, cut butter into smaller pieces. Never substitute melted butter for room-temperature butter, as it changes the cookie texture.
A few more cookie recipes
S’mores Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
Snickers Cookies
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating. Share a photo on Instagram and tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your creations!
These chocolate cherry cookies feature a chocolate cookie base topped with maraschino cherries and chocolate frosting. They’re the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Dessert
American
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 30 maraschino cherries
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 to 6 tablespoons milk or cream as needed for consistency
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
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Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
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With the mixer on low, beat in the dry ingredients until incorporated. The dough will be crumbly—use your hands to press it into a uniform dough.
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Form roughly 30 tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Arrange them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Use your finger to make an indentation in each cookie and press a cherry into the center.
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Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies look set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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When the cookies are fully cooled, prepare the chocolate frosting.
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Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Stir in the melted butter, 4 tablespoons of milk (or cream), and the salt. Mix vigorously until smooth.
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If frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until spreadable. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
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Spread frosting over each cookie and serve.
- Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, layered with wax paper.
- Freeze cookies in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature.
- One 10-ounce jar of cherries is usually enough for 30 cookies; halve a few cherries if you need more pieces.
- For a richer frosting use cream; for a sweeter frosting, substitute some cherry juice for part of the milk or cream.
- If adding sprinkles, do so as you frost each cookie so they stick before the frosting sets.