Chocolate Cherry Cookies

5 from 4 votes

Soft Chocolate Cherry Cookies that are easy to make and so delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 123kcal

½ cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
⅓ cup buttermilk
1 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup maraschino cherries stems removed, chopped and blotted dry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer on low speed, cream the butter until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add sugar, egg, vanilla, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Mix well until completely combined.
Add in flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix well then fold in cherries until well combined.
Drop 1-2 rounded tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched.
Remove from oven, let cook 2 minutes on baking sheet and remove to wire cookie rack to completely cool.

Cookies will keep well in an airtight container for two to three days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to three months. We recommend separating them with wax or parchment paper because they cookies are a bit sticky.
This recipe has one cup of chopped cherries. If you want to add chocolate chips I recommend reducing the cherries to 1/2 cup and adding 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
It’s important to dry the cherries so they don’t make the cookie dough too wet. I like to chop them first and then blot them dry with a paper towel or dish towel.
When you add the cherries to the dough, fold them in evenly so they are throughout the dough.
These chocolate cherry cookies don’t spread much so if you want bigger cookies, drop bigger scoops of the dough onto the cookie sheets. I think two tablespoons is a good amount and will take about 10 minutes to bake.
These cookies are very soft and sticky so when you store them use wax paper to separate layers so they don’t stick together.