Cherry Almond Cookies

No chill cherry almond cookies are made with maraschino cherries and almond extract. They are soft and chewy drop cookies perfect for Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day or just because you love the classic cherry and almond combination!

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Sunny spring weather always has me dreaming of summer. Okay, honestly I'm always dreaming of summer! The PNW has some of the most delicious cherries and enjoying those fresh cherries is one of my favorite parts of summer.

Cherry and almond is such a classic flavor combo, at least as famous as cherry and chocolate, right??? So I wanted to find a way to enjoy this flavor with a sweet twist when it isn't cherry season; by adding maraschino cherries.

For other recipes with fresh or frozen cherries, try dark chocolate cherry shortbread, cherry almond scones or homemade cherry pop tarts.

why you will love these drop cookies

• No waiting from ingredients to warm up.
• A one bowl recipe {you're busy and need fewer dishes to wash!}
• No chill time required!
• Melted butter = soft and chewy cookies that are full of cherry almond flavor.

ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Butter ~ this cookie recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, just leave out the kosher salt. The butter gets melted, so no planning ahead. 😉
• Sugar ~ both granulated and brown sugars are used. I wanted these cherry almond cookies to have more of a sugar cookie flavor, so there is a higher amount of white sugar in this recipe.
• Egg ~ just one large egg needed and it can come straight from the refrigerator. The egg brings structure and binds the ingredients together.
• Almond extract ~ adds the lovely almond flavor. I always use Cooks almond extract, my local market carries it, but you can also buy it on Amazon.
• Vinegar ~ reacts with the baking soda to add thickness and also adds to the soft texture of the cookies. Either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used.
• Baking soda ~ adds some lift and thickness to the cherry almond cookies.
• Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the sweetness.
• All-purpose flour ~ be sure to spoon and level the flour or use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measuring.
• Maraschino cherries ~ sometimes called cocktail cherries. I buy my maraschino cherries at Target, but most major grocery stores will carry them. They can usually be found with the ice cream toppings or in the baking section. Although occasionally they will be with the canned fruit. You will also use some of the juice from the jar of cherries in the easy dough.

how to make cherry almond cookies

Start by removing the maraschino cherries from their juice {remove the stems if they have them} and place on a layer or two of paper towels.

Then slice each cherry in half and then each half into 6 pieces {giving you 12 small pieces per cherry}. Move the sliced cherries onto another paper towel. Once all the cherries are in small pieces, blot them dry with another paper towel and set aside while you make the cookie dough.

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.

In a medium to large bowl, melt the butter. Then add both sugars and whisk until fully incorporated {first photo below}.

Next add the egg, almond extract, cherry juice and vinegar. Whisk until the mixture is combined {second photo below}.

Sprinkle the baking soda and kosher salt over the mixture and stir well {third photo below}.

Then add the flour and stir until just a little bit of flour remains showing.

Fold in the chopped and dried maraschino cherries.

Use about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie {I like using a size 30 scoop} and place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. If the cookies haven’t flattened as much as you’d like, bang the pan on the counter once or twice and use a large round cutter to “scoot” the cookies into a perfectly round shape, if desired.

tips for soft and chewy cookies

• Prepare the cherries first as you want most of the moisture removed from them. See above for tips on drying the cherries.
• Work gently once you add in the maraschino cherries so you don't overwork the cookie dough.
• Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies. A size 30 scoop is my favorite!
• Be careful not to over bake the cherry almond cookies. To achieve the soft texture, you want them slightly under baked in the center. They will continue to bake as they cool.
• If the cookies haven’t flattened as much as you’d like, drop the pan on the stovetop or counter a few times when the pan is hot from the oven.
• For that bakery style cookie look, "cookie scoot" when the cookies are hot out of the oven. Use a round cookie or biscuit cutter that is a little larger than your baked cookies and scoot it around the edges of the hot cookies while still hot on the baking pan. This smooshes in any unruly edges and creates perfectly round cookies. {I use this biscuit cutter set all the time!}

frequently asked questions

can I use almond flour?

Yes, but in combination with all-purpose flour. Use 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour {172g} and ½ cup almond flour {56g}. This is the same combo I use in my butterscotch pretzel cookies.

can I use fresh cherries?

This drop cookie recipe was developed for maraschino cherries, which taste very different from fresh cherries. I suspect you could prepare fresh cherries the same way and add them, but the flavor of the cookies won't be the same. Please let me know if you try it!

would white chocolate work in this recipe?

The maraschino cherries bring a lot of sweetness to this cookie! As much as I love white chocolate, I think it would make the cookies too sweet. But chocolate would be delicious; add ½ cup of chocolate chips with the maraschino cherries.

how to store

Store cherry almond cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

The cookies also freeze well for up to three months; allow them to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Cherry Almond Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more no chill cookie recipes

• Sprinkle Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
• Lemon Blueberry Cookies
• German Chocolate Cookies
• Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!