Cherry cookies are soft and buttery shortbread style drop cookies filled with maraschino cherries and sweet almond flavor. These pretty pink maraschino cherry cookies are the perfect quick and easy cherry sugar cookie recipe for any occasion.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
One of my favorite types of cookies to make are soft and slightly crumbly shortbread style cookies. My Key Lime Cookies and Lavender Cookies are two of my favorite drop sugar recipes on the blog. These buttery cherry filled cookies are another delicious addition I know you’ll because:
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is bring the butter to room temperature, mix everything up in one bowl, chill for 30 minutes while the oven preheats , scoop and bake!
- Layers of flavor and texture. From the soft, buttery and slightly crumbly almond scented shortbread cookie, to the bright and sweet maraschino cherries, these old fashioned cookies are full of delicious flavors and textures.
Ingredients
This recipe for cherry cookies requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go!
- Dry ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, almond flour and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, granulated sugar, maraschino cherry juice, vanilla extract, almond extract and chopped maraschino cherries.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully buttery Italian cherry cookies:
- All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour and measure by weight rather than cups.
- Almond Flour: I love using a blend of almond flour and all purpose flour in my cookies. Almond flour gives these cherry drop cookies a wonderfully nutty background flavor; as well as giving the cookies a soft and tender texture. Feel free to use the same amount of all purpose flour in place of the almond flour.
- Granulated Sugar:This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt. To make these cherry biscuits vegan or dairy free, use a plant based butter.
- Maraschino Cherries and Juice: A small jar of maraschino cherries is more than enough for this cherry cookie recipe. Feel free to use frozen cherries that are thawed. Fresh cherries also work well. Make sure to reserve cherry juice in addition to the fresh or frozen cherries.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extracts: Both vanilla and almond extract are wonderful flavor enhancers for this sour cherry cookie recipe. I highly recommend using both, but feel free to omit one or both if needed.
Variation
- Cherry Glaze: Top these buttery drop cookies with cherries with a quick and easy cherry glaze. Mix 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) cherry juice with 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Drizzle over cooled cookies, set and enjoy.
- Cherry Cookies with Chocolate Chips: Add ½ cup (85 g) mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough right before folding in the chopped cherries. Scoop and bake as written in the recipe.
How To Make
Learn how to make cherry cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, almond flour and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed. Mix in the cherry juice, vanilla extract and almond extracts until well combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries until just combined. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a small cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies. Bake the cherry sugar cookies for 12 - 14 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freezes: Once the cookies are baked and have full cooled to room temperature, place the baked cookies into an airtight, freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer your desired amount of frozen cookies onto a plate to thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
M’s Expert Tips
- Wear gloves. The maraschino cherries will stain your hands, so I recommend wearing disposable gloves while preparing the cherries for baking.
- Maraschino cherries tips: An 8 oz. jar is the perfect amount for this cherry cookies recipe. Remove the stem still attached to any cherries. Cut the cherries into quarters for this this cherry sugar cookie recipe. There’s no need to pat dry the cherries. The juice from the cherries, as well as the reserved.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature (soft, but cool to the touch). This results in a soft, tender, delicious and slightly crumbly cookie.
- Mix the flour until just combined. I like to mix the flour into the sweetened butter just there are a few stray pieces of flour coated butter. Then I mix the rest by hand or with a flexible spatula.
- Chill the cookie dough. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Fully preheat the oven. Use an oven thermometer to double check the temperature.
- Use a cookie scoop to get perfectly round cookies.
FAQs
No, I do not recommend using all almond flour as the cookies will not have the same texture or structure.
This can happen when too much flour is used in relation to the amount of butter in these maraschino cherry cookies. I highly recommend using a food scale for the most precise measurements.
Yes, fresh, pitted cherries will work in for this cherry cookies recipe.
Other Cherry Recipes To Try
If you try this Cherry Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Cherry Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 small cookie scoop (1 tbsp, 15 ml) optional
- 2 cookie or baking sheets
- 2 parchment papers
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maraschino cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, almond flour and salt together until well combined. Set aside.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (56 g) almond flour, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed.Mix in the cherry juice, vanilla extract and almond extracts until well combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maraschino cherry juice, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries until just combined. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for 30 minutes. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. After 30 minutes, scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a small cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies.
- Bake the cherry sugar cookies for 12 - 14 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!
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