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Cherry Almond Cookies Recipe

5 from 668 reviews

Delightfully soft and chewy Cherry Almond Cookies made with maraschino cherries and a hint of almond extract. These cookies blend sweet cherries with buttery dough for a perfect treat that’s easy to bake and sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

Scale

Cherries

  • 112 ounce jar maraschino cherries, diced small and patted dry (340g)

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

Dry Ingredients

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar (50g)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (220g)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cherries: Remove the maraschino cherries from their juice, discard stems if present, and place on paper towels. Slice each cherry in half, then each half into 6 pieces to get 12 small pieces per cherry. Transfer the chopped cherries onto fresh paper towels and blot dry completely. Set aside.
  2. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside to prepare for baking.
  3. Mix Butter and Sugars: In a medium to large bowl, melt the unsalted butter. Add both granulated and brown sugars, whisking until fully combined and smooth.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the egg, almond extract, maraschino cherry juice, and vinegar into the butter-sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously until smooth and fully blended.
  5. Add Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle baking soda and kosher salt into the mixture and stir well. Add the all-purpose flour and stir until just some flour remains visible; be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the chopped and dried maraschino cherries.
  6. Portion Cookies: Using approximately 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (a size 30 scoop works well), drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart. This should yield around 18 cookies.
  7. Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.
  8. Cool and Shape Cookies: Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, gently flatten the cookies by tapping the baking sheet or using a large round cutter to shape them into perfect rounds.

Notes

  • Make sure to dry the maraschino cherries thoroughly to prevent excess moisture in the dough, which can affect texture.
  • The vinegar helps activate the baking soda for better leavening and adds a subtle tang.
  • Using almond extract enhances the cherry flavor, but if unavailable, vanilla extract can be a substitute.
  • For a more pronounced cherry flavor, reserve some cherry juice to brush on cookies after baking (optional).
  • These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Keywords: cherry cookies, almond cookies, maraschino cherry cookies, soft cookies, chewy cookies, homemade cookies, holiday cookies