Cherries and chocolate together in a cookie? Yes, absolutely yes. These cherry chocolate chip cookies are one of those combinations that just makes total sense the second you take your first bite. I first made them on a whim after spotting a jar of maraschino cherries sitting in my fridge, and honestly, I haven’t stopped baking them since. What makes these special is the maraschino cherry juice stirred right into the dough, plus real chopped cherries folded in. They’re perfectly chewy, deeply chocolatey, and ready in under 30 minutes. I’ve tested this recipe more times than I can count to get that texture just right.

Why You Will Love These Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trust me, once you make these, they’re going straight into your regular rotation. Here’s why:

That chew is unreal. Cornstarch and brown sugar work together to give you the most satisfying, soft and chewy texture in every single bite.

Double the cherry flavor. You get chopped maraschino cherries plus cherry juice right in the dough. It’s not subtle, and that’s exactly the point.
Ready in under 30 minutes. Just 15 minutes of prep and you’re basically done.
Simple ingredients. Everything in this recipe is easy to find at your regular grocery store.

You get 24 cookies per batch. Plenty to share, or not. No judgment here.

Ingredients for Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s everything you need to pull these together. Nothing fancy, I promise.

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature (not melted)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Two things I really want you to pay attention to here. First, your butter needs to be properly softened, not melted. If it’s melted, your dough will be a greasy mess and your cookies will spread way too flat. Second, drain those maraschino cherries really well and pat them dry with paper towels before you chop them. Extra moisture in the dough is the enemy of a good chewy cookie.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

That cornstarch in the ingredient list is not a mistake. It’s actually one of my favorite tricks for getting that soft, chewy texture that makes these cherry chocolate chip cookies so good. It tenderizes the dough and keeps the cookies from going too crispy on you.

The maraschino cherry juice does something the chopped cherries alone just can’t. It works its way through the entire dough, so every single bite has that cherry flavor, not just the bites with a cherry chunk in them.

Here are some easy swaps if you need them:

Salted butter works fine in place of unsalted, just cut the added salt down to about 1 teaspoon.

Dark chocolate chips are a great swap for semi-sweet if you want a deeper, slightly less sweet flavor.
Dried cherries can replace maraschino cherries if you prefer something less sweet and a little more tart.
Don’t swap all the brown sugar for white sugar. That brown sugar is doing real work here, keeping your cookies chewy and moist.

How to Make Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

These come together so fast. Seriously, from start to finish you’re looking at under 30 minutes. Here’s exactly how I do it.

Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Get this done first so you’re not scrambling later.
Add the softened butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and maraschino cherry juice to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream everything together until it’s smooth and looks almost fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes.

Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Keep mixing with the electric mixer until a sticky dough forms. It will look a little shaggy at first, then it comes together. That’s totally normal.
Now put down the mixer. Add the chocolate chips and your patted-dry chopped maraschino cherries, and stir them in by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon. You don’t want to break up those cherries.
Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball so they have room to spread.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The centers will still look a little soft and underdone. Don’t panic. That’s exactly what you want.
Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and leave the cookies right there on the hot pan for 5 full minutes. I know it’s tempting to move them, but please don’t skip this step. The residual heat from the pan finishes cooking the centers and sets that chewy texture you’re going for.
After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a piece of parchment paper on the counter and let them cool completely.

Trust me on the cooling time. The cookies firm up beautifully as they cool. If you bite into one straight off the pan, it’ll feel underdone. Give them a few minutes and they’ll be perfectly chewy all the way through.

Tips for Perfect Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve made these cookies more times than I can count, and these little details make a real difference.

Pat those maraschino cherries really dry before you add them to the dough. Extra moisture will make your dough wet and your cookies won’t hold their shape properly.

Your butter needs to be at room temperature before you start. Cold butter won’t cream properly and you’ll end up with a lumpy, uneven dough.
Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are golden and the centers still look soft. They keep setting up on the hot pan and on the counter as they cool.
If your dough feels too sticky to scoop cleanly, pop the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes. It firms right up and makes scooping so much easier.

Use a cookie scoop for uniform dough balls. Even sizing means every cookie bakes at the same rate, so you won’t end up with some overdone and some underdone on the same tray.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations

Once you’ve nailed the base recipe, it’s so fun to mix things up. Here are a few of my favorite ways to change these cookies depending on my mood.

Add half a cup of white chocolate chips alongside the semi-sweet chips. The sweetness plays really well against the tart cherry flavor.

Swap the maraschino cherries for dried tart cherries. You get a less sweet, more intense cherry flavor that pairs beautifully with the chocolate.
Stir in half a cup of roughly chopped pecans or walnuts for a satisfying crunch in every bite.
Add one teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla. It deepens the cherry flavor in the most amazing way.

How to Store Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies keep really well, which is great news because this recipe makes 24 of them. Here’s exactly how to store them so they stay fresh and chewy.

Room temperature: Keep them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay soft the whole time.
Refrigerator: An airtight container in the fridge works for up to 10 days. Let them come to room temperature before eating for the best texture.

Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer first, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Frozen dough balls: You can freeze the unbaked scooped dough too. Bake them straight from frozen and just add 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition Information for Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s a quick look at what you’re getting per cookie. These numbers are estimates based on the exact ingredients I used, so keep in mind they can shift a little depending on your brands or any swaps you make.

Calories: 150
Fat: 7g (4g saturated, 2g unsaturated, 0g trans)
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 2g
Sodium: 100mg
Cholesterol: 20mg

Frequently Asked Questions About Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Can you use fresh cherries instead of maraschino cherries?
You can, but fresh cherries release a lot more moisture than maraschino cherries do. If you go that route, pit and chop them, then pat them really dry before adding them to the dough. The flavor will be less sweet and more tart, which is actually really nice.

Why are my cookies spreading too much?
This usually comes down to butter that’s too warm or dough that’s too soft. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. If your dough feels really loose, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before scooping. That fixes the problem almost every time.

Can you make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can make the cherry chocolate chip cookie dough up to 48 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. The flavor actually gets even better after a rest.

Do cherry chocolate chip cookies freeze well?
They freeze beautifully. Check the storage section above for all the details on freezing both baked cookies and unbaked dough balls.

Why do you add cornstarch to the cookie dough?
Cornstarch is the secret to that soft, chewy texture. It tenderizes the dough and keeps the cookies from going cakey or crispy. Don’t skip it.

Share Your Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hope you love these cherry chocolate chip cookies as much as my family does. If you try them, please leave a star rating and a comment below. Tell me how they turned out or share any fun variations you tried. I read every single comment. And if you snap a photo, share it on social media and tag me. I absolutely love seeing your bakes.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Worth Baking Again

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Author: Chef Ivan
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Delicious cherry chocolate chip cookies with a chewy texture.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, large
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Dump the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract and cherry juice into a large mixing bowl.
Use an electric mixer to cream all of the ingredients together until smooth.

Add the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda to the bowl.
Continue mixing with the electric mixer until a sticky dough forms.
Add the chocolate chips and chopped cherries to the bowl.

Stir the chocolate chips and cherries into the cookie dough.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Leave 2 inches between the dough balls.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown. 10 – 12 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes transfer the cookies to some parchment paper on the counter to finish cooling.
Serve and enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 150
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 100mg
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 20mg