Dreamy Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe: Sweet Baking Magic

Sweet and tangy, these chocolate cherry cookies dance with rich cocoa and bursts of fruity brightness.

Dark chocolate swirls through each soft, tender bite, creating a decadent dessert experience.

Tart cherries provide unexpected pops of flavor that complement the deep chocolate notes perfectly.

Bakers love how simple ingredients can create such an extraordinary treat.

Every batch emerges from the oven with a delightful aroma that fills the kitchen with warmth.

The combination of smooth chocolate and bright cherries makes these cookies irresistible.

You’ll want to serve these at your next gathering or savor them as a personal indulgence.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Calories: 247 kcal

Servings: 13

Chocolate Cherry Cookies Ingredient Breakdown

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides sturdy structure and tender crumb for classic cookie texture.
• Cocoa Powder: Delivers rich, deep chocolate flavor and dark color to cookies.
• Baking Powder: Ensures light, soft rise and delicate cookie consistency.
• Sea Salt: Enhances chocolate's complexity and balances overall sweetness.

• Butter: Creates creamy, rich foundation with smooth melt-in-mouth quality.
• Brown Sugar: Adds caramel-like depth and moisture to cookie dough.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps cookies achieve crisp edges.
• Egg Yolks: Contribute richness, color, and help bind ingredients together.
• Vanilla Extract: Rounds out chocolate flavor with warm, aromatic notes.

• Dark Chocolate: Produces silky, intense ganache with luxurious chocolate essence.
• Heavy Cream: Creates smooth, glossy ganache texture.
• Cherry Preserves: Introduces tangy, fruity brightness to complement chocolate.

Tools You’ll Need to Bake Chocolate Cherry Cookies

• Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer: Essential for creaming butter and sugar, and mixing ingredients smoothly.
• Medium Mixing Bowls: Perfect for combining dry and wet ingredients separately.
• Large Baking Sheet: Needed for baking cookies evenly.
• Parchment Paper: Prevents cookies from sticking and makes cleanup easy.
• Tablespoon-Size Cookie Scoop: Helps create uniform cookie portions.
• ¼ Teaspoon: Used for creating indents in cookie centers.
• Small Saucepan: Ideal for heating heavy cream.
• Wire Rack: Allows cookies to cool completely without getting soggy.
• Circular Cookie Cutter (optional): Helps shape cookies into perfect rounds.

How to Bake Chocolate Cherry Cookies at Home

• Cookie Base

Blend smooth butter with sugars until creamy and light. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla for rich flavor. Softly fold dry ingredients into wet mixture creating a soft chocolate dough.

• Dough Preparation

Shape cookie balls and create gentle centers. Refrigerate dough to enhance texture and flavor concentration. This resting period helps cookies develop deeper taste profiles.

• Baking Process

Warm oven to moderate temperature. Arrange cookies with careful spacing. Bake until edges look slightly crisp but centers remain tender. Gently reshape centers after removing from oven.

• Ganache Creation

Melt chocolate with warm cream until silky smooth. Swirl cherry preserves into ganache for fruity depth and vibrant color. Allow mixture to reach perfect spreading consistency.

• Cookie Assembly

Spoon luxurious ganache into cookie centers. Let cookies rest in cool environment to help ganache set beautifully. Delicate chocolate will create elegant glossy finish.

• Storage

Keep cookies in sealed container. Enjoy within several days for maximum freshness and intense flavor experience. Each bite delivers rich chocolate and bright cherry notes.

Tips to Add Richness to Chocolate Cherry Cookies

• Upgrade the cocoa powder to a high-quality Dutch-processed variety for deeper, richer chocolate notes.
• Prepare cookie dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, or freeze dough balls for up to 2 months for instant baking convenience.
• Avoid overmixing the dough to keep cookies tender and prevent them from becoming tough or dense during baking.
• Separate cookie layers with parchment paper when storing to prevent ganache from sticking and maintain their beautiful appearance.

How to Serve Chocolate Cherry Cookies for Dessert

• Dessert Platter Paradise: Create a stunning cookie display with multiple Chocolate Cherry Cookies arranged beautifully on a elegant white ceramic platter, garnished with fresh cherries and dark chocolate shavings.
• Party Treat Centerpiece: Serve these cookies as a delightful dessert at dinner parties, placing them on tiered cake stands with small decorative doilies underneath to add an elegant touch and make guests feel special.
• Coffee Companion Delight: Pair these rich chocolate cherry cookies with a warm cappuccino or espresso, allowing the deep chocolate and sweet cherry flavors to complement the coffee's robust profile for a sophisticated afternoon snack experience.
• Wine Pairing Magic: Match these decadent cookies with a glass of port wine or sweet red wine, creating a luxurious dessert moment that elevates the taste and brings out the complex flavors of both the wine and the cookies.

Store Chocolate Cherry Cookies Without Losing Texture

• Cookie Cooldown Strategy: Place warm cookies on a wire rack, ensuring maximum air circulation to prevent soggy bottoms and maintain crisp texture.
• Refrigeration Tactics: Store chocolate cherry cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper to prevent sticking and preserve moisture for up to 4 days.
• Freezing Wisdom: Wrap unbaked cookie dough balls in plastic wrap, then store in freezer-safe bags for convenient future baking. Frozen dough maintains quality for 2-3 months and can be baked directly from frozen state with slight time adjustment.
• Ganache Care: Keep filled cookies refrigerated to maintain ganache's smooth consistency. Allow cookies to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for optimal flavor and texture release.

Sweet Chocolate Cherry Cookies

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4.7 from 39 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 13 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Sumptuous chocolate cherry cookies blend rich cocoa with tart cherries in a delightful dessert. Cherry-studded chocolate treats promise pure indulgence for passionate bakers who crave irresistible homemade sweets.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¾ cups (168 g) unsalted butter
• ¾ cups (165 g) light brown sugar
• ¼ cups (50 g) granulated white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cups (40 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 5 oz (141 g) chocolate (Endangered Species Chocolate Vibrant Cherries + Dark Chocolate)
• ¼ cups + 2 tbsps (90 ml) heavy cream
• ¼ cups (85 g) cherry preserves

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Instructions

1. Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl until completely integrated, creating a uniform dry mixture.
2. Sugar Transformation: Cream butter with brown and granulated sugars using an electric mixer until the blend becomes light, fluffy, and pale.
3. Wet Component Integration: Mix in egg yolks and vanilla extract, beating until the mixture achieves a silky, aerated consistency.
4. Dough Formation: Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture on low speed, stopping just as ingredients combine to prevent overmixing.
5. Dough Preparation: Roll dough into 32 uniform spheres, creating a subtle indentation in each cookie’s center using a ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon.
6. Chill and Develop: Refrigerate dough for one hour to enhance flavor complexity and stabilize texture.
7. Baking Procedure: Preheat oven to 350°F, line baking sheets with parchment paper, and arrange cookies with strategic spacing.
8. Cookie Execution: Bake for 10 minutes, achieving crisp exterior with tender centers, rotating sheet midway for even heat distribution.
9. Shaping Refinement: Immediately after removing from oven, gently re-press cookie centers and trim edges using a circular cutter if desired.
10. Cooling Protocol: Rest cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack for complete temperature stabilization.
11. Ganache Crafting: Combine chopped chocolate with near-boiling heavy cream, stirring until achieving a glossy, smooth consistency.
12. Flavor Enhancement: Incorporate cherry preserves into ganache, ensuring complete and thorough blending.
13. Filling Technique: Delicately spoon approximately one teaspoon of ganache into each cookie’s center, creating an elegant finish.
14. Final Setting: Refrigerate cookies for 10-15 minutes, allowing ganache to set and stabilize completely.
15. Storage Strategy: Preserve cookies in an airtight container, maintaining optimal flavor and texture for up to three days.

Notes

• Chill for Flavor Perfection: Refrigerating the dough for an hour allows ingredients to meld, intensifying the rich chocolate and butter taste.
• Create Uniform Cookies: Use a cookie scoop to ensure consistent size and even baking, preventing some cookies from overcooking.
• Master the Center Indent: Gently press the cookie centers immediately after baking to maintain a perfect well for the ganache filling.
• Ganache Texture Matters: Stir the chocolate and cream slowly and thoroughly to achieve a silky-smooth ganache that will beautifully fill each cookie.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 13
• Calories: 247
• Sugar: 14 g
• Sodium: 80 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 57 mg