Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Double chocolate cherry cookies are chewy fudgy cookies with maraschino cherries in the center and a fudgy frosting baked right on top. Each bite is a chocolate lover’s dream!

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies Ingredients

I make these easy cookies every year. They freeze well so feel free to make them well ahead of time. Even though we tend to think of them as Christmas cookies they are delicious ANY time of the year!

• Butter can be salted or unsalted for this recipe. Just make sure it’s at room temperature.
• Sugar is used to sweeten these. Sometimes I use half brown sugar.
• Eggs used are large, pasture raised organic eggs.
• Vanilla is important to the flavor of this recipe. Use real vanilla.
• All-purpose flour was used in this recipe.
• Cocoa powder is where the chocolate flavor comes from. I used Hershey’s Extra Dark to get the most chocolate flavor.
• Chipotle powder is optional of course. I love the kick of chipotle with chocolate.
• Salt balances the sweetness is baked goods. I use kosher salt so if you use table salt you’ll need a little less.
• Baking powder and baking soda are used as leavening.
• Maraschino cherries can be red or green. The red ones are pretty but if you use the green ones you can call them Grinch cookies. You’ll want the ones without stems.
• Bittersweet chocolate chips are melted down for the ganache.
• Sweetened condensed milk is used in the ganache. I use Eagle Brand.
• Amaretto compliments the flavor of the cherries in this. If you don’t want to use Amaretto then use some of the cherry juice.

Classic Holiday Cookies

Chocolate covered cherry cookies (also called cherry bon bons) are always the most popular cookies on the Christmas cookie tray.

In my version a dark chocolate cookie dough is spiced up with a little chipotle then a Maraschino cherry is pressed in the dough. A thick layer of ganache is spooned over the entire thing before baking. These chocolate cookies are a holiday favorite at my house right along with the classic peanut butter blossoms!

Just incredible, I promise.

And yeah, I was going to call them Chipotle Cherry Bon Bons but changed my mind at the last minute. :/

The thing that always freaks me out about these is that the ganache is actually baked with the cookie. It’s doesn’t melt and run off or burn. It forms a chocolate candy crust with gooey chocolate underneath.

So you take a bite and you get hit with crispy, chewy cookie, sweet cherry, rich chocolate, and finally a slow heat from the chipotle. I like to add sprinkles for a little extra wow.

AND if you happen to be taking these chocolate covered cherry cookies to an adults only event try soaking the cherries in Amaretto or bourbon overnight before you make them. Just pat them dry before using.

Make Classic Holiday Memories

Christmas is special for a lot of reasons. Of course, for those of us who are Christian there is church and celebration of the birth of Christ and all the traditions that go along with it.

Another thing that Christmas does is to hold our memories, maybe more than any other holiday. It always seems to me that Christmas is made of layers and layers of family memories.

As I bring out the ornaments each year I remember the stories they tell. There are ornaments on my tree that are over 100 years old — and there are those that were special to me when I was a child. There are those that my kids have added over the years, too. We have a tradition of buying each child an ornament every year until they move out — something that represents the year in some way.

Each child has unique ornaments that are meaningful to them and to me. It’s a memory we share. I hope someday they are explaining to their grandchildren what each one means as they hang them on their tree. So, that is the soul of Christmas to me. Family. Love. Memories.

Tips for Chocolate Cherry Cookies

These are so pretty on cookie trays during the holidays. They’re usually the first ones to disappear. Here are some tips to ensure you are successful the first time and every time!

• Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature – it’s important to the way the cookies come out.
• If the dough seems too soft to roll into balls chill it for about 30 minutes.
• Be sure the cherries are drained well and you’ve dried them with paper towels. The frosting won’t stick otherwise.
• You can use any kind of cocoa you want. I really like the extra dark cocoa because it gives the cookies a deeper flavor.
• You can use any kind of chocolate chips – milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, etc.
• Don’t use an off brand sweetened condensed milk. Some of them make the ganache come out grainy.
• These freeze well for up to 3 months.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

I love Christmas cookies and all of the traditions that go along with them. Here are some of my favorites!

• Sugar Cookies stay soft, don’t crumble, and don’t spread in the oven. Perfect cookies every single time! 
• Peanut Butter Kisses freeze well so they’re great for making ahead of time for holiday giving. Just FYI- I’m pretty certain that these are Santa’s favorites.
• Peppermint Kiss Cookies are festive with a beautiful red velvet color and flavor. Peppermint kisses make these cookies beautiful as well as delicious.
• Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies are as much a mouthful to say as they are to eat. You might also know them as Hooty Creeks. Chewy oatmeal cookies with a crispy edge are filled with tangy dried cranberries, buttery toasted pecans, rich white chocolate chips, and a burst of citrus flavor from a combination of Triple Sec and orange zest.
• Cranberry Cookies are a holiday classic. A buttery dough envelopes tangy cranberries, nuts, and just a hint of citrus.

You May Need…

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If you need some cookie sheets these are good, strong ones.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe

This is sure to be one of those recipes that makes memories — the kind you’re asked to make again and again. Chocolate covered cherry cookies look (and taste) fancy but they are so super simple!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cherry Bon Bons

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A chewy, crispy dark chocolate cookie spiced up with a little chipotle, cherry on top, and covered in ganache. Rich and delicious – perfect for holiday cookie trays

Course Dessert – Cookies

Cuisine Amercian Heritage,Holiday

Keyword cherry,chocolate

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 36

Calories 120

Author Marye Audet-White

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

• Stand mixer

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 3/4 cup Extra dark cocoa
• 1/4 Chipotle powder, (may omit )
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
• 36 Maraschino cherries without stems, drained, and patted dry (reserve juice)

Ganache

• 1 cup Bittersweet chocolate chips, bittersweet
• 1/2 cup Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Amaretto or cherry juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, chipotle, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well.
• Form the dough into 36 balls using about a heaping teaspoon of dough for each.
• Roll the dough in confectioner’s sugar.
• Push a cherry into each one.
• Cover with the ganache.
• Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Ganache
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Heat until the chocolate is melted.
• Blend well.
• Add the Amaretto or cherry juice.
• Spoon on top of each cherry, covering it completely, before baking.

Notes

• Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature – it’s important to the way the cookies come out.
• If the dough seems too soft to roll into balls chill it for about 30 minutes.
• Be sure the cherries are drained well and you’ve dried them with paper towels. The frosting won’t stick otherwise.
• You can use any kind of cocoa you want. I really like the extra dark cocoa because it gives the cookies a deeper flavor.
• You can use any kind of chocolate chips – milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, etc.
• Don’t use an off brand sweetened condensed milk. Some of them make the ganache come out grainy.
• These freeze well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

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