4.64 from 44 votes

Maraschino Cherry Cookies

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Maraschino cherry cookies are the perfect treat for Christmas cookie trays or for your Valentine for Valentine’s Day. This chewy cookie recipe makes a soft and gooey cherry chocolate chip cookie you’ll love!

A stack of maraschino cherry cookies chocolate chip cookies with the top cookie missing a bite.


 

Why We Love Maraschino Cherry Cookies

  • Great For The Holidays – These cookies feel a little extra special for the holidays whether it’s for Christmas, or you are making them for Valentine’s Day. They are extra tempting on a cookie tray, and your family and friends will love the sweet cherry flavor!
  • Gooey Maraschino Cherry And Chocolate Flavor Combo – Mixing chocolate chips with maraschino cherries is a really delicious flavor combo that tastes like a chocolate-covered cherry! The oats in these cookies make them chewy, giving them a wonderful flavor and texture.

Ingredients For Maraschino Cherry Cookies

Ingredients for Maraschino cherry cookies in bowls on a counter with title text overlay.
  • 16 ounces maraschino cherries – candied cherries and maraschino cherry juice are both used in the recipe from the same jar of cherries
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup flour – all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup quick oats also called rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips divided, can use regular sized chocolate chips also.

How To Make The Best Maraschino Cherry Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking oil.
  2. Drain the cherries into a small bowl but save the juice. Remove any cherry stems from the cherries and discard. Dry the cherries well with a paper towel, then chop the cherries into small pieces.
  1. Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
A large mixing bowl filled with butter, brown sugar and white sugar.
  1. Crack and add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix well with an electric mixer until fully combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice from the jar and mix into the dough. Discard the additional cherry juice.
  1. Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a second bowl. Blend the dry ingredients well, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined and a thick dough forms.
  1. Add the oats, 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, and chopped maraschino cherries to the dough, folding them in until just evenly mixed.
  1. Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the dough into balls.
  2. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inches in between the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden brown. Immediately add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of each cookie. from the remaining chocolate chips.
A baking sheet with maraschinio cherry cookies dough balls on it with a bowl of cookie dough nearby.
  1. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the pan and place on a wire rack or clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Maraschino cherry cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the cookies right after baking and watch the flavors in these cookies come alive even more.

Can I Swap In Other Chocolate Chips?

Yes you can swap in other flavors of chocolate chips in this recipe. Dark chocolate chips are especially delicious with the cherries, but milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips can also both be added to the recipe.

Maraschino cherry cookies with chocolate chips on a white plater.

What Kinds Of Oats Can I Use In These Cookies?

Quick oats or rolled oats can all be used in this recipe. Quick oats or rolled oats are both rolled flat, cooked and designed to cook quickly. They will both produce a chewy cookie that is delicious.

Steel-cut oats can not be used in this recipe. Steel cut oats are cut thicker and absorb much more moisture. Steel cut oats will cause the cookies to be too dry and possibly even crumbly.

Instant oats can not be used in this recipe. Instant oats are rolled flat but are cut much smaller. Because they are designed to cook more quickly than quick oats, they will not absorb the same amount of moisture as quick oats or rolled oats. The texture on the cookies will not be as chewy and the cookie dough may be a little too wet.

Does this Recipe Make Pink Cookies?

The cherry juice and chopped cherries usually isn’t enough on it’s own to make the cookies a bright pink color, though cookies look a little pink in the dough.

If you prefer a pink cookie add a little red food coloring to the cookie dough. I would add the food coloring at the same time I add the egg and vanilla. Add a few extra drops of food coloring as the dough color will lighten when you add the dry ingredients.

Can You Freeze Maraschino Cherry Cookies?

Yes you can freeze these cookies. You can freeze them after they have been baked for 1-2 months.

I recommend freezing the cookie dough and baking from frozen. I like to portion the dough into dough balls, and then place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once the dough is frozen transfer the dough balls into a freezer zip top bag. You can freeze the dough for 2-3 months.

How Long Will These Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Last?

Expect these cookies will taste their best if eaten within 3-4 days. Baked cookies can be stored on the counter in an airtight container.

Maraschino cherry chocolate chip cookie close up on a cooling rack.
Recipe

Maraschino Cherry Cookies


Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 31 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 20 Cookies
Maraschino Cherry Cookies are a perfect treat for Christmas cookie trays or for your sweetheart on Valentine's day. This recipe makes a chewy cherry chocolate chip cookie you'll love, and always feel extra special.

Ingredients  

  • 16 ounces maraschino cherries cherries and juice both used in the recipe
  • 1/2 cup butter unsalted, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup quick oats
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips divided

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking oil.
  • Drain the cherries into a small bowl but save the juice. Remove any cherry stems from the cherries and discard. Dry the cherries well with a paper towel, then chop the cherries into small pieces. See notes.
  • Add the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
  • Crack and add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix well with an electric mixer until fully combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the cherry juice from the jar and mix into the dough. Discard the additional cherry juice.
  • Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a second bowl. Blend the dry ingredients well, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined and a thick dough forms.
  • Add the oats, 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, and chopped maraschino cherries to the dough, folding them in until just evenly mixed.
  • Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop and roll the dough into balls.
  • Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inches in between the cookies. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden brown. Immediately add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of each cookie. from the remaining chocolate chips.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the pan and place on a wire rack or clean kitchen towel to finish cooling. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

The cherries do need to be dried very well once removing the juice. Please note that maraschino cherries do stain surfaces easily, so use a cutting board or surface that is ok to be stained. I prefer using a plastic cutting board for chopping the cherries as I can then wash it on hot in the dishwasher and it usually then removes most if not all of the color. Expect the cherries and juice will stain a wood cutting board.
Quick oats or rolled oats can be used in this recipe. Quick oats or rolled oats are both rolled flat, cooked and designed to cook quickly. They will both produce a chewy cookie that is delicious.
Steel-cut oats can not be used in this recipe. Steel cut oats are cut thicker and absorb much more moisture. Steel cut oats will cause the cookies to be too dry and possibly even crumbly.
Instant oats can not be used in this recipe. Instant oats are rolled flat but are cut much smaller. Because they are designed to cook more quickly than quick oats, they will not absorb the same amount of moisture as quick oats or rolled oats. The texture on the cookies will not be as chewy and the cookie dough may be a little too wet.

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword cherry, chocolate, cookie recipes

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Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is s great recipe. Makes delicious cookies

  2. 5 stars
    We made these for Christmas. Such a hit! Came out gooey and flavorful. You couldn’t eat just one. Making a second batch for coworkers!

  3. Jolene Isaacs says:

    Grandkids loved them!

  4. 5 stars
    Yes made 2023 Christmas. Now one of my favorite.

  5. No sure if u cook the oats or nots.

    1. Do you mean do you cook the oats like oatmeal before adding them to the cookies? You add them dry to the recipe and they bake in the oven in the cookie dough. You can only use quick oats or rolled oats though, steel cut oats will not work in this recipe.

  6. 5 stars
    Made this recipe today and did add some chopped walnuts as well. Cookies came out soft in the center but firmed up as they rested on the cooling rack. Cookies were deliciousโ€ฆnice and chewy!! The recipe is a keeper!!

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