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Aerial photo of cherry almond date cookies on a plate with a small bowl of maraschino cherries.
5 from 2 votes
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Cherry Almond Date Cookies Recipe

Soft-centered cookies filled with crunchy sliced almonds, sweet maraschino cherries, and chewy, flavorful dates. Perfect for your cookie jar any time of the year!
Prep Time15 minutes
Bake Time15 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Recipe Author Lynn April
Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup (60g) sliced almonds
  • ½ cup (60g) chopped dates
  • 6 ounces (170g) maraschino cherries1 finely chopped and squeezed/patted dry2
Need to keep track of your ingredients?Check out my Printable Ingredient List!

Instructions

  • In a medium size mixing bowl, toss together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add egg and beat again. Add vanilla extract and almond extract and beat again until completely combined.
    6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • Reduce the mixer to low, then slowly add flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Add the almonds and chopped dates and blend until completely combined. Add the chopped cherries and blend until evenly dispersed. Cover the dough and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
    ½ cup (60g) sliced almonds, ½ cup (60g) chopped dates, 6 ounces (170g) maraschino cherries1
  • When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350°F (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), scoop dough and roll in your hands. Place balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake cookies for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will stay fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Baked cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough freezes well, up to 3 months. Place on baking sheet frozen and add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

Notes

  1. Maraschino cherries: this will be about 1 cup before chopped. 
  2. 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. 

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.

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
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