Maraschino Cherry Cookies
These Maraschino Cherry Cookies are crisp and then frosted with a sweet cherry cream cheese frosting, and then topped with a maraschino cherry for a pop of color. They are perfect for a festive holiday cookie tray or just to satisfy your sweet tooth any time of year.
The cookies are easy to make and will be enjoyed by everyone. No matter when you make them, your friends and family will rave about this these sweet cherry cookies.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You only need simple ingredients, plus maraschino cherries for added flavor and a festive touch.
- Plus, this recipe is fun to make with the kids – they can help you top each cookie with a cherry.
- They’re also great to bring along to any holiday gathering or even just for yourself!
🛒Ingredients
To make these tasty cookies you will need a few simple ingredients. The best part is that these ingredients are that they are all easy to find at your local grocery, so you can make these sweet treats without breaking the bank.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Egg
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cream Cheese
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Maraschino Cherry Juice
- Maraschino Cherries
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Maraschino Cherry Cookies
Making these cookies is so simple. Just follow the easy directions below or in the recipe card at the bottom of the post and you will have delicious cookies that your entire family will enjoy in no time at all.
Step 1: Cream together the wet ingredients
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, and Egg, and blend until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Stir together the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Baking Powder, and stir well to blend. Add the Flour a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added.
Step 3: Finish the cookie dough
Remove the Whisk attachment, and use the paddle. Continue to blend the Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed.
Step 4: Line your baking sheet and shape the cookie dough
Line two cookie sheets with Parchment paper, roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1-inch balls, and place the balls on the Parchment paper.
Step 5: Bake the cookies
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light golden brown around the edges. About halfway through baking the cookies, check the oven, and the cookies may have started to crack a little.
Step 6: Smash the cookies
Take a flat bottom glass, dip it in Sugar before lightly applying to each cookie – smash the cookies very gently, and slightly, making them a little flatter, and spread out a little more. This will give the cookies the crinkle look
Step 7: Cool the cookies
When the cookies are done, remove them from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, make the Frosting.
Step 8: Drain the cherries
Place the maraschino cherries on a paper towel to drain the juice off them while you make the cookies.
Step 9: Make the frosting
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese, and blend to combine. Add the Vanilla, and Heavy Cream, and mix. Add the Powdered Sugar and the Cherry Juice a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the Frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Step 10: Add the frosting to a piping bag
Using Plastic wrap (Glad wrap) tear off a piece about 12 inches wide, and place the Frosting length-wise in the middle of the plastic wrap; it will look like a long ribbon of Frosting. Then, roll the plastic wrap around the Frosting, making sure to keep it long, or length-wise like a long ribbon. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap. Snip the end off of the Plastic wrap, on one end only, and place it in a Pastry bag with the large Star Tip.
Step 11: Decorate the cookies
Pipe the Frosting onto the cookies, using a swirling motion, and bring it up to a point. Place a Cherry on the top of each cookie. Allow the Frosting to set or firm up a bit, about 30 minutes. Serve, and Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Food coloring: Add a few drops of food coloring to make different colored frostings
- Topping: Use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips instead of Maraschino cherries for an extra sweet treat
If you love cherry-flavored desserts like this one then you may also enjoy this Chocolate Cheesecake Dip with Cherries.
🥄 Equipment
You will need a few kitchen tools to help you make this delicious cookie recipe. Gather these tools and get ready to impress your friends and family with this sweet dessert.
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer
- cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
- piping bag
- plastic wrap
- paper towels
🥫 Storage
Storage – These cookies are best served the day of, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you do decide to save some for later, just make sure the frosting is completely set before storing them.
💭 Tips
Here are a few tips that you can use to ensure that these cherry cookies turn out perfectly for you when you make them.
- Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients. This helps ensure that the frosting will be smooth and creamy when you pipe it onto the cookies.
- Don’t over-bake the cookies, as they can become dry and crumbly if left in the oven too long.
- Be gentle when smashing the cookies; you don’t want to flatten them too much. Just press the top of each cookie gently and lightly with a flat-bottomed glass.
- Be sure to drain the cherries on paper towels before adding them to the frosting. This will help keep your frosting from becoming too runny.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, you can freeze these cookies. Just make sure to wrap them individually in plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer.
No, you will need to use the maraschino cherries because they are sweeter.
Yes, you can make the cookies in advance and store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🍽 More Cherry Recipes
Do you enjoy cherries, try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this maraschino cherry cookies recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Maraschino Cherry Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
- cookie sheets lined with parchment paper
- Piping bag
- plastic wrap
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks of Butter softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
Frosting
- 1 stick of Butter softend
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
- 32 ounces Powdered Sugar
- ⅓ cup Maraschino Cherry Juice – from the Jar
- 1 Jar of Maraschino Cherry’s – with Stems
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, using the Whisk attachment, add the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, and Egg, and blend until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add the Flour, and Baking Powder, and stir well to blend. Add the Flour a little at a time and mix on low to blend, until all the Flour is added.
- Remove the Whisk attachment, and use the paddle.
- Continue to blend the Cookie dough until it’s completely blended and a smooth ball starts to form. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed.
- Line two cookie sheets with Parchment paper, and roll the cookie dough into small balls, about 1 inch balls, and place the balls on the Parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or just until the cookies start to turn a light golden brown around the edges. About half way through baking the cookies, check the oven, and the cookies may have started to crack a little.
- Take a flat bottom glass, dip it in Sugar before lightly applying to each cookie – smash the cookies very gently, and slightly, making them a little flatter, and spread out a little more.
- This will give the cookies the crinkle look
- When the cookies are done, remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies are cooling, make the Frosting.
- Dry the maraschino cherries on a paper towel to dry. You will use these for topping the cookies.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened Butter, and Cream Cheese, and blend to combine.
- Add the Vanilla, and Heavy Cream, and mix.
- Add the Powdered Sugar and the Cherry Juice a little at a time, blending after each addition, until the Frosting is smooth and fluffy. This will give the Frosting the delicate Pink Color, and a wonderful Cherry Cream Cheese flavor.
- Using Plastic wrap (Glad wrap) tear off a piece about 12 inches wide, and place the Frosting length-wise in the middle of the plastic wrap; it will look like a long ribbon of Frosting.
- Then, roll the plastic wrap around the Frosting, making sure to keep it long, or length-wise like a long ribbon. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap .
- Snip the end off of the Plastic wrap, on one end only, and place it in a Pastry bag with the large Star Tip.
- Pipe the Frosting onto the cookies, using a swirling motion, and bring it up to a point.
- Place a Cherry on the top of each cookie.
- Allow the Frosting to set or firm up a bit, about 30 minutes.
- Serve, and Enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
