Maraschino Cherry Drops

Maraschino cherries aren’t just for garnishing Manhattans. They’re a sweet treat all on their own! And while they’re delicious in cocktails, they’re just as wonderful in these simple, festive cookies. You’ll use both the cherries and the syrup from the jar to give these cookies their signature flavor and beautiful color.

Tips & Tricks

Dry out your maraschino cherries!

Maraschino cherries are of course sold in jars full of delicious cherry juice. While you’ll use this juice in the recipe as well, you want to be sure the cherries themselves are dry. If they’re too wet, this could affect the bake and texture of the cookies.

First chop them into small pieces, then let them dry on a paper towel for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Pat them dry several times before folding them into the dough.

Can I use other cherries?

Certainly! The method will be the same: make sure to dry them before folding into the dough. And whichever kind you use, know that you’ll be using the jar juice as well, meaning this will affect the flavor.

Amount of cherry juice

The exact amount of cherry juice you’ll need may vary. When testing this recipe, more frequently than not, we needed about 6 teaspoons on average of cherry juice.

The exact amount will depend on your dough after you add the flour. If it’s too crumbly, add more cherry juice teaspoon by teaspoon until you have a workable cookie dough.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plant-based butter (2 sticks), room temperature

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 6 teaspoons cherry juice from the cherry jar (plus more if needed - *see Tips & Tricks)

  • 1 tsp almond extract

  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped and dried (*see Tips & Tricks)

  • ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your plant-based butter, powdered sugar, both of the extracts, the salt, and 6 teaspoons of the cherry juice. Mix on medium speed until the butter is fully creamed.

Turning off the mixer, add in the flour. Mix over low speed until you have a cohesive cookie dough. If it’s too crumbly, add a little more cherry juice teaspoon by teaspoon until the texture is just right.

Fold in the maraschino cherries and the chocolate chips.

Using a tablespoon measure or a similar-sized spoon, scoop out tablespoons of the dough. Form them into balls using your hands, then place on the prepared baking sheet with 2 inches of space between them. Continue until both baking sheets are lined.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They should be golden brown along the edges, but look fluffy on top. Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.