These Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies are chewy, fudgy, and oh-so-good! They’re festive and fabulous for giving as gifts-either baked or in cookie dough form!

This recipe makes thirty-two cookies for about $0.46 per cookie. Therefore, the overall cost of the recipe is approximately $14.82.

Cherries are a sweet addition to baking. Check out my No-Bake Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies, and Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Dip.

An overhead picture of the finished Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies on a white plate.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Whether you’re taking these Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies to a cookie exchange party, a potluck, to work, or gifting them as cookie dough or freshly baked–these should be your cookie of choice!

They stand out from other Christmas cookies and are super easy to make! They’re so chewy and loaded with 3 of my favorite festive ingredients: chocolate chunks, dried cherries, and almonds!

I love how soft and tender these Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies are. They have a slight crispiness on the outer edge, making them the perfect cookie. Tart cherries add a fabulous burst of flavor to dark chocolate.

Gifting frozen cookie dough is one of my favorite homemade gifts to give to friends and family. I can make the dough in advance (i.e., right now) before the crazy holiday push creeps up on me.

Plus, come holiday time, folks will be on treat-overload! So when I show up at someone’s door with this cookie dough, I want them to enjoy the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies on their own time!

The finished Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookie Dough ready to be frozen.

Ingredients and Estimated Cost

Per Serving Cost: $0.46

Recipe Cost: $14.82

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour – $0.29
  • ¾ cup dark cocoa powder – $1.24
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda – $0.01
  • ¼ teaspoon salt – $0.01
  • ½ cup dark corn syrup – $0.68
  • 1 large egg white – $0.37
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract – $0.75
  • 14 Tablespoons butter – $1.96
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar – $0.16
  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar – $0.19
  • 1 ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks – $1.87
  • 1 cup dried cherries – $4.99
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds – $2.30

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. 

An overhead picture of all of the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How To Make Chocolate Cherry Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
  2. Then, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 
  3. Next, using a large measuring cup, whisk together the corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla. 
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for about two minutes. Slowly pour in the corn syrup mixture while the mixer is on medium-low speed. 
  5. Then, add in the flour mixture, chocolate chunks, cherries, and almonds. Pulse on the lowest speed until the flour is almost mixed in, followed by mixing on slow for ten seconds to incorporate all ingredients. 
  6. Chill the dough for thirty minutes. 
  7. Next, scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets and gently flatten the cookies. Bake the cookies for ten to eleven minutes. 
  8. Finally, all the cookies to cool for five minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

A picture collage showing how to make this recipe.

Storage Tips

SERVE: Serve the cookies at room temperature.

STORE: Keep baked and cooled cookies in zipper-top bags at room temperature for 3-4 days. This will help keep them fresh and chewy!

FREEZE: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Freeze for 45 minutes or until frozen solid. Set the dough balls into an air-tight container. They will stay fresh for two to three months.

You will want to include the following instructions For making these Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies on a card when you gift the cookie dough.

  1. The dough can remain frozen for up to 6 months.
  2. Remove cookie dough from Hefty® Slider Bag, and place cookie dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet to thaw. Move the oven rack to the middle and preheat to 375.
  3. When cookie dough is thawed, use the palm of your hand to flatten it gently. Bake, switching baking sheet positions halfway through baking until cookies are slightly puffed, cracked and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft (if you look between cracks of the cookie, they will appear raw and seem underdone. This is EXACTLY what you want), 10-11 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
  4. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move them to a wire rack. Cool cookies to room temperature.
An overhead picture of the finished Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies surrounded by Christmas ribbon.
  • Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Freeze for 45 minutes or until frozen solid.
  • Place frozen dough into freezer-safe bags, and package them into decorative tins or boxes. Keep frozen until gifting.

Recipe FAQs

Can you freeze cherry cookies?

Definitely! These cookies freeze exceptionally well, making them a great treat to enjoy later or for gifting to friends and family. See the storage tips above for the freezing instructions.

Is it better to freeze cookie dough or baked cookies?

You can freeze cookie dough or freshly baked cookies after cooling down. I prefer to freeze this cookie dough before baking them. Enjoying freshly baked cookies is pure Heaven! So freeze the dough and enjoy fresh cookies whenever you want!

A close up picture of a finished Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies broken in half so you can see what the inside looks like.

More Cookies

The finished Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies recipe in a red gifting tin for Christmas.
4.62 from 13 votes

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Recipe Cost $ $14.82
Serving Cost $ $0.46
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
32 people
These Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies are chewy, fudgy, and oh-so-good! They're festive and fabulous for giving as gifts-either baked or in cookie dough form!

Equipment

  • baking sheets
  • silicone baking mats OR parchment paper
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • stand mixer
  • 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop
  • rubber spatula
  • wire cooling rack

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 14 Tablespoons butter softened
  • cup granulated sugar
  • cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND BAKING SHEETS:

  • Move oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat to 375 degrees F.
  • Line 2 cookie sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:

  • Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Whisk together corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, pour corn syrup mixture in a slow, steady stream, and beat until combined, about 20 seconds.
  • Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture, chocolate chunks, cherries, and almonds.
  • Pulse the mixer on the lowest speed about 10-15 times until the flour is almost all mixed in. Increase speed to low and mix until chocolate chunks, cherries, and almonds are evenly distributed about 10 seconds.

CHILL AND SCOOP DOUGH:

  • Quickly stir the dough with a rubber spatula to ensure no flour pockets remain. Chill dough for 30 minutes to firm slightly (but NO LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES!).
  • Using a 2-Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
  • Gently flatten cookies a little using the palm of your hand.

BAKE COOKIES:

  • Bake, switching baking sheet positions halfway through baking until cookies are slightly puffed, cracked and edges have begun to set, but centers are still soft (if you look between cracks of the cookie, they will appear raw and seem underdone…this is EXACTLY what you want), 10-11 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

COOL AND SERVE:

  • Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move them to a wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature for about 40 additional minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

This recipe makes 32, 2-inch cookies. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

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17 Comments

  1. These cookies sound delicious! Perfect for the holidays

    1. You’re absolutely right! 🙂

  2. Christine says:

    Such a great flavor combo. Dark chocolate and cherry go so well together. You know, I never thought about gifting cookie dough before, just cookies. Great idea!

    1. Thanks, Christine! 🙂

  3. Oh my, these are incredible looking!! What a GRAET cookie~

  4. These look so gooey and delicious. Chocolate and cherries is my favorite combination!

  5. Dark chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite flavors!

  6. I love finding new cookie recipes to try during the holidays. These look so yummy!

    1. Thank you Charnel! If you try them I hope you enjoy! 🙂

  7. christine says:

    smart idea for storing that cookie dough. plus chocolate + cherry – heck yes!

  8. Crystal | Beat Bake Eat says:

    You can’t go wrong with the cherry-chocolate combo. It’s so festive. And giving homemade cookie dough as a gift is the perfect idea! I don’t know why I’ve never thought of that before. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Yes, cherry and chocolate is such a festive combination. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  9. I love dark chocolate and cherry and these cookies were delicious! They were chewy and soft and easy to make!

  10. Stephanie says:

    Chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite combinations. These cookies are no exception! So moist and delicious! Next time, I’m going to have to make more. My husband ate them all!

  11. The texture of these cookies is so soft and chewy, and I love the dark chocolate and cherry combo. Thanks!

  12. Elizabeth says:

    Cherries, almonds and chocolate – oh my! Christmas cookie swap here I come! Thanks for sharing.

  13. Hi Jillian, anytime I can combine healthy with dark chocolate cherry goodness I do! Did you know cherries are good for arthritic conditions? Thanks for sharing!