These cherry almond cookies are soft and buttery, bursting with cherry and almond flavor with a white chocolate drizzle! The perfect sweet treat to enjoy at the holidays.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Soft texture: The addition of softened cream cheese ensures this soft sugar cookie has a rich and tender texture like gooey butter cookies and cream cheese cookies.
- Flavorful: Maraschino cherries add sweet candied flavor, almond extract complements the cherries perfectly plus they have a delicious butter cookie flavor!
- Colorful: The bright red cherry pieces makes these cookies so pretty! Cherry cookies add pop of color to Christmas cookie trays or serve on Valentine’s Day.
Ingredient Notes
- Maraschino cherries: You will need one jar of cherries for these maraschino cherry cookies as well as some of the maraschino cherry syrup from the jar.
- All-purpose flour: This is the only flour I have tested, I do not recommend trying them with almond flour.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter in baking but you can use salted butter and reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese and butter both add rich flavor to these cherry almond cookies.
- Almond extract: Almond and cherry are a flavor match that is so delicious! Use all vanilla extract though if preferred.
- Vanilla extract: Use cherry extract in place of vanilla extract for more cherry cookie flavor.
- White chocolate melting wafers: I added a white chocolate drizzle, but you can use a dark chocolate drizzle or even a tint a powdered sugar icing and add sliced almonds on top!
How to Make Cherry Almond Cookies
Cream butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until fluffy before adding sugar and beating until pale and airy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and maraschino cherry juice.
Mix in the dry ingredients on low until just combined then fold in the chopped cherries. Cover and chill dough for an hour.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375°F, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on pan a couple minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle almond cherry cookies with melted white chocolate if desired.
Tips and Variations
- For maraschino cherry chip cookies, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chip morsels.
- Drain and pat dry the maraschino cherries so they do not add too much extra moisture to the dough.
- Do not use fresh cherries. Maraschino cherries are quite a bit sweeter and using fresh cherries would affect the taste of the cookies as well as fresh cherries release moisture as they bake which will affect the cookie texture as well.
- Do not overbake the cookies. All ovens bake a bit differently so you may want to check on them a minute or two earlier. Remember they will continue to bake as they rest.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
- Store: Store cherry almond cookies covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Make ahead: Cookie dough can be frozen up to 2 months then bake according to directions increasing baking time by a minute or two. Add white chocolate drizzle after baking.
- Freeze: Baked cookies can be stored in a freezer safe bag for 2-3 months. Baked frozen cookies need to be thawed uncovered as moisture can ruin them if covered during thawing process.
Other holiday cookie recipes we love include this Italian Christmas cookie, almond cookies, Grinch cookies and butter cookies.
More Cookie Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Cherry Almond Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) jar maraschino cherries , reserving 1-2 Tablespoons cherry juice
- 1 ¾ cup (255 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate melting wafers , optional
Instructions
- Drain and chop maraschino cherries. Place cherries on a plate lined with paper towels and let dry. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cream wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup butter and 4 ounces cream cheese together on medium speed until fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until pale and airy. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom of the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1 Tablespoon reserved cherry juice (use 2 Tablespoons for a very cherry flavor) until combined.
- Scrape the bottom of the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients on low until just combined. Fold in the chopped cherries. Chill dough at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons), portion the dough onto the baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden. Let cool on pan a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- To top the cookies with white chocolate: Microwave the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring in-between each, until melted. Transfer to a plastic bag (or piping bag). Snip off the tip of the bag's corner and drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. (You can also drizzle the chocolate off a fork for ease, if preferred.) Let sit until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Easter, Holiday Cookies, Valentine's Day, White Chocolate Cookies
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
So delicious. Plan on making more. The batter is so tasty.
Delicious! These cookies are good on their own, but I doubled the recipe and made these into sandwich cookies using cream cheese frosting for some and chocolate frosting for others. I’m keeping these in my Christmas cookie rotation.
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
This is a great recipe!
I wanted to try something new, instead of the same every year.
Now I’m getting request for them!
Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cherry almond cookies Audri! I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
My favorite – so much yummy flavor! I make these every Christmas and they are a hit with the family!
These cookies were so fun to make and turned out so cute! They taste amazing.
I love cherry and almond flavors together! These cookies are so soft & delicious & so pretty!