Chewy Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies filled with dried cherries, white chocolate, milk chocolate, and pecans are soft, chewy, and irresistible! They’re one of the traditional holiday cookies I’ve made for decades.
With 4 of my favorite add-ins, it’s no surprise that this loaded Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe is a treasured holiday treat. Deliciousness is guaranteed in every bite!
Why You Must Make
- There are nearly as many add-ins as cookie dough in this recipe. Sweet deliciousness in every bite.
- White and milk chocolate provide the melt-in-your-mouth, dreamy sweetness only chocolate chunks can provide. Dried cherries are slightly tart, chewy, and so much better than raisins in my humble opinion. Perfect for additional texture.
- Finally, the pecans contribute that needed crunch for a multifaceted indulgent experience. I’ve given out this recipe numerous times to friends and neighbors. I buy bags of tart Montmorency dried cherries at Trader Joe’s just for these cookies but they also find their way into salads, granola, and more.
- They freeze well, so you can always have a treat waiting for you in the freezer.
Recipe Tips
If you’re a dried cherry fan, you must add these chewy cherry chocolate chunk cookies to your baking list! Try saying that three times fast! Here are a few of my hints for helping with this cookie recipe.
- PRO-Tip: Toast your pecans before adding them to the dough. A short time in the oven or on the stovetop will help release their natural oils, intensifying their flavor. Just watch carefully and remove from the heat as soon as you start smelling a nutty aroma. It will take only a few minutes, but if they burn, you’ll have to toss them and start over.
- Bring your butter and egg out of the refrigerator an hour before baking to let them come to room temperature. This will allow for easier incorporation into the batter.
- Chop your own chocolate chunks if you can. Use Ghirardelli bars and cut them into chocolate chip-sized cubes. The quality of these chocolate bars is a step above bagged chocolate chips or chunks.
- PRO-Tip: Mix your dough by hand or with the paddle attachment. If you use the whisk attachment, you’ll add air into the batter and your cookies will not be as chewy and dense, but instead more cake-like.
- Use a cookie disher to scoop out consistent-sized dough balls.
- With all the add-ins in the batter, the cookies may not bake into perfect rounds. Use a spatula to tap the warm cookies back into circular shapes.
- For a professional look, reserve some of the chocolate and cherries to press into the hot, fresh out-of-the-oven cookies. Cut the cherries in half and press them in cut side down.
You May Also Like:
Whether you’re a dried cherry addict like I am or love those juicy summer Bing or Rainier cherries, here are a few other recipes you might like to try.
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownie Bombs from Wine and Glue
- Fast and Easy Cherry Crisp from Valerie’s Kitchen
- Cherry Bars from Well Plated
- Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries
- Double Cherry Muffins
- Cherry Chocolate Brownies
- More of my Favorite Cookie Recipes
- More Cookie Recipes
Chewy Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
A loaded chewy cookie that's filled with two kinds of chocolate, nuts and dried cherries!
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped white chocolate
- ½ cup coarsely chopped milk chocolate
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (roasted is preferred)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in cherries, white and milk chocolate, and pecans either in the mixer or with a wooden spoon.
- With a cookie disher, scoop out tablespoonfuls of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Press the mounds of dough with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly.
- Bake until just set and golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for about 3 days or freeze for up to a month (though I’ve eaten cookies that have been in the freezer much longer!!).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
2 cookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g
19 Comments on “Chewy Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies”
These are screaming danger and I’m not listening!
Thank you Liz for a balanced meal in one cookie…fruits, nuts and MIlK chocolate…all the food groups, right? All kidding aside, your cookies look fantabulous. Thank you for the tip about TJ’s brand of dried cherries.
These cookies look absolutely perfect Liz! Love the flavor combination and the texture. You can never have too many cookie recipes!
I adore a ton of texture in my cookies. And when cherries are involved? Pass me this plate please! I recently posted a texture rich muffin recipe myself. Here is the link if you get a chance to stop by. 🙂 https://greedyeats.com/cranberry-orange-muffin-recipe/
These are perfect cookies for me! I love these add-ins. And, I just brought home a bag of dried cherries.
Perfection and hitting the print button right now!
Thank you Liz. This is an all holidays keeper !
Yum, I’m super happy you lost these delicious looking cookies but found them again!
Chewy cookies are our favorite and with a nice bite of cherry and white chocolate these little treats are so addictive.
What’s wrong with me that I want these for breakfast? OMG they’re just so perfect. You can’t go wrong with cherries and chocolate!
Such dreamy cookies, I’d happily devour the batch! 🙂
How did you know I like chewy cookies best 😀 And I also am a fan of dried cherries and pecans. They look so great.
Do you deliver? I’ll take a dozen 🙂
oh we all love cherry and chocolate combinations here. I have always been so stuck on coconut It never occured to me what a great idea to use cherry (psst I may add the coconut too!) Smiling
have a great day your kitchen is gorgeous BTW!
Who doesn’t like Chocolate Chip/Chunk cookies? The favorite of most folks, I’d guess. Certainly mine (although I’m pretty happy with whatever cookie is in front of me at the moment!). Super recipe — thanks.
I don’t know why I have not thought of using dried cherries in a chocolate chip cookie. The flavors are so perfect together. My grandmother would say there is only one thing wrong with the recipe: I haven’t made them for her yet!
I love the flavor of cherry and white chocolate – great recipe 🙂
Wish I had a couple for my coffee break this morning:@)
They look gorgeously chewy and delicious!