If you’re looking to jazz up your classic cookie game, I’ve got a treat for you: a Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. These cookies are a delightful twist on your standard chocolate chip favorite, with juicy maraschino cherries adding a burst of color and a pop of sweet-tart flavor that keeps the taste buds dancing. Whether you’re baking for a party, gift-giving, or just because, this recipe is fan-freaking-tastic, and I can’t wait to share all the tricks and tips I learned along the way.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A Vibrant Twist on a Classic: The maraschino cherries add a beautiful pink hue and a burst of flavor that make these cookies unforgettable.
Perfectly Chewy Texture: With the combination of cornstarch and chilling the dough, these cookies come out soft and chewy every time.
Easy to Customize: You can switch up the chocolate types or even adjust the cherries for a personal touch.
Made Ahead Friendly: The dough holds well in the fridge and freezer, so you can bake fresh batches whenever you want.

A stack of four thick, soft red cookies is shown, each cookie studded with dark brown chocolate chips and bright red pieces of cherries. The top cookie has a bite taken out, revealing a moist, red interior with embedded chocolate chips. The cookies have a slightly rough texture and a warm, fresh-baked look. A whole cherry with its stem lies at the bottom right beside the stack. The background is blurred with red tones and more cookies visible, all set on a white marbled surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Cherry Cookies, Juicy Cherry Cookies, Festive Cookie Recipes

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe uses simple pantry staples paired with those standout maraschino cherries — the secret to the unique taste and that pop of color you don’t often see in cookies. The key is using quality ingredients and paying attention to a few little tricks, like chilling the dough and choosing gel food coloring to get the perfect pink shade.

Flat lay of a small mound of all-purpose flour, a few teaspoons of cornstarch and baking soda arranged in small piles, a pinch of fine salt, a mound of semi-sweet chocolate chips, a large square of unsalted butter, a small heap of light brown sugar, a small pile of granulated sugar, two whole brown eggs with clean shells, small white bowls containing vanilla extract, almond extract, and bright pink gel food coloring, a small white bowl holding finely chopped fresh maraschino cherries with some whole cherries beside it, all placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997 - Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Cherry Cookies, Juicy Cherry Cookies, Festive Cookie Recipes

All-purpose flour: Classic choice for a sturdy structure; weighing it ensures accuracy for the best texture.
Cornstarch: Helps keep cookies soft and tender by softening the gluten.
Baking soda: Provides that subtle lift and chewiness characteristic of great cookies.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: The perfect balance of sweet and bitter to pair with the cherries; reserve a bit for garnishing.
Unsalted butter: Room temperature is key for proper creaming with sugars.
Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel undertone perfect for chewy cookies.
Granulated sugar: Provides crispness and balances the brown sugar’s moisture.
Large eggs: Bind everything together and add richness.
Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the cookies’ flavor.
Almond extract: Just a hint to complement the cherries and add complexity.
Pink gel food coloring: Use gel for vibrant color without altering dough texture.
Maraschino cherries: Drain them well and chop finely to avoid soggy dough, plus keep extra for garnish.

Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

I love how flexible this Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe is; you can personalize it easily depending on your taste or dietary needs. I’ve played around with a few tweaks based on what I had in the pantry or who I was baking for, and it didn’t disappoint!

Gluten-Free Version: I swapped in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (King Arthur’s Measure for Measure is a favorite), and the texture stayed wonderfully soft.
Chocolate Upgrade: Subbing in chunks of dark or white chocolate instead of chips gives the cookies a richer or creamier vibe — my family especially loves white chocolate with the cherries.
Extra Cherry Boost: Sometimes I toss in dried cherries along with fresh maraschino for a combination of chewy textures and intensify the cherry flavor.
Nutty Addition: Adding chopped toasted almonds or pecans changed things up nicely, lending a pleasant crunch and complementing the almond extract.

How to Make Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Measure and Prep Like a Pro

Start by measuring your flour accurately—this is crucial for cookie success. I learned early on that weighing flour in grams really takes the guesswork out. If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour with a whisk first to break up any clumps and make it lighter. Use a spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup rather than scooping directly to avoid packing it down. Level it off with a knife for precision. This little extra step made a huge difference for me in making cookies that were perfect every time.

Step 2: Prepare Your Cherries

Drain and finely chop your maraschino cherries. Then, spread them out on a paper towel to soak up any extra juice—wet cherries can make the dough soggy, which is the last thing you want here. Trust me, I’ve learned this trick from a batch of way-too-moist cookies before!

Step 3: Dry Ingredients Come Together

In a bowl, mix together your flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside—it’ll be added gradually later to avoid overworking the dough.

Step 4: Cream Butter and Sugars to Fluffy Perfection

In a separate large bowl, beat your softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars on medium speed for about 2 minutes. You want the mixture to turn pale and fluffy—that’s how you know you’ve incorporated enough air for light, tender cookies.

Step 5: Add the Flavor Boosters

Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating for another 30 seconds until everything is smooth and combined. Then add in your gel food coloring a tiny bit at a time until you reach that perfect pink shade—I love this part because you can really customize the look of your cookies!

Step 6: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Slowly add your dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, just until everything is combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky—don’t overmix or your cookies could turn out tough.

Step 7: Fold in Cherries and Chocolate Chips

Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and about half of your chocolate chips. The batter will be thick and glorious.

Step 8: Shape, Garnish, and Chill

Use a #40 cookie scoop (roughly 2 tablespoons) to portion out your dough balls. Then press the remaining chocolate chips and extra chopped cherries on the outside of each dough ball for a pretty, appetizing look. Lay them out on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes. This step helps the cookies maintain their shape and keeps the cherries from bleeding too much color while baking.

Step 9: Bake Until Just Right

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Bake your chilled cookies in batches of 6-8 for about 10 to 13 minutes. The key here is to pull the cookies out when they look slightly underbaked—this keeps them soft and chewy. They’ll finish baking on the hot tray once out of the oven. Overbaking will dull their pink color and turn them brown, which I definitely want to avoid!

Step 10: Add Finishing Touches

Right after baking, I like to press extra chocolate chips in any spots that look sparse to make the cookies look as luscious as they taste. One little detail that really impresses guests!

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Pro Tips for Making Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Use Gel Food Coloring: I learned that gel food color works wonders for vibrant pink without watering down the dough like liquid food coloring.
Chill the Dough: Freezing the shaped dough balls keeps the cherry juice from bleeding too much and helps cookies hold their shape.
Don’t Overbake: Pulling cookies out when they’re just underbaked means they’ll stay chewy rather than dry and crumbly.
Drain Cherries Well: I avoid soggy dough by draining and patting cherries dry to reduce excess moisture.

How to Serve Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

A close-up of a bright red cherry chocolate chip cookie with dark brown chocolate chips and glossy cherry pieces spread across its top layer, laying on a small square piece of white paper on a white marbled surface. Behind the cookie is a clear ridged glass filled about three-quarters with milk, which has a smooth white surface on top. To the left of the cookie and glass are two shiny red cherries with stems resting on the surface. In the blurred background, there are more cookies with the same colors and texture scattered casually. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Cherry Cookies, Juicy Cherry Cookies, Festive Cookie Recipes

Garnishes

I usually garnish my cookies with a few extra chocolate chips and chopped cherries pressed on top right after baking—it just gives them a beautiful, inviting look that makes people dig in right away. Sometimes a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt amps up the flavor contrast deliciously.

Side Dishes

These cookies are perfect alongside a cold glass of milk (classic, right?), but I’ve also served them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for an indulgent twist. A cup of coffee or a fruity herbal tea pairs nicely if you want something warm and cozy.

Creative Ways to Present

For holiday parties or Valentine’s Day, I like to place these cookies in pretty cellophane bags tied with a satin pink ribbon—simple but so charming. Another fun idea is to arrange them on a platter with clusters of fresh cherries or a bowl of chocolate chips for a DIY cookie decorating station. Kids (and adults!) love that interactive element.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I’ve found that storing these cookies uncovered at room temperature for up to three days keeps their edges crisp and centers chewy. Because of the moisture in the cherries, covering them can cause them to get soft faster, so I usually just leave them out for a day or two and then they’re perfect.

Freezing

For longer storage, freezing portioned dough balls is a game changer. I freeze them flat on a sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to three months. When I want fresh cookies, I bake from frozen and just add an extra minute or two to the bake time. It’s like having fresh-baked cookies anytime!

Reheating

Leftover cookies reheat beautifully in a 300ºF oven for about 5 minutes, which revives their softness and fresh-from-the-oven taste. You can also pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds if you’re in a hurry, but I prefer the oven method to keep the edges perfectly chewy.

FAQs

Can I substitute fresh cherries for maraschino cherries in this recipe?

Fresh cherries have a higher water content which can make the dough too wet and affect cookie texture. If you want to experiment, be sure to pit, chop, and pat them very dry, but maraschino cherries provide the best flavor and color balance for this recipe.
Why is cornstarch included in the cookie dough?

Cornstarch helps tenderize the cookies by softening the flour’s gluten, resulting in a softer, more melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s a small ingredient with a big impact!
Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel?

Gel food coloring is recommended here because it is more concentrated and won’t thin your dough. Liquid food coloring often makes the dough wetter and less vibrant, so stick to gel for the best results.
How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much?

Chilling the dough balls before baking is key to preventing excessive spreading. Also, avoid over-creaming your butter and sugars, as too much air can cause cookies to spread more.

Final Thoughts

This Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe really holds a special place in my kitchen rotation. It’s fun, visually stunning, and absolutely delicious — perfect for when you want to put a little extra love into classic cookies. Give it a try and you’ll see why my family goes crazy for these. I’m excited for you to discover the joy of biting into a cookie that’s both familiar and fabulously new. Happy baking, friend!