Delightful Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Ultimate Festive & Chewy Treat Recipe

Discover how to make thick, chewy, and irresistibly vibrant Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies – a perfect blend of sweet cherries and rich chocolate, ideal for any festive occasion or a delightful everyday treat!

There’s something truly special about a homemade cookie, and when it comes to celebrating life’s sweet moments, these Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies are an absolute showstopper. Imagine a tender, chewy cookie base bursting with bright, sweet maraschino cherries and generous pockets of rich chocolate. It’s a classic flavor pairing elevated to new heights, offering a delightful twist on your favorite chocolate chip cookies. While their vibrant pink hue makes them perfect for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, their deliciousness knows no season – they’re a fantastic choice for any day you crave a little extra sweetness.

The Irresistible Harmony of Cherry and Chocolate

The combination of cherry and chocolate is a culinary match made in heaven, a timeless duo that evokes feelings of indulgence and comfort. Think of classic chocolate-covered cherries – that perfect balance of sweet, tart fruit encased in smooth, decadent chocolate. These cookies capture that magic in every bite, delivering a sophisticated yet playful flavor profile that’s hard to resist. We’re taking that beloved holiday treat and transforming it into a cookie that can be savored year-round.

What makes these particular Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies truly stand out is the thoughtful selection of ingredients. We load them with plenty of semi-sweet chocolate chips, providing that familiar comforting chocolate taste, and, of course, a generous amount of chopped maraschino cherries. But here’s the secret weapon: instead of traditional vanilla extract, we use almond extract. Almond extract has a wonderfully complementary flavor that enhances both the cherry and chocolate notes, creating a depth and complexity that will have everyone asking for your recipe!

How To Make These Chewy Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the full ingredient list and precise measurements, make sure to scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Making these delightful cookies is simpler than you might think, and the process is incredibly rewarding. Here’s a quick overview of the key steps to achieve that perfect chewy texture and vibrant flavor:

• Creaming the Foundation: Begin by creaming together your softened unsalted butter with both light brown sugar and granulated sugar. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which results in a light and fluffy cookie dough, contributing to the ultimate chewy texture of your baked cookies. Aim for about two minutes of mixing until the mixture is visibly lighter in color and airy.
• Adding Wet Ingredients & Color: Next, mix in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Then, introduce the almond extract, which is key to enhancing the cherry-chocolate dynamic. If you desire those festive pink cookies, now is the time to add your red food coloring. Mix until the color is evenly distributed and the mixture is well blended.
• Combining Dry Ingredients: Gently add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix on a low speed until everything is just combined and you no longer see any dry streaks of flour. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tougher cookies.
• Folding in the Stars: The final step for the dough is to gently fold in your drained and chopped maraschino cherries along with the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
• Chill for Perfection: Chilling the dough is an important step that helps the flavors meld, prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking, and contributes to that desirable chewy consistency. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before scooping.
• Bake to Golden Goodness: Once chilled, scoop uniform balls of dough onto a prepared baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are still slightly soft.

Following these steps will ensure you create a batch of cookies that are as beautiful as they are delicious!

Recipe Tips for Perfect Maraschino Cherry Cookies

Achieving the best possible Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies is easy with a few simple tips. These insights will help you navigate potential challenges and ensure your cookies turn out perfectly every time.

• Thoroughly Drain Your Cherries: Maraschino cherries contain a significant amount of moisture, which can affect the consistency of your cookie dough and ultimately the texture of your baked cookies. To prevent overly cakey or crumbly cookies, it is absolutely essential to drain them exceptionally well. After pouring them into a small strainer, let them sit for at least 10-15 minutes, perhaps even gently pressing them with the back of a spoon. For an extra measure, you can even blot them dry with paper towels after chopping.
• Embrace the Sticky Dough: Despite your best efforts in draining the cherries, the dough for these cookies will naturally be a bit stickier than a typical chocolate chip cookie dough. This is completely normal and expected, as the cherries will continue to release a small amount of moisture. Do not be tempted to add more flour to compensate, as this will lead to dry, dense cookies. The stickiness contributes to the wonderful chewiness of the final product.
• Customize Your Chocolate: While semi-sweet chocolate chips are a fantastic choice for this recipe, feel free to experiment with different types of chocolate to suit your preferences. Dark chocolate chips will add a deeper, more intense contrast to the sweet cherries, while milk chocolate chips will create an even sweeter, creamier flavor. White chocolate chips or chunks would also be incredibly delicious, offering a beautiful visual contrast and a different kind of sweetness. You can even mix and match!
• Achieve Picture-Perfect Cookies: If you’re aiming for that bakery-style, “magazine-ready” look, here’s a simple trick. Once you’ve scooped your balls of dough onto the baking sheet, gently press a few extra chocolate chips and small pieces of chopped maraschino cherries onto the tops and sides of each cookie dough ball before placing them in the oven. As the cookies bake and spread, these additions will remain visible on the surface, giving them a beautifully studded appearance.
• Food Coloring is Optional but Fun: The vibrant pink color of these cookies is entirely optional and achieved with just a few drops of red food coloring. For the color shown in the photos, about 7-8 drops of liquid red food coloring were used. If you have gel food coloring, it often provides a more intense and even color with fewer drops. However, if you prefer to omit it, your cookies will still be incredibly flavorful and look like delicious chocolate chip cookies with a lovely cherry surprise – no problem at all!
• Proper Storage for Freshness: Once cooled, store your Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain their freshness and chewy texture.
• Freezing Options: These cookies are excellent for freezing! You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough: scoop balls of dough and flash freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
• Don’t Overbake: For that perfect chewy center, avoid overbaking. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly soft. They will continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet.

These Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies truly are a versatile and joyful treat. They are an absolute must-make for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Christmas, adding a burst of festive color and flavor to your spread. But honestly, why wait for a special day? They’re equally perfect for a cozy Tuesday evening, a weekend bake-off with the family, or when you simply need a little pick-me-up. After all, do we really need a specific reason to bake and enjoy delicious homemade cookies?

If you have children, especially a little one who adores the color pink, these cookies become an extra special delight! Imagine the joy they’d bring to a birthday party, a princess-themed tea party, or just as a fun surprise in their lunchbox. Their vibrant color and sweet taste make them a hit with kids and adults alike.

Ultimately, if you’re a devoted fan of maraschino cherries and cherish the delightful taste of chocolate-covered cherries, then these cookies were quite literally made for you! They offer a super easy, fun, and incredibly delicious way to elevate your traditional chocolate chip cookie experience. They’re a simple pleasure that delivers big on flavor and festive charm.

More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Try

If you’ve loved making these cherry chocolate chip cookies, we have plenty of other fantastic cookie recipes waiting for you to explore!

• Lime Cooler Cookies: A refreshing and zesty twist for citrus lovers.
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: The ultimate comfort food pairing, rich and satisfying.
• Frosted Sugar Cookies: Classic, soft sugar cookies perfect for decorating for any holiday.
• Soft Monster Cookies: A loaded cookie with oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
• Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies: Recreate the famous hotel cookie experience at home.
• Andes Mint Cake Mix Cookies: Easy and decadent mint chocolate cookies using a cake mix base.

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