Cherry Chip Cake with Maraschino Cherries

Heaping tablespoon of dough. Cherry half pressed into the center while it’s still warm. That’s the whole thing right there.

Why You’ll Love These Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Takes 28 minutes total from start to eating one. Fifteen minute prep, thirteen in the oven, done. The cherries stay soft inside the cookie. Not dried out. Not crunchy. That specific texture where they’re almost jammy. Comfort food that doesn’t feel heavy. Chocolate and cherry together — sounds fancy, tastes like coming home. Chocolate chips melt into little pockets. Maraschino cherries give you bursts of something bright and sweet you weren’t expecting. The dough needs chilling, which sounds annoying but actually means you bake better cookies and you get to walk away for an hour. Works fine if you’ve got time later.

What You Need for Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

All-purpose flour. Two and a half cups. Don’t sift unless you want to. Helps aerate but not required. Baking soda. One teaspoon. Salt too — a quarter teaspoon, fine kind. Kills the sweetness a bit so it doesn’t feel cloying. Unsalted butter. One cup, softened. Not melted. Softened. There’s a difference and it matters for how fluffy they get. Both kinds of sugar. Three-quarters cup granulated, three-quarters cup packed brown sugar. Brown sugar adds chew. Granulated keeps them from being too dense. Vanilla extract. A teaspoon and a half. Cherry syrup next — three tablespoons from the maraschino jar. You could use cherry liqueur if you’ve got it. Same idea. Eggs. Two. Add them one at a time so they actually incorporate. Chopped maraschino cherries. One cup, drained well. The syrup goes in the dough, the cherries go in too. Also grab 36 cherry halves for the tops — these stay whole and press in after baking. Semi-sweet chocolate chips. A cup and a quarter. Not dark, not white. The middle road works best here.

How to Make Cherry and Chocolate Cookies

Whisk your flour with the baking soda and salt in a bowl. Get any lumps out. Doesn’t matter much but it helps. Cream the butter until it’s pale and fluffy. This takes maybe three minutes if your butter’s actually soft. You want air trapped in there — that’s what makes them tender inside. Don’t use cold butter straight from the fridge. Add both sugars slowly while you’re beating. Granulated first, then brown. Keep going until it looks smooth and you can’t see separate crystals anymore. The mixture should look lighter than it did before. Beat in the vanilla, then crack one egg in. Mix it. Then the second egg. Mix again. Last thing — pour in that cherry syrup. Mix just until it’s combined. Don’t overbeat or you’ll wake up the gluten and your cookies get tough instead of tender. Fold in the dry ingredients now. By hand if you want. The flour streaks should disappear but you’re not trying to work it like bread dough. Stop while you still see a few tiny flour bits and they’ll come together. Stir in the chopped cherries and chocolate chips. They’re going to be scattered throughout the dough. That’s the point.

How to Get Perfect Chewy Cherry and Chocolate Cookies

Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Push it right against the top so it doesn’t dry out. Into the fridge it goes. At least an hour. You can leave it 24 hours if you want — actually tastes better if you do because the flavors meld and the flour hydrates more. Heat your oven to 350. Center rack. That matters — if you bake on the top rack they brown too fast and the centers don’t set. Line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat. Not greasing them. Paper does the job and cleanup’s actually easy. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough. Space them about two inches apart. The chilled dough won’t spread crazy if you did everything right, but give them room anyway. Bake 11 to 16 minutes. Watch the edges — they firm up first and turn golden. The centers are still going to look shiny and soft when they’re done. That’s when you pull them out. Resist the urge to leave them in longer. They keep cooking on the sheet after you take them out. Right out of the oven — gently press a cherry half into the center of each cookie. It’ll sink in slightly. The cookie’s still warm enough that it holds. Don’t press hard or you crack the surface.

Cherry Chocolate Cookie Tips and Mistakes

Cool them on the sheets for seven to ten minutes. They’ll set enough that you can move them but they stay chewy inside. Then move them to a cooling rack or just a plate. Doesn’t matter. Store them in an airtight container. They last about three days before they start getting stale, but honestly they’re better on day two. The flavors develop overnight somehow. If you can’t find maraschino cherries — fresh pitted cherries work. Dried cherries work too but drain them extra because dried fruit pulls moisture. White chocolate instead of semi-sweet is a thing people do. It’s fine. Different but fine. The cherry syrup is the secret move. If you don’t have it, skip it. Rum works. Cherry brandy works. Plain vodka doesn’t really do anything so don’t bother. Don’t overbake. Seriously. The second you think they might be done, they probably are. Underbaked cherry chocolate chip cookies are better than overbaked ones every single time.

Cherry Chip Cake with Maraschino Cherries

By Emma

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

13 min

Total:

28 min

Servings:

36 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry syrup or sub cherry liqueur
• 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries drained
• 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 36 maraschino cherry halves for topping

Method

1. 1 Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Makes sure no lumps linger. Sifting optional but helps aerate.
2. 2 Cream butter until pale, fluffy. Don’t rush. Patience traps air, gives lift and tender crumb.
3. 3 Slowly add granulated and brown sugars. Beat until seamless. Brown sugar adds chew; granulated balances sweetness.
4. 4 Beat in vanilla extract, eggs one at a time. Add cherry syrup last. Mix just enough to combine — avoid overworking.
5. 5 Fold dry ingredients in gently. Streaks of flour should vanish but avoid excess mixing. Over-beating triggers gluten, toughens cookies.
6. 6 Work in chopped cherries and chocolate chips. They bring texture: soft fruit bites and melty pockets.
7. 7 Cover dough with plastic wrap tight. Chill at least 1 hour, up to 24. Chilling firms dough for less spread and deeper flavor meld.
8. 8 Heat oven to 350°F set rack center. Line trays with parchment or silicone mat; prevents sticking, easy cleanup.
9. 9 Scoop heaping tablespoons dough; spaced about 2 inches apart. Dough will spread but not runaway if chilled well.
10. 10 Bake 11 to 16 minutes. Watch edges firm and turn golden first. Centers still shiny and soft indicate pull time. Resist urge to overbake.
11. 11 Out of oven, gently press a cherry half in center of each cookie. Embeds fruit neatly without cracking surface.
12. 12 Cool on sheets 7 to 10 minutes; cookies will set but remain chewy inside. Transfer to rack to finish cooling.
13. 13 Store airtight. Flavors develop further overnight but best eaten within 3 days.
14. 14 If no maraschino cherries, fresh pitted sweet cherries work dried works too—drain well to avoid sogginess. Cherry syrup can swap with rum or cherry brandy for boozy twist.

Nutritional information

Calories

150

Protein

2g

Carbs

22g

Fat

7g

Print Recipe Save to Pinterest

Frequently Asked Questions About Cherry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can I make the dough ahead and bake later? Yeah. Plastic wrap, fridge, up to 24 hours. Actually better that way. Scoop and bake whenever you want.

What if I don’t have maraschino cherries? Fresh ones work. Dried cherries work if you drain them really well — they absorb moisture and the dough gets soggy otherwise. Neither tastes exactly the same but they’re both good.

How soft should they be when I pull them out? Centers shiny. That’s the cue. Not wet. Just not fully set. They firm up on the sheet while they cool.

Can I freeze the dough? Sure. Thaw in the fridge before baking or add a minute to the bake time if you bake from frozen.

Do I really need to chill the dough? No, but they spread more and bake unevenly if you don’t. Also the flavor’s better if you do. One hour minimum.

What’s the difference between the cherry syrup and cherry liqueur? Syrup’s sweeter, no alcohol. Liqueur’s boozy. Both work. Use the same amount.