These soft and chewy Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies are inspired by chocolate-covered cherries, with chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips baked into a tender cookie, then topped with a whole cherry and a smooth chocolate layer. The recipe makes 36 cookies.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 box white cake mix
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 jars (10 ounces each) maraschino cherries
For the Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drain both jars of maraschino cherries. Set aside 36 whole cherries for topping the cookies.
- Finely chop the remaining cherries. Place them on paper towels and gently pat them very dry to remove excess cherry juice.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, softened butter, egg, and cream cheese. Beat until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Gently fold the chopped cherries and mini chocolate chips into the dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Scoop the dough into 36 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake for approximately 9 minutes. The cookies may look slightly underbaked in the center; avoid overbaking because they will firm up as they cool.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to parchment paper or a wire rack.
- While the cookies are still warm, gently press one whole maraschino cherry into the center of each cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely.
Chocolate Topping
- Place the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well.
- Continue heating in 15–30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over the top of each cooled cookie, covering the cherry and creating the chocolate-covered-cherry effect.
- Let the chocolate topping set completely before serving or storing.
Yield
36 cookies
Prep Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Baking Time
About 9 minutes
Total Time
Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
Tips
- Pat the cherries very dry before adding them to the dough. Excess moisture can make the cookies spread.
- Don’t skip the 1-hour chilling time.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should remain soft.
- Use a small cookie scoop to make all the cookies the same size.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the chocolate topping.
- For a richer flavor, you can substitute dark chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate.
- Store the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. (Inside BruCrew Life)
Nutrition
Approximately 115 calories per cookie, based on the original recipe’s calculation. (Inside BruCrew Life)