• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
    • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Desserts & Baking
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Work with Me
  • Cookbook

Home » Recipes » Cookies

chocolate cherry pie cookies

December 2, 2022 21 Comments

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

These festive Chocolate Cherry Pie Cookies are made with a simple 5-ingredient dough and require no chill time! The cookie base is buttery and soft, and its complemented perfectly by the sweet cherry pie filling. Drizzle a little chocolate on top, and wonder where these incredible cookies have been all your life!

Cherry pie filling filled shortbread cookies drizzled with white and milk chocolate, on a light pink surface this recipe

This post was originally published in Dec of 2020, but I just updated it with the addition of almond extract to the cookies and more tips & tricks!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Cherry Filling – These cookies are full of sweet cherry filling.
  • Buttery Shortbread Cookies – The slightly sweet shortbread cookie base has a buttery soft texture.
  • No Chill – These cookies require no chill time, but can also be made ahead! See details below.
Cherry pie filling filled shortbread cookies drizzled with white and milk chocolate, on a light pink surface

Ingredient Overview

  • Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
  • Flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour. Or use a scale, and weigh 135 grams of all-purpose flour per cup.
  • Cherry Pie Filling – This can be found in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.
  • Almond Extract – A teaspoon almond extract in the dough compliments the cherry flavor beautifully!

Ingredient Substitutions:

  • Dairy-free – Use dairy-free butter and chocolate to make this recipe dairy-free.
  • Chocolate – Use milk chocolate, white chocolate, semi-sweet or dark chocolate. Any of these works beautifully! Melting wafers or chopped baking bars are preferable to white chocolate chips.
  • Almond Extract – You can leave this out if desired.

How to Make this Recipe Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Make the Dough. In a large bowl, cream softened butter with vanilla and almond extracts. Add the all-purpose flour and powdered sugar, and mix until a crumbly mixture forms. At this point (see photo below), you’ll need to go in with clean hands and work the crumbly mixture into a dough. It will come together!

Two images: one of a bowl of crumbs, and one of a smooth dough ball.

Step 2: Shape & Fill the Cookies. Divide the dough into balls about Press an indent into each cookie ball with your fingertip or a 1 tsp measuring spoon, and then fill the indents with cherry pie filling!

Two images: one of a tray of indented cookies, and one of the filled cookies.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies. Bake as directed in the recipe card below. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on a baking sheet (they’ll be a bit soft and delicate at first), then transfer to a wire rack.

Cherry Pie Cookies cooling on a cookie rack before being decorated

Step 4: Drizzle with Chocolate. Drizzle the cooled cookies with any flavor of chocolate you like to make these delicious chocolate cherry cookies.

Cherry pie cookies in a tray, with a bite missing from one.

I hope you love this easy recipe as much as we do! They’re the perfect cookie – we’ve got bright color, a burst of cherry flavor, and of course – chocolate. This recipe makes a perfect addition to any holiday cookie trays you might be dropping off for friends + family this year. These also make a fabulous Valentine’s day cookie!

Expert Success Tips:

  • Chocolate – Reduce waste by placing a cookie sheet under the cookies to catch any chocolate drips. You can re-use whatever falls onto the (clean) baking sheet. Pop the cookies in the fridge to help the chocolate set up quickly.
  • Cherries – I find that 2-3 cherries is about all you can fit into these, since they are a smaller cookie. Often, a bit more space in the center will open up once the cookies have baked, so you can always add an extra cherry here and there as needed.
  • Dough Balls –Reduce the amount of cracks in the baked cookies by making sure you roll the dough balls really well, to keep them as smooth as possible. And, embrace the imperfections! 🙂

Make-Ahead Tips & FAQs:

  • Can I make this cookie recipe ahead? Yes! The cookie dough can be made and kept in the fridge wrapped or in an airtight container for 2-3 days before shaping and baking. Same with the shaped cookies, without the cherry filling. You can also freeze the shaped cookies without the cherry filling in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen, adding the cherry filling at that time.
  • Can I freeze these cookies? Yes! See above note.
  • Can I double or halve the recipe? Yes, absolutely.
  • Can I use Maraschino Cherries? I don’t recommend using maraschino cherries, because the liquid coming off of them will be too runny for the dough. With the cherry pie filling, there’s no need to blot the maraschino cherry juice off chopped cherries with paper towels, or anything fussy like that.
  • Can I use fresh cherries? Yes – but not raw. You’ll need to cook them into a sauce or compote on the stove – use my recipe from these Black Forest Brownies.

Recipe Variations:

  • Other Flavors – This recipe would work with other pie fillings like blueberry, strawberry, etc.
Cherry Pie Cookies drizzled with white and milk chocolate on a light pink surface

Serving + Storing this Recipe:

Store these chocolate covered cherry cookies in an in an airtight container in the fridge for up 5-6 days. They hold up a bit better in the fridge than at room temperature.

Special Tools:

  • 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.
  • Baking Sheets – These are my favorite cookie sheets!
  • Silicone Baking Mat – This is my favorite silicone baking mat. It reduces waste because it’s washable!
  • Kitchen Everyone needs a scale to make sure their flour is at the proper weight, since amounts vary SO widely based on how you measure it. – Everyone needs a scale to make sure their flour is at the proper weight, since amounts vary SO widely based on how you measure it.
Cherry pie cookies in a tray, with a bite missing from one.

More Favorite Cookie Recipes to Love:

  • Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies
  • Key Lime Slice & Bake Cookies
  • Blueberry Lemon Cookies
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
  • Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies
  • Cherry Pie Cookies
  • Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
  • Monster Cookies
  • Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cherry Pie Cookies drizzled with white and milk chocolate on a light pink surface

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment! 

Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag #bluebowlrecipes with your photo! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the bluebowlrecipes Facebook page. I’d love to see what you make!


Cherry Pie Cookies

Cherry Pie Cookies are made with a simple 5-ingredient dough, require no chill time, and are the most festive cookie! The cookie base is buttery soft, and its complemented perfectly by the sweet cherry pie filling. Drizzle a little white or milk chocolate on top, and instantly fall in love with these cookies!
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Keyword: Easy Christmas Cookies, Drop Cookies, Funfetti Cookies, Cake Batter Cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies
Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened 2 sticks, or 16 tbsp, or 226 grams
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled or weighed out, 270 grams
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 can cherry pie filling
  • 4 ounces milk or white chocolate, for decorating

Instructions

  • Prep: Make sure your butter has been softened at room temperature. Preheat your oven to 325° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Make the Cookie Dough: Cream the buter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) until creamy. Mix in the vanilla until just incorporated. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and pinch of salt and begin to mix. The mixture will be VERY crumbly and will seem dry, and you will wonder how it's going to form cookie dough (see photos above). This is normal. After you've reached that dry crumbly stage, it's time to get in there with (clean!) hands and continue mixing the dough, until you're able to form the dough into a ball that holds together.
    Roll cookie dough balls about 1 tbsp or 35 grams in size.
    Place balls a few inches apart onto a prepared baking sheet, and use your thumb to make an indent in each one. (If the dough cracks a bit around the edges when you make the indent, don't fret – that's normal. Try to roll the balls really smooth to limit this.) Spoon 2-3 cherries from the cherry pie filling into each indent.
  • Bake: There's no dough chilling in this recipe! Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. (I usually have to do the full 14). The cookies will be soft right out of the oven, so let them cool about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
  • Decorate: Drizzle cooled cookies with melted white chocolate, milk chocolate, or any type of chocolate you like!
  • Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If layering in a container, be sure to let the chocolate set first, and use parchment or wax paper between layers.
The One-Bowl Baker

Order my new book:

The One-Bowl Baker

today!

One-Bowl recipes for incredible cookies, brownies, cakes, and breads made easy enough for anyone to bake!

Order Now:

Walmart // Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Target // Booksamillion // Bookshop // Indie Bound // Book Depository
Get the Bonus e-Book!
Share
Pin656
Tweet
Share
656 Shares

More Cookies

  • pumpkin snickerdoodles with vanilla rum caramel
  • jumbo bakery-style chocolate chip cookies
  • jumbo bakery-style monster cookies
  • caramel apple cider cookies

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Angela says

    December 30, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    These are my new favorite cookie! The flavor is spot on and the texture/consistency… Perfection. The serving tray was created by mpletely empty halfway through the Christmas party! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      January 05, 2023 at 6:13 pm

      Thanks so much for the rave review, Angela!

      Reply
  2. Selina says

    December 17, 2022 at 3:53 pm

    5 stars
    These are super simple to make and delish!!! Love this recipe

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      December 19, 2022 at 12:21 pm

      So glad to hear it, Selina! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Angela N. says

    December 15, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was incredibly easy and delicious! The cookies aren’t super sweet and can easily be modified with other fillings. I will be adding these to my holiday baking every year. Thank you for this!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      December 15, 2022 at 5:34 pm

      Thanks for your kind review, Angela! Happy baking & happy holidays! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tori says

    December 01, 2022 at 1:16 am

    5 stars
    Easy to follow & super yummy! Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      December 01, 2022 at 5:37 pm

      Thanks, Tori!

      Reply
  5. Cathy says

    November 29, 2022 at 1:26 pm

    These cookies look amazing! I can’t wait to make them! Can they be frozen?

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      November 30, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Hi Cathy! If you want to freeze either the dough or the baked cookies, I recommend doing it without the cherry filling. Freeze the dough in the shaped cookies, then add the filling to the frozen dough and bake from frozen. Or, you should be able to bake the cookies without the filling, then add the filling later if you want to freeze the baked cookies. Hope that helps! Let me know how you like these.

      Reply
  6. Sophie G. says

    November 28, 2022 at 11:26 pm

    5 stars
    The bit of chocolate just makes it, this is a great cookie recipe for left over filling!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      November 30, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Thanks, Sophie! Happy baking! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Leann says

    November 26, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies were so easy and SO absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      November 28, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      Thanks, Leann! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Ana says

    November 26, 2022 at 2:53 pm

    Looks good, must try to make this at xnas.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      November 28, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      Thanks, Ana! Let me know how you like these. 🙂

      Reply
  9. FrankieJane says

    April 04, 2021 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    This is the first recipe for cookies that I ever made that actually made exactly the number of cookies it said it made … so YAY … my oven which is usually dead on took a full 16 minutes to cook these … I also found that if you thumbprint them right after rolling into a ball they did not crack …these are delicious and am looking forward to sharing them later today … and I managed to drag them off my pan onto the cooling rack leaving them on the parchment paper and drizzled with chocolate there was one less thing to cleanup. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      April 21, 2021 at 2:26 pm

      So glad you loved these cookies! Thanks for taking the time to leave that kind comment. 🙂 Happy baking!

      Reply
  10. Rita says

    January 03, 2021 at 10:48 am

    I love the way you explained and had pics of every step.my recepy is similar to yours but use regular sugar .next time I will follow yours .I also use different jams on them but I will certainly try them with the cherries and chocolate. They look much prettier.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Simmons says

      January 07, 2021 at 2:10 pm

      Thanks, Rita! Glad you found the post helpful. 🙂 Happy New Year!

      Reply
  11. Jennifer says

    January 02, 2021 at 12:26 pm

    5 stars
    I made these this morning for our neighbors. The dough was crumbly but it does come together with ease . I had no cracks in mine which was surprising , I did bake mine as well for the full 14 minutes . They are so good , I’ll definitely be keeping them on my baking rotation.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi. I’m Stephanie

I’m a Mom & Grandma-taught cook + baker, and I’m excited to share my love of all things food with you!

Learn more

Order my new book

One-Bowl recipes for incredible cookies, brownies, cakes, and breads made easy enough for anyone to bake!

Order now

Reader Faves

A straight on view of a slice of banana cake topped with maple cream cheese frosting.

gluten-free banana cake with maple cream cheese frosting

A salad bowl full of fresh greens, sliced pears, pomegranates, mandarin oranges, and walnuts.

winter salad with pears, pomegranates, and walnuts

chocolate cherry pie cookies

creamy chicken wild rice soup

salted chocolate peanut butter tart

maple bacon cupcakes with brown butter frosting and candied bacon

Seasonal Picks

Thick, soft raspberry sugar cookies are stuffed with a creamy raspberry cheesecake filling and drizzled with white chocolate. These cookies are absolutely packed with flavor and can be made ahead & frozen until ready to bake! #raspberry #raspberrycookies #cheesecake #cheesecakecookies #raspberrycheesecake #whitechocolate #cookierecipes #christmascookies #valentinesdesserts #springdesserts #bluebowlrecipes | bluebowlrecipes.com

white chocolate raspberry cheesecake cookies

A skillet brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.

fudgy triple chocolate skillet brownie

A stack of broken open cookies, showing their gooey insides with chocolate puddles.

jumbo bakery-style chocolate chip cookies

A tray full of chocolate truffles.

homemade black forest chocolate truffles

classic taco salad with cilantro lime dressing

Short ribs on a bed of cheddar mashed potatoes, on plates.

beer braised short ribs with cheddar mashed potatoes

Subscribe for recipes

Footer

  • Privacy Policy
Blog Meets Brand

© 2023 Blue Bowl Recipes. All Rights Reserved.