Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Delight in these Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies with a perfect balance of sweet maraschino cherries and rich semisweet chocolate chips. Soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor, these cookies are enhanced with vanilla and almond extracts and a touch of cherry juice for extra depth. Ideal for holiday treats or everyday indulgences.
- Author: Emma
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Dry Ingredients
- 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons reserved cherry juice
- 2 to 3 drops pink food color
Add-ins
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking soda until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened salted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until light, fluffy, and well combined using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg until incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract, reserved cherry juice, and pink food coloring drops until the dough has a uniform pale pink color.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and semisweet chocolate chips with a spatula, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help the flavors meld and prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Shape and Bake Cookies: Scoop dough using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spacing the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden and centers are set but still soft.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Using salted butter enhances flavor, but if using unsalted, reduce added salt accordingly.
- Chilling dough is important to keep cookies from spreading too much.
- Maraschino cherries add sweetness; for less sugary cookies, rinse and dry cherries before chopping.
- Adding food coloring is optional but lends a fun pink tint to the dough.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These cookies freeze well both baked and as dough balls.
Keywords: Cherry chocolate chip cookies, maraschino cherry cookies, chocolate chip cookies, holiday cookies, chewy cookies, pink cookies