Amazing 12-Minute Maraschino cherry sugar cookies

Oh, you absolutely *have* to make these! When the hustle of the holidays hits, I always skip the complicated roll-out dough and reach straight for these beautiful, bright pink treats. I’m talking about the softest, chewiest maraschino cherry sugar cookies you will ever bite into. They bake up so fast—we’re talking under 30 minutes total if you’re organized!

Growing up in the Midwest, baking was always about making something familiar feel a little bit special. These cookies do exactly that. They use jarred cherries, which I always have on hand, but they end up tasting like something lovingly made from scratch. They look incredible on any christmas cookie tray ideas platter, and honestly, they’re sturdy enough for bake sales or just an after-school snack, too. Trust me, once you see that vibrant pink color, you’ll be hooked. You can read more about where my love for simple, comforting baking comes from over on my About Page.

Why These Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies Are Your New Holiday Favorite

These really steal the show because they nail that perfect balance between pretty and practical. If you’re looking for easy holiday cookie recipes that don’t require hours of chilling or fancy piping, these are it! I think you’ll love them because:

• They are inherently soft cherry cookies—no hard, brittle edges here!
• The color is gorgeous and screams ‘celebration,’ perfect for nearly any pink-themed party.
• We use jarred cherries, so there’s zero fuss involved, and they bake up in less than 12 minutes.
• They are wonderfully chewy cherry cookies thanks to a little cherry juice in the batter!

Gathering Ingredients for Perfect Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

Okay, pulling together the ingredients for these cherry sugar cookie recipe beauties is nearly half the fun, because you probably have most of this stuff sitting in your pantry already! The success of these cookies really hinges on making sure your main players are ready to go. You absolutely must start with the butter—it needs to be softened to room temperature; never melted! That’s key for that fluffy start.

And listen, when you grab those maraschino cherries, you need two things from that jar: the chopped cherries themselves, and that amazing pink juice. Just make sure you drain those cherries really, really well. Soggy cherries make for flat little cookies, and we want fluffy and chewy!

Here is exactly what you need for about two dozen perfect cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened until it gives just a little when you press it
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice (Make sure you measure this after draining the good stuff!)
• 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained really well
• Pink food coloring (optional, but I always add a drop or two for that extra vibrant look!)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Chewy Cherry Cookies

Now that all our beautiful ingredients are ready, it’s time to bring them together! Making these chewy cherry cookies is super straightforward, but the order of operations truly matters if you want that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Don’t rush the creaming step—that’s where the air gets trapped!

Mixing the Dough for Your Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

First things first: get that oven rolling at 350 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Seriously, don’t skip the parchment; these are too pretty to stick!

In your big bowl, you have to cream that softened butter and sugar together until it looks genuinely light and fluffy—almost pale yellow. Beat in the egg and vanilla until everything is happy and smooth. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk your flour, baking soda, and salt together so they get introduced nicely.

Now add the dry stuff to the wet stuff gradually, keeping your mixer on *low* speed. Once it’s *just* combined—meaning you don’t see big white streaks anymore—pour in that bright maraschino cherry juice. If you want them extra pink for your Valentine’s Day cookies, drop in a tiny bit of food coloring now. Finally, and this is important: gently fold in those chopped, dreamy cherries with a spatula. We want those cherries suspended in the dough, not beaten to death!

Baking and Cooling Your Pink Christmas Cookies

Scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto your prepared sheets, making sure you leave about two inches between each one because they spread just a little bit. Some folks like to use the bottom of a glass to gently flatten them before they go in, but I like a slightly puffier dome, so I often skip that.

Into the oven they go for 9 to 11 minutes. Set a timer! The real secret to getting soft cherry cookies is knowing when to pull them out. You are looking for the edges to be just set, but the very center should still look a little soft and almost underdone. That residual heat finishes the cooking process on the pan.

Let them sit on that hot baking sheet for a solid five minutes. This lets those centers firm up just enough so they don’t crumble when you lift them. Then, gently transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Patience here pays off big time!

Expert Tips for the Best Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies Texture

I’ve made literal dozens of batches of these maraschino cherry sugar cookies trying to lock down that perfect, almost cloud-like chewiness. It’s not just about the ingredients list; it’s about *how* you treat them leading up to the oven. If you follow these few little tricks, you’ll move from good cookies to absolute showstoppers for your christmas cookie tray ideas.

The absolute number one thing I learned—and trust me, I learned this the hard way after baking some crunchy, sad-looking cookies—is temperature management. If your butter is too warm, the cookies spread into puddles before they even set. You need it softened, yes, but still cool enough where it holds its shape. If you leave it out for an hour, check it! If it looks greasy, stick it back in the fridge for ten minutes before you move to the creaming step.

The second big deal that people often overlook when making maraschino cherry desserts is moisture control. Those jars of cherries are swimming in syrup, and that syrup is delicious, but it’s the enemy of a structured sugar cookie dough. We need that liquid for color and flavor, but not so much that it ruins the flour-to-fat ratio.

Drain Those Cherries Like Your Cookie Life Depends On It

I mean it when I say you need to drain those cherries until they look like sad little blobs. Put them in a fine-mesh sieve and just let them sit over the sink while you mix the dry ingredients—at least ten minutes! Then, after they’ve dripped for a bit, lay them out on a paper towel and give them a gentle pat-dry.

We need that extra juice in the measurement because that’s where the pink comes from, but the actual fruit pieces need to be as dry as possible before they hit the dough. If you skip this, your dough will be sticky, and you’ll be tempted to add more flour, which is exactly how you end up with dry, crumbly cookies instead of our beloved soft cherry cookies.

The Top-Decorating Trick for Cute Valentine’s Day Cookies

If you’re planning on making these extra pretty, maybe for a batch of valentines day cookies, try skipping chopping *all* the cherries. Instead, after you drop your spoonfuls of dough onto the sheet but *before* baking, take a single half-cherry and gently press it right into the center top of the dough ball.

When they bake, the dough puffs up slightly around that cherry half, making a little nest for it. It looks so classic and homemade! This also means you get the beautiful cherry flavor and visual pop without compromising the overall chewiness of the cookie structure, because you haven’t incorporated too much wet fruit into the mix.

Making These Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies Kid Friendly

You know, sometimes baking feels like a serious, almost scientific undertaking, but these maraschino cherry sugar cookies? These are pure, unadulterated fun! Since they bake up so quickly and have that fantastic, almost candy-like sweetness from the cherries, they are instant hits with the younger crowd. You don’t need complicated frosting or layers; the pink color does all the heavy lifting!

Because these fall squarely into the kid friendly cookie recipes category, I always try to get my little helpers involved. They just melt when they see that bright pink dough staring back at them. The best part for them to handle is the scooping! Kids lack that gentle “fold” technique we talk about for the cherries, but they are pros at portioning. If you’re letting them help, make sure you have them use a small cookie scoop or just a regular spoon to drop the dough onto the parchment.

My rule is that their little hands can drop the dough onto the baking sheet, space them out, and then *I* take over for the gentle folding step with the actual chopped cherries. If they add the cherries, they usually over-mix them in anger or excitement, and we don’t want torn dough!

Also, if you’re doing a very simple, kid-focused bake, feel free to leave out the food coloring entirely. Even without the extra dye, the cherry juice gives a lovely, soft blush to the cookie, which is still way prettier than a boring beige sugar cookie. They love seeing the little red bits peeking out, too!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for Your Cherry Sugar Cookie Recipe

The best part about having such a reliable cherry sugar cookie recipe is knowing you can make them ahead of time! Since these are designed to be soft and chewy, we need to store them correctly so they don’t dry out before your big party.

Once they are completely cool—and I mean totally stone-cold—store them in an airtight container layered with sheets of wax paper. This keeps the pink cookies from melding together and squishing. They stay wonderfully fresh like this on the counter for about three days, which is perfect for prepping that big christmas cookie tray ideas spread!

If you made a double batch like I always seem to do, they freeze like a dream! Just stack them in that airtight container with the wax paper dividers, and pop them in the freezer. They keep great for about two months, ready whenever you need that sweet pink pop!

Frequently Asked Questions About Maraschino Cherry Desserts

Can I skip the food coloring if I want a more natural look?

You absolutely can! I usually use it just to enhance the color, especially if I’m aiming for a very vibrant look for party platters. The maraschino cherry juice itself will give the dough a soft, pale pink blush, so you won’t end up with plain white cookies. If you skip the dye, you’ll have softer, more subtle soft cherry cookies, which is totally beautiful in its own right!

Why did my maraschino cherry sugar cookies turn out flat?

Oh, that’s the telltale sign of warm butter or a lack of flour! If your butter was too soft or even slightly melted when you creamed it, those cookies will spread right out before the edges can set. Also, if you accidentally added too much cherry juice without balancing it, they will certainly flatten. For chewy cherry cookies, you need that structure that firm butter helps create!

Do these work well if I want to make them for Valentines Day cookies instead of Christmas?

They are practically *made* for Valentine’s Day! The bright pink color is perfect for that holiday. If you want to make them strictly for Valentine events, you can lean into the garnish! Instead of mixing in the chopped cherries, try pressing a beautiful whole half-cherry right in the center before baking (like I mentioned in the tips section). They look so romantic!

Can I use different kinds of cherries, like dried tart cherries?

You could try, but I highly caution against substituting dried fruit here unless you do some prep work. Dried cherries are… well, dry! They’re going to suck the moisture right out of the cookie dough while it bakes, resulting in a crumbly texture, which defeats the purpose of our soft approach. For this specific cherry sugar cookie recipe, stick with the jarred, syrupy cherries to maintain the moisture and color we are aiming for in these maraschino cherry desserts.

I need these to be super thick. Any adjustment for that?

If you like them extra thick, you don’t need to change much in the recipe itself, but you *must* stop pressing them down with a glass before baking! Leave them as nice, high scoops of dough. Also, drop your oven temperature down just 25 degrees—so bake at 325 F instead of 350 F—and let them bake for about 12 to 14 minutes. The lower heat slows the spread and helps them bake up taller!

Estimated Nutritional Data for Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

Now, I know plenty of you bakers out there are watching what goes into your treats—and that’s totally fair! We all want to know what we’re serving up, whether it’s for the bake sale or just a simple evening snack. Here’s a closer look at what’s generally in one of these wonderful pink cookies, based on standard ingredient calculations for this maraschino cherry sugar cookie recipe.

Please remember, because we’re dealing with juicy cherries and sugar content can vary slightly based on how well you drain them or whether you add that extra drop of coloring, these numbers are just a good guideline. This is based on a yield of 24 cookies, so if you bake fewer, the numbers per cookie will bump up a little.

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: Approximately 150
• Fat: 8g (Remember, we use real butter for flavor!)
• Total Carbohydrates: 18g
• Sugar: 12g (That cherry syrup gets everywhere!)
• Protein: About 2g

You’ll notice the saturated fat is a bit higher because of that glorious butter we use, but honestly, butter is what keeps these soft cherry cookies so incredibly tender. It’s all about balance in the kitchen, right?

Share Your Pink Christmas Cookies Creations

That’s it! You’ve got your gorgeous, perfectly pink christmas cookies cooling on the rack, and they smell just heavenly, don’t they? I really hope you loved making this simple cherry sugar cookie recipe as much as I love baking it year after year. Now comes my favorite part: hearing how they turned out for you!

When you get a chance, please leave a rating right near the top of the page. Did you go for the extra bright pink color, or did you stick with the more subtle blush from the juice? I’m so curious to know where these little gems are ending up on your dessert map. Are you stacking them high for a big holiday tray, or are they destined for a fun valentines day cookies platter?

Telling me which occasion you baked these maraschino cherry sugar cookies for really helps other home bakers decide if this recipe is right for them. Did they stay nice and chewy? Did the kids devour them immediately?

If you ran into any snags, or if you found a crazy brilliant substitute for one of the ingredients, please drop a comment below! I always check in on the comments, and I’d love to chat about your baking experience. If you have questions about making future batches, you can always reach out to me through my contact page as well!

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