Name: Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup room temperature butter (1 stick); 2/3 cup light brown sugar; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg; 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp almond extract; 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks; 1 (10 oz) jar chopped maraschino cherries

Jump to Recipe

Soft, chewy chocolate chunk cookies studded with sweet maraschino cherries and a hint of almond for a nostalgic, bakery-style treat.

There’s something undeniably nostalgic about maraschino cherries. Maybe it’s the way they remind you of old-school ice cream parlors, Shirley Temples, or holiday baking with someone who always had butter softening on the counter. Whatever it is, these cookies lean straight into that charm and level it up with melty chocolate chunks that ties everything together.

These cookies are soft and chewy in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and packed with flavor in every bite. The extra brown sugar helps give them that perfect softness, while the almond extract quietly works behind the scenes to make the cherries pop without overpowering the chocolate.

They’re the kind of cookie people ask for recipe after the first bite. Perfect for holidays, bake sales, or just a random Tuesday when you want something a little extra.

PIN FOR LATER!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure here for further information.

FAQs

How do you store these cherry chocolate cookies?

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Simply warm them up in the microwave for 15 seconds or in the oven.

OR if you want, use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and freeze the dough balls. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months. When you’re ready for fresh-baked cookies, remove the dough, place it on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. You may need a longer bake time since you’re baking from frozen, so keep an eye on them.

What’s the best part of these cherry chocolate chunk cookies?

These cookies have so many great qualities, but here’s just a few of my favorite things about this recipe:

Soft, chewy texture with pools of melted chocolate
Sweet cherries in every bite
Almond extract magic that enhances the cherry flavor
No chill time required (because sometimes waiting is overrated)

Ingredients

Butter: I always use salted butter in baking because I feel like it gives the cookie or baked good a little more depth and balance of flavor, but you can use unsalted too.

Sugars: I love using a combination of brown sugar and white sugar in these cherry chocolate chunk cookies, and really any type of chocolate chip cookie. I prefer to use more brown sugar than white sugar because it adds a little more flavor and softness. I also prefer a medium to dark brown sugar, but light brown sugar works great too!

Egg: There’s only one lone egg in this recipe to make the texture just right.

Extracts: For this recipe I combined a little bit of vanilla extract with some almond extract. The vanilla gives these cookies more of that true cookie flavor, while the almond extract adds more of that cherry flavor without making the dough too wet like it would if we added cherry juice.

Flour: All-purpose flour is my go-to when it comes to most baked goods. I prefer unbleached all-purpose, but use your favorite. I have not tried a 1:1 gluten free flour in this recipe, but it should work.

Baking soda & salt: Baking soda helps to plump up these cookies while they bake, while the salt balances the sweet.

Chocolate chunks: You can use chocolate chunks from the back or make your own with your favorite bar chocolate by simply chopping them up.

Cherries: We’re using maraschino cherries in this recipe, but you could use dry cherries or pitted dark cherries as well.

How to Make Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

Stand mixer or mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk and spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cookie or ice cream scoop
Cutting board and knife

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup room temperature butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 (10 oz) jar chopped maraschino cherries

DIRECTIONS

Prep

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Set them aside.

Drain the juice from the cherry jar, remove the stems from the cherries and chop them up into small pieces.

Making the Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cream together softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar for a few minutes until they’re combined nicely.

Mix in the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract until the mixture turns a pale color.

Add a third of the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined, then the next third, followed by the final third.

Fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped cherries.

Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies and 10-12 for larger cookies.

NOTES

I prefer to slightly underbake my cookies to give them the bakery style texture. Bake them until they’re just golden brown and there’s no wet dough visible, then allow them to finish baking outside the oven. Once they cool, they’ll be the perfect soft texture.
Pat the cherries dry with paper towels for the best texture.
For bakery-style cookies, press a few extra chocolate chunks on top right after baking.
These cookies taste even better the next day once the flavors have had time to settle.