One of our most popular dessert recipes on Sugar, Spice & Glitter is our brown butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I asked on Facebook & Instagram what variations people would like to see and one fan suggested a Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

These cookies hit so many delicious notes with the combination of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, browned butter, and maraschino cherries. Browned butter is butter that has been melted and cooked to the point where it slightly changes colour but does not burn – taking on a rich, ultra-buttery taste. It’s like a mini ice cream sundae in a cookie!

They would be perfect for an ice cream themed party, or as a quick dessert when you want something special but don’t have a ton of time. I’m definitely bringing these to my next get-together with friends!

Of course, you can use REAL cherries – not the kind that are like 70% sugar – and these cookies would taste even more amazing. Just be sure to pit the cherries before adding them to the batter! Frozen, pitted cherries would actually be great and less messy than trying to stir in squishy, juicy cherries.

How to Make Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

First, gather your ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown butter (see instructions below)
• 4 Tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 T molasses
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus extra for sprinkling on top, optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries

Melt the butter over medium heat and allow it to start developing caramel-coloured milk solids before removing it from the heat. Allow butter to cool as you prepare the other ingredients.

Using an even blend of white and brown sugars allows for a caramel taste without letting the cookies get too flat or crispy. Cream the sugars with the cooled butter, whip in shortening, molasses, vanilla, and eggs.

In a separate bowl, stir all of the dry ingredients together, add half to the butter-sugar mixture, and incorporate fully before adding the second half.

Stir in your desired amount of chocolate chips.

For the maraschino cherries, you’re going to want to be very delicate with them to prevent crushing them and getting the juice all over the cookies. I’ve tried a few different methods and I find the best it to gently work them into the dough with my hands – but if you don’t mind a few crushed cherries and a bit of juice baked into the cookies, just stir them in!

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before portioning out into Tablespoon sized mounds and baking at 350 for 10-12 minutes until just slightly golden.

For the dark chocolate drizzle:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or squares
• 1 teaspoon shortening
• OR – Chocolate sauce

Once the cookies are cooled, they are ready for some chocolate drizzle.

Chocolate sauce is a quick option that is great if you are enjoying the cookies right away, but if you’d rather do them all at once and store them for later enjoyment, you’re better off drizzling them with some melted chocolate. Melt the chocolate with the shortening in the microwave in 20 second bursts until completely smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle over top of the cookies.

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Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown butter
• 4 Tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 T molasses
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus extra for sprinkling on top, optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries
• Chocolate syrup OR 1/2 cup chocolate plus 1 teaspoon shortening - for drizzle

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a pan, but take it just past "melted" so that some of the milk solids start to turn brown. Take off the heat and cool as you prepare your other ingredients.
3. I use an even blend of white and brown sugar to increase the caramel taste, without having the cookie become too crispy. Cream the sugars with the slightly cooled butter, and then whip in shortening before adding the molasses, vanilla, and eggs.
5. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together, and then add half to the wet ingredients. Incorporate fully before adding the second half of dry ingredients.
7. Add the chocolate chips -- feel free to add more than one cup if you want LOTS of chocolate.
9. If I have the time, I refrigerate the dough for an hour before portioning, but it's not essential if you're rushed.
11. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure out your cookies onto a lined baking tray.
13. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until just slightly golden and remove to a cooling rack.
15. When ready to serve, drizzle the dark chocolate sauce over top of the cookies. You can alternatively use the harder dark chocolate drizzle and store the cookies for later. (The sauce is absorbed into the cookies and best enjoyed right away.)

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What variations on the classic chocolate chip cookie would you like to see next?

Be sure to check out our selection of Dessert recipes, including Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Double Chocolate Caramel-stuffed Cookies.