Black Forest Cookies
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These soft chocolate cookies have all the flavors you love about Black Forest cake without the hassle of baking and stacking cake layers– rich chocolate flavor, sweet maraschino cherry pieces, and creamy white chocolate chips. You can also use fresh cherries when they’re in season!
WHAT IS BLACK FOREST?
Black Forest cake is one of my favorite cakes of all time. It is comprised of layers of chocolate cake, typically soaked with cherry syrup and/or cherry brandy (kirsch), layered with fresh whipped cream, and sometimes filled with but most definitely topped with fresh cherries.
It is not only a spectacle for the eyes, but also for the mouth. It takes the chocolate + cherry combination (which is just downright fabulous– ask my cherry brownies) to a whole new level.
Because that iconic cake is so involved (what a labor of love!) but also so beloved, many folks have created recipes inspired by the flavor combination, which is where the idea for these delicious cookies came from (see the end of this post above the recipe card for a whole collection of Black Forest dessert-inspired recipes).
With these chewy cookies dotted with maraschino cherries and white chocolate, we get the flavor we love about that cake without baking a cake, preparing a cherry syrup or cherry filling, nor making whipped cream. And it’s an easy recipe to boot!
INGREDIENTS FOR BLACK FOREST COOKIES
This cookie base is a go-to chewy chocolate cookies base you’ll find in a few places around my site. See my mint chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cayenne cookies, or chocolate white chocolate chip cookies for this same very loved cookie in different forms.
For these Black Forest cookies, you will need:
• all-purpose flour
• Dutch process cocoa
• baking soda
• salt
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract
• maraschino cherries
• white chocolate chips
CAN I USE FRESH CHERRIES?
Yes, you can absolutely use fresh cherries if they are in season! Be sure to de-stem them and remove the pits before chopping. Do not use frozen cherries, as they will be far too wet to add to cookie dough.
You could also use dried tart cherries in place of maraschino or fresh cherries. There is no need to chop them unless they seem to be very large. Keep in mind, also, that the cherry flavor will be much different if you go this route.
BE SURE TO SQUEEZE THE CHERRIES DRY
Maraschino cherries are very juicy! And chopped maraschino cherries are even more so, since they’ve been chopped to expose their juicy centers.
It is imperative that you squeeze them dry before adding them to this Black Forest cookie dough. There will be some residual maraschino cherry juice, but the goal is not to add any extra than necessary.
HOW TO MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES
You will need to build in time to chill this cookie dough, but only one hour or up to 3 days (which makes them a great cookie to make ahead of time).
STEP #1
Start by whisking together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, then set this mixture aside.
STEP #2
Next, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then reduce the mixer speed to medium, add the egg and vanilla, and beat again until combined.
STEP #3
Reduce the mixer again to low speed, then slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the white chocolate chips and chopped cherries and continue mixing until everything is evenly dispersed. Cover the dough and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.
STEP #4
When you are ready to bake the cookies, use a cookie scoop to drop cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet and then bake cookies until just set. The cookies will look underdone, so allow them to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These cookies are super soft, chewy, and packed with so much flavor. The white chocolate chips provide the creamy complement to the deep dark chocolate and the sweet and chewy cherries, and this cookie is a must have for those texture lovers in your life!
MORE BLACK FOREST-INSPIRED RECIPES
Black Forest Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons (36g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces (170g) maraschino cherries1 finely chopped and squeezed dry2; about 1 cup before chopped
- ½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips3 chopped
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Turn the mixer speed down to medium, add the egg and vanilla, and beat again until combined.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the white chocolate chips and chopped cherries and continue mixing until evenly dispersed. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), roll the dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until edges are set and center is no longer shiny. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be frozen, up to 2 months. Rolled cookie dough can be frozen, up to 3 months. Place on baking sheet and add 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Notes
- Maraschino cherries: this will be about 1 cup before chopped. You can also use fresh Bing cherries, de-stemmed, pitted, and chopped. Do not use frozen cherries.
- Squeeze dry: maraschino cherries are very wet. Too much moisture in these cookies will make them much cakier than intended and possibly too wet to store safely. I like to let my chopped cherries drain through a mesh sieve and then use a paper towel or dark colored kitchen towel to squeeze them as dry as possible before adding them to my cookie dough.
- White chocolate chips: you can substitute chocolate chips for coarsely chopped white chocolate from a bar. You will want 4 ounces.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Oh so yummy…😢
Hi! Can these be made with white chocolate chips rather than chunks?
Thank you!
Of course! Go with about 2/3 cup.
Just made these delicious cookies. Very good recipe. Next time, I’ll add 8 ounces of white chocolate chips. Reminds me of JL Hudson’s cookies back in the day.
So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
I’m a beginner baker, but I saw the picture of these cookies and had to try them! The directions were great, but not as great as the final product turned out! These cookies ARE. SO. GOOD. They are soft and chewy, satisfy the chocolate lover without being too rich. The white chocolate and cherries are super fun surprises. Will definitely be making these again. Like, maybe tomorrow.
HAHA! I love this. Thanks for sharing your beginner success 🙂
Hi, do these cookies need to be refrigerated for 2 hours ? Or can you shape and bake right away
Hi, Nathalia– as stated in the recipe, you’ll need to refrigerate for 2 hours.
You made it impossible to get this recipe in 1 screen shot , it took at least 5. It was the most difficult of all the recipes I’ve gotten. I will not use your format again. It’s not worth it. I can get this recipe from someone else.
Ok, thanks for stopping by! I removed your 1-star comment since you didn’t actually make the recipe. There is a “print this recipe” button which will take you to a screen without anything on it that you can print, screen shot, or do whatever you want with. Happy holidays!
Can the Italian Amarena cherries in a jar be used?
Hi, Vicki– you can use them! You’ll get a whole different taste, but I think it would be awesome! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Made them with ash Amarena cherries. Really good! Since the cherries are so much darker you can’t see them in the cookie . Cherry is very light.
Thank you so much, Vicki!
hi! I haven’t made these yet but I was wondering if these freeze well and if there’s a specific way to freeze them? I want to bake them as a gift and the person won’t get them for about a week. Please let me know!
Hi, Christina– freezing instructions are in the last step of the recipe. I like to wrap mine up either individually in plastic or foil and freeze them in a large ziptop bag or container.