These Black Forest Cookies are thick and fudgy chocolate cookies flavored with kirsch and filled with cherry preserves. Drizzle on some white chocolate and prepare to fall in love with these incredibly delicious, rich cookies!
These Black Forest Cookies are incredibly delicious – and they look fancy enough for a special occasion, but are actually easy enough to throw together any old time! Let’s make ’em together.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Fudgy Chocolate Cookies – These are fudgy, rich, and chewy chocolate cookies. They’re like thick and soft sugar cookies, but with chocolate!
- Cherry Preserves – Store bought cherry preserves keep this recipe super easy while still providing tons of cherry flavor.
- White Chocolate Drizzle – A drizzle of white chocolate finishes these cookies off beautifully.
Ingredient Overview
- Salted Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer.
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder as always.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar -Granulated sugar and brown sugar mixed together helps these bake into chewy and ultra soft chocolate cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla for the best results.
- Kirsch – Kirsch is the alcohol traditionally used in a Black Forest Cake and adds a true Black Forest flavor to these cookies. It takes these from chocolate cherry cookies to true Black Forest Cookies.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Kirsch – Substitute 3 tbsp milk for the 3 tbsp of kirsch if needed. Try Cherry Brandy if you can’t find kirsch.
- White Chocolate – Feel free to skip this or substitute milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate.
- Cherry Preserves – Feel free to use your own homemade cherry preserves or jam if desired.
How to Make this Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. You’ll have a slightly wet dough. Chill it for 30 minutes to make it easier to scoop. Scoop into balls that are 60 grams.
Step 2: Chill the Cookie Dough. Chill the cookie dough balls for at least 2 hours, or up to 48 hours.
Step 3: Fill the Cookies. Once the dough has chilled, roll them in granulated sugar, and then use the back of a teaspoon to make an indent in the center of each cookie. Fill with 1 and 1/2 tsp of cherry preserves. Place about 6 cookies a few inches apart on each prepared baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies. Bake as directed in the recipe card below. They may not look the prettiest when they come out of the oven, but you can round them out with a round cutter (don’t cut the edges, just swirl the cookie inside the cutter to tidy it up). Add a drizzle of white chocolate for a final finishing touch.
This black forest dessert is easy to make and the cookies are incredibly fudgy and chocolatey! The kirsch flavor comes through in the cookie and marries beautifully with the cherry filling.
Expert Success Tips:
- Chill Time – Don’t skip the chill time or these cookies will melt into puddles in the oven.
- Don’t Overfill – Don’t overfill the center of the cookies or the jam can leak out and get messy while the cookies bake. 1 and 1/2 tsp may sound like a little, but it’s the perfect amount of filling. You can dollop a bit of extra cherry preserves once the cookies are baked to fill out that center a bit more.
FAQs:
- Do I have to chill these cookies? Yes! If you don’t, they will melt into a messy puddle in the oven.
- Can I freeze the dough? Yes. Dough balls can be frozen on a sheet pan until solid, then transferred to an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Let the balls thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling in sugar, indenting, filling with the cherry preserves, and baking. Dough balls can also be chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days before being rolled, filled, etc.
- Can I make these ahead? Yes, see tips above about chilling or freezing the dough in advance of baking. `
Recipe Variations:
- Other Jams – Feel free to try other flavors of jams or preserves like blueberry or raspberry. You can use cherry pie filling, too, if you can’t find cherry preserves.
- Chocolate – Feel free to swap the white chocolate drizzle for any other type of chocolate if preferred.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Special Tools:
- Cookie Sheet – These are my favorite cookie sheets, I’ve used them almost every day for 6 years and they’re still in great shape.
- Cookie Scoop – Use this cookie scoop to make your cookies the size I did. It’s technically an ice cream scoop, but it’s the perfect size for large bakery-style cookies.
- Silicone Baking Mat – I love silicone baking mats because they’re reusable and dishwasher safe.
- Round Cutters – Use this set of round cutters for rounding cookies, cutting donuts or biscuits, and much more.
More Delicious Cookies to Love:
- Blueberry Lemon Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cherry Pie Cookies
- Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
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Black Forest Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 16 tbsp, 2 sticks, or 226 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp kirsch
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
For Rolling & Filling the Cookies
- granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1 jar cherry preserves
For Topping
- 3 ounces white chocolate, melted use white chocolate chips or melts
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the sugars to the butter mixture and mix until creamed together with the butter, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until just combined. Add the kirsch, and mix until just incorporated. Add the dry ingredients last, and mix until a slightly wet dough forms.
- Chill the Dough: Chill for 30 minutes to make rolling easier. Scoop the dough into balls 60-65 grams in size, and place in an airtight container to chill for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Fill & Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Add granulated sugar to a small bowl. If you chilled the cookies longer than 4 hours, let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes before you begin. Roll the dough balls through the sugar to coat the surface of the dough. Then, use a teaspoon to make a well in each cookie and fill with 1 and 1/2 tsp of cherry preserves. Place 6 cookies on each cookie sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes, one sheet at a time (for the most even bake). The edges will appear just set, and the centers will appear a tad underdone. The cookies will set up as they cool.
- Serve & Store: Let cookies cool for a bit on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle with white chocolate and dig in! Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
B says
One of my favorite cookies ever. I made these for Christmas and Valentines presents, they never disappoint! They stay nice and moist and have a delicious rich chocolate-cherry flavor. I love the added crunch of the melted white chocolate too!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear you enjoyed these, B! 🙂
Linda says
I made these today and loved them! I will be making another batch for a Christmas function next week. Thanks for sharing a fantastic recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear you liked these, Linda! 🙂
Beni says
Its so good im making them again!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Beni!