Cherry Chocolate Blossom Cookies are the rich, chocolatey treat you need in your life right now. Made with a fudgy cookie base and baked with a whole maraschino cherry in the center before being drizzled with a chocolate cherry ganache, these chocolate cherry thumbprint cookies are perfect for serving all year round.
If you’re a fan of the classic combo of dark chocolate and sweet cherries, get ready to be blown away. These chocolate blossom cookies are full of rich chocolate and cherry flavors and are so easy to make. Best of all, you only need 12 simple ingredients to whip up a batch. I’d bet you already have most of what you need on hand!
Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies
This deliciously decadent recipe for dark chocolate cherry cookies was inspired by my cherry cheesecake thumbprint cookie recipe and my love of cherry cordials. I knew with just a little tweaking, I could turn them into a chocolate lover's dream! Make a batch next time you have a craving for something sweet or have something to celebrate.
If you have followed Kitchen Divas for any length of time, you probably know that we have some pretty massive sweet tooths over here. That said, we also like to keep things nice and simple!
Aside from being addictively delicious, this cherry blossom cookies recipe is also:
- Made With Only 12 Ingredients - And most of them are what I’d consider pantry staples. Chances are, you already have most of what you need on hand!
- Quick & Easy - You’ll have a batch ready for sharing with just 20 minutes of active time in the kitchen.
- Versatile - While Ken & I love these chocolate cherry cookies just the way they’re written, we’ve come up with tons of ways for you to customize them to your liking. Read on below for all the fun ideas!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you'll only need a few basic ingredients for this recipe, all of which can be found in your pantry or the baking aisle.
The major ingredients are below, but you'll find the complete list and the amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- All-purpose flour - Plain ol’ white flour is all you need to make these cherry chocolate blossom cookies. Feel free to swap in your favorite measure-for-measure GF flour mix.
- Baking powder & baking soda - You’ll need both kinds of leaveners for your cookies to achieve the perfect light-yet-fudgy consistency we’re after.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - If possible, try using Dutch-processed cocoa powder as it’s less bitter than conventional. That said, regular cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, or even organic raw cacao powder can also be used.
- Unsalted butter - You are welcome to use salted butter and omit the salt called for in the recipe. You can also swap in your favorite plant-based alternative.
- Granulated sugar - Feel free to use light brown sugar instead.
- Pure vanilla extract - You can also use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or swap in half as much ground vanilla bean.
- Maraschino cherries & their juice - You can use jarred or canned sour or sweet cherries. Ideally, they’ll be packed in water or juice, but the ones packed in syrup work too. Fresh or frozen cherries work too, with stems removed and blotted dry. If you go this route, use juice purchased separately, like cherry or cranberry, to make your ganache topping.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips - You can also use semi-sweet chocolate blocks or bars that have been chopped into small pieces.
- Sweetened condensed milk - Don’t have any on hand? Use ½ cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar ~or~ ½ cup of evaporated milk with a couple of tablespoons of sugar blended together instead.
Optional Variations
As much as we love these maraschino cherry chocolate cookies just the way they’re written, we also love to play in the kitchen and encourage you to do the same! Here are a few variations worth considering:
- Gluten-Free - Use an equal amount of all-purpose gluten-free flour instead for a celiac-friendly treat.
- Vanilla Cherry Blossom Cookies - Omit the cocoa powder and add an equal amount of flour for vanilla cookies instead.
- White Chocolate Cherry Cookies - Go a step further with a frosting change, using white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. Be aware the cherry juice will color the white frosting slightly. Feel free to enrich the color with a few drops of food coloring, or omit the juice entirely if you prefer.
- Swap Your Extract - Use almond, orange, coconut, banana, cherry, or coffee extract instead of vanilla for a different flavor.
- Flavored Frosting - Use caramel, butterscotch, chocolate, mint, or peanut butter chips to make your frosting instead of semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate.
- Different Center - Add a treat like chocolate-covered caramels (Rolo's), chocolate-covered pecans and caramel (Turtles), mini peanut butter cups (Reese's), or your favorite sweet treat instead.
How To Make Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies
These double chocolate cherry cookies are very easy to make, and the recipe comes together quickly. The highlights are below, but you'll find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1: Make Wet & Dry Mixes. Combine the wet cookie ingredients and dry cookie ingredients in separate bowls.
Step 2: Combine Wet & Dry. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until just combined.
Step 3: Shape & Fill. Scoop out dough and roll into smooth balls. Place them on a cookie sheet and press an indent into the center of each. Add a cherry.
Step 4: Bake for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
Step 5: Make Cherry Chocolate Ganache. Mix semi-sweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and cherry juice. then melt until smooth.
Step 6: Drizzle & Serve. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and add chocolate stripes to the cookies. Enjoy!
Storage
Room Temperature: Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store for up to a month in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
Make Ahead: These cookies are best when served right after baking.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious little treats are the perfect sweet snack or after-dinner dessert. We like to enjoy our finished chocolate cherry blossom cookies with a cold glass of milk or a cup of hot cocoa.
Expert Tips
- Pipe for professional-looking results. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag with a fitted tip attachment, or use a resealable bag with a corner cut off to drizzle it over the cooled cookies. Pipe frosting around the edges after drizzling it with chocolate frosting.
- The cookie dough should be playdough consistency. It should be able to roll between your palms without sticking, but you also shouldn’t have to force it to stay together. If the dough needs adjusting (this happens to even the best bakers!) you can add more flour if it’s too sticky or a teaspoon of milk if it’s too thick.
- Cook time is exactly 10 minutes. With chocolate cookies, it can be difficult to tell when they are done because they’re already dark to begin with. I like to look at the edges of the cookie and carefully check the bottoms. The cookies will remain very soft until cool.
- Be careful to slowly melt the chocolate for the ganache frosting so it doesn’t seize. When melting chocolate in the microwave cook in 15-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring between each interval. Do not overcook or you’ll risk the chocolate scorching.
- If your icing is too thick, you can add extra cherry juice to it to thin it out.
- Use room temperature ingredients, including the butter and egg to ensure a smooth texture and even baking.
- Preheat your oven before baking! This will help them cook evenly and at an optimal temperature.
- To make perfect thumbprint indentations in each cookie, use either the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon or your knuckle/thumb to press down into the center of each cookie dough ball.
- Let cooled cookies stand on the baking sheet for 10 minutes prior to cooling on a wire rack completely. They’re very soft and prone to breaking while they’re still warm.
- To get the cherries to stick more securely, use a *tiny* dab of water if needed. Gently press down on each cherry just enough so that they are slightly submerged within the top layer of each ball to make sure they don’t pop out during baking.
- Use a kitchen scale for the best, most accurate results.
- Prep your cherries. Remove the stems from the cherries and dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cookie dough balls. This helps to prevent them from adding too much moisture to the cookies while baking.
- Use a cookie scoop (approximately 1 tablespoon size) when forming your cookie dough balls for uniformity.
Top Tip
Don't forget to blot your cherries dry or you’ll end up with a wet indent in your final cookies.
Equipment Needed
- Measuring cups and spoons
- paper towel
- rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- Hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- large bowl
- Cookie Scoop
- microwave safe bowl
- piping bag or use a resealable bag with the tip cut off
- wire rack
- Rubber spatula
FAQ
Before adding the cherries to your cookie dough balls, it's important to remove the stems from them and blot them dry with a paper towel. This helps to ensure that they don't add too much moisture to your cookies while baking.
You can use jarred or canned sour or sweet cherries, ideally in water but packed in juice or syrup works too. Just avoid cherry pie filling if possible.
Also, fresh or frozen cherries (like Bing or Rainier cherries) will work great in these cookies too. If using fresh cherries, make sure to pit them first. If using frozen cherries, make sure to thaw them before removing stems and blotting them with a paper towel.
Yes! It's best to use a large cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) when forming your cookie dough balls so that each cookie is uniform in size. Then roll the dough between your palms until it forms a smooth ball before placing it on a lined baking sheet. Once on the sheet, press an indent into each ball before adding a cherry (or the filling of your choice) to each one.
More Thumbprint Cookie Recipes
Cherry Chocolate Blossom Cookies
Equipment
- piping bag resealable bag with tip cut off
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 jar maraschino cherries stems removed and blotted dry
Chocolate Cherry Frosting
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium low speed to combine the butter and sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, along with the cocoa powder mixing on low just until combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to form balls, rolling in between palms to smooth.
- Place evenly apart on the prepared cookie sheet and use a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon (or your thumb) to press an indent in the center of each cookie dough ball.
- Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Cool completely on wire rack.
Frosting
- In a small bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips, condensed milk and cherry juice. Stir to combine.
- Cook in the microwave in 15 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Be sure to stir in between each round. Do not over cook.
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Serve.
Notes
● The cookie dough should be about playdough consistency. It should be able to roll between palms without sticking but you also shouldn’t have to force it to stay together. If the dough needs adjusting (this happens to even the best bakers!) you can add more flour if it’s too sticky or a teaspoon of milk if it’s too thick.
● 10 minutes was the PERFECT time for me and my two volunteer testers. With chocolate cookies it can be difficult to tell when they are done. I like to look at the edges of the cookie and carefully check the bottoms. The cookies are soft, so they won’t firm up until they start to cool.
● Make sure your cherries are blotted dry completely. If you skip this step you will end up with a wet spot in the center of the cookie.
● Because of the cherry, the cookies should be enjoyed within 3 days of being made. Store in the fridge or room temperature.
● Your reader can make and freeze the dough balls and thaw before baking if they want to make ahead of time.
● If your icing is too thick, you can add cherry juice to it.
● Be careful to slowly melt the frosting so it doesn’t seize.
Leave a Reply