Stunning 1-Bowl Maraschino cherry sugar cookies

If your holiday baking list is stressing you out, I have the perfect pink solution that brings maximum charm with minimal fuss! Seriously, these Maraschino cherry sugar cookies are the shortcut to creating a stunning Christmas cookie tray. We’re talking about cookies that are delightfully soft, perfectly chewy, and shockingly quick—you can have them cooling in about 30 minutes total. That’s right, fast, beautiful, and delicious. Here at DelishCraze, our whole mission, which Olivia Rosewood started, is making sure baking feels like a pleasure, not a chore, especially during busy times. You can read more of our philosophy over on the About page, because these cookies prove that you don’t need complicated steps to get that gorgeous, vibrant pink color that everyone loves. Trust me, these will be the first to disappear!

Why This Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies Recipe is Your New Favorite

When I pull these out of the oven—bright pink and smelling sweetly of almond—I know I’ve nailed an easy win. If you are trying to fill up that holiday cookie tray quickly, this straightforward approach is perfect. You want cookies that look amazing but don’t take up your entire afternoon, right? Me too!

• They are incredibly fast: Prep is just 15 minutes, and they bake in under 11 minutes.
• They use simple, jarred ingredients you probably already have lying around.
• The texture is spot-on: soft centers that melt in your mouth.

Achieving Soft and Chewy Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

The secret to getting those amazing **maraschino cherry sugar cookies** just right is twofold. First, we use plenty of butter and less flour than a standard drop cookie, which keeps everything rich. Second, and don’t let this scare you, we pull them out when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly puffy and soft. That slight under-baking is what guarantees you get that perfect chewy texture when they finish cooling down. They firm up beautifully!

Perfect Pink Christmas Cookie Tray Ideas

Let’s talk color! The cherry juice does all the heavy lifting here, giving you that stunning, cheerful pink hue that pops right off the plate. This is one of my favorite **easy holiday cookie recipes** because they look fancy but took almost no effort. They work beautifully next to chocolate ones or even green pistachio cookies for a festive, colorful spread that will stop people scrolling on Pinterest!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Cherry Sugar Cookie Recipe

Okay, let’s get everything measured and ready to go. When you’re baking quickly, having all your players on the counter makes all the difference, trust me! This **cherry sugar cookie recipe** relies on keeping the ingredients straightforward so we can focus on the flavor payoff from those little jars of vibrant cherries. In the ingredient list below, pay close attention to how I want those cherries prepped because it really matters for texture.

If you’re looking for other fast, fruity flavor ideas for your upcoming baking marathon, you should definitely check out my recipe for Christmas Jam—it’s phenomenal on toast or even swirled into a cheesecake later!

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temperature is best!)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (this adds that classic cherry treat flavor!)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice (the bright red kind!)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained really well
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting (optional finish)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

I want to stress this: draining those cherries is absolutely critical! If you dump wet, syrupy cherries straight into the dough, you’ll end up with a batter that spreads way too much and won’t bake properly. Pat them dry a little after you chop them if you need to. Also, that almond extract? It’s the secret weapon that makes these taste like those amazing diner cherries, but if you aren’t a fan, just use an extra splash of vanilla. It’s still going to be lovely, but the almond just gives it that extra zing!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Easy Holiday Cookie Recipes

We’ve got the butter softened and the flour ready, so let’s get this dough mixed! Remember, we are aiming for speed and simplicity here, but we can’t rush the creaming part—it sets the stage for those lovely soft cookies. I always have my baking sheets lined with parchment paper before I even touch the mixer. It saves such a headache later!

Since you’re focused on quick baking, you’ll love how fast this dough comes together. For a little extra inspiration on cookie techniques, you can look at how I handle my Cardamom Shortbread Cookies; the creaming method is the same essential foundation!

Mixing the Dough for Chewy Cherry Cookies

First, you treat that butter and sugar just like you would for any great cookie; beat them until they look pale and fluffy—this traps air, which is key for that wonderful chew. Then, toss in your extracts, egg, and that glorious, pink cherry juice. Mix until that wet mixture is gorgeous and uniformly colored.

Now, add the flour mixture slowly. This is where you need to listen to me: mix only until the streaks of flour *just* disappear. Stop the moment they are incorporated! Overmixing develops gluten, and that gives you tough cookies, not the soft, **chewy cherry cookies** we are dreaming of. Once the chopped cherries are gently folded in, your dough will be very soft. That’s perfect! Don’t panic; that softness is what makes them melt-in-your-mouth.

Baking Tips for Perfect Pink Christmas Cookies

Get that oven good and hot to 350°F and make sure those sheets are lined well. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls and give them space—about two inches apart. They spread just a tiny bit, and we want to avoid them fusing together into one giant pink cookie cake!

Bake them for 9 to 11 minutes, tops. Here’s the critical visual cue for those **pink Christmas cookies**: the edges need to look dry and set, but the center should still look just a little bit pale and slightly unset, maybe even a hair shiny. If you wait for the center to look fully dry, you’ll end up with a firm cracker instead of a soft treat. Let them sit on that hot pan for five minutes before you move them gently to the rack to cool completely.

Tips for Success with Your Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

These little pink beauties seriously don’t need much coddling, but if you want them to be absolutely show-stopping, I have a few things I always do to guarantee success every single time. It’s all about dialing in that perfect color and that incredible chew factor we talked about.

First, about that color: If you want seriously vibrant **maraschino cherry sugar cookies**, don’t skimp on the amount of juice you use. The brighter red your cherries are straight out of the jar, the deeper your pink will be after baking. If you’re making these for Valentine’s Day and want them extra saturated, try adding just a microscopic drop of red food coloring to the juice—just enough to boost the natural tint. But honestly, just using good quality juice usually does the trick!

Second tip involves temperature, and this is crucial for softness. The recipe calls for softened butter, which is great for creaming, but if your dough feels too greasy or slack when you go to scoop it, don’t hesitate to pop that whole mixing bowl into the fridge for 20 minutes. Chilling the dough slightly helps the cookies hold their shape better while baking, leading to that slightly thicker, chewier center we are aiming for. This simple pause makes a huge difference!

Finally, for the softest results, resist the urge to flatten the dough balls before baking. We want them scooped and dropped right onto the sheet. When you leave them slightly mounded, they spread outward while baking, creating those lovely crinkly edges while the center stays wonderfully dense and soft. It’s the best way to handle this one!

If you feel like you need another reliable, everyday cookie in your arsenal, my recipe for the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies follows the same principles of careful creaming and thoughtful balancing, just with brown sugar goodness instead of cherry juice!

Serving Suggestions for Maraschino Cherry Desserts

Once these beauties are cooled, what do you do with them? Well, you could eat them all yourself standing over the cooling rack—I won’t judge! But as far as **Christmas cookie tray ideas** go, these pink gems look fantastic next to something white or dark. Try pairing them with simple vanilla wafers or maybe even some dark fudge brownies.

For Valentine’s Day, the color is just perfect. You can stack them tall on a little tiered stand! If you want to turn this cookie into something a little fancier, try making a big single cookie base using this same dough, sort of like a giant sugar cookie crust, and topping it with fresh fruit and maybe a light drizzle. It’s what I do when I use my Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza technique!

Storage and Reheating Instructions for Soft Cherry Cookies

These **soft cherry cookies** are wonderfully tender thanks to the juice we added, but that means we have to be careful about how we store them so they don’t go hard or stale too quickly. The enemy here is air! If you leave them out on a plate, they’ll go stiff by Day Two, and nobody wants a hard cherry bite, right?

The absolute best way to store them is in a good, airtight container. I usually line the bottom of my container with a small paper towel first. This sounds weird, maybe, but it absorbs any tiny bit of extra moisture that might try to sweat off the cookies, preventing that sticky bottom layer.

Keep them at room temperature—don’t bother with the fridge, it actually dries out cookies faster. If you are making a huge batch for the holidays, you can freeze them before you dust them with powdered sugar! Lay them flat on a baking sheet, freeze them completely uncovered for an hour or so, then transfer the frozen rounds into a heavy-duty freezer bag. They keep great in the freezer for up to three months!

When you want to eat them later, just pull out what you need and let them thaw on the counter for about 15 minutes. If they seem a little flat after thawing, you can give them a quick 30-second zap in the microwave—just enough to warm them up slightly and bring back that fresh-from-the-oven softness. Honestly, these are such **easy holiday cookie recipes** that they disappear so fast you might not even need the freezer!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Cherry Sugar Cookie Recipe

You’ve got questions, and I’ve got answers! It’s totally normal when trying out a new **cherry sugar cookie recipe** to wonder about ingredient swaps or how to handle storage, especially when you need them color-perfect for a party. I’ve rounded up the most common things people ask about achieving the best **soft cherry cookies** possible.

If you’re planning a huge baking session, you might also want to look into my tips for making Apple Pie Cookies—they use a similar drop-and-bake method!

Are these Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies Kid Friendly Cookie Recipes?

Absolutely! This is one of my favorite **kid friendly cookie recipes** because the dough is fun to look at (hello, pink!) and they are so straightforward to make. The kids can easily help scoop the dough balls—just watch out for sticky fingers reaching into that gorgeous pink dough! The flavor is sweet and fruity without being too intense for little palates. Since they don’t require any complicated spreading or cutting, they are a breeze for little helpers.

Do I really need the almond extract, or can I skip it?

I know not everyone likes that distinct almond smell, even though it really helps marry the flavor of the cherry juice! If you skip it, you definitely won’t ruin the cookies. Just make sure to use an extra 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead. You’ll still have delicious, vibrant **maraschino cherry desserts**, just with a slightly different flavor profile. They won’t be quite as ‘classic’ tasting, but still fantastic!

How can I make the pink color even more intense for Valentine’s Day cookies?

This is a common request for **Valentines day cookies**! To get them super saturated, you need to use the juice from the brightest, deepest red jar of cherries you can find. Don’t be afraid to use the full 1/4 cup listed. Furthermore, if you use a tiny, *tiny* drop of quality red food coloring mixed into the liquid before you add it to the wet ingredients, you can sometimes boost that natural pink hue just a little bit more without changing the taste at all.

Can these be made ahead or frozen?

Yes, they freeze wonderfully! Even better, you can freeze the dough balls! Scoop them onto a cookie sheet, freeze until solid, and then bag them up. They bake beautifully right from frozen—just add about 2 minutes onto the baking time. Perfect for having fresh **pink cookies** ready right when you need them!

Estimated Nutritional Data for Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookies

So, let’s talk numbers. While I focus way more on taste and happiness than I do on spreadsheets, I know some of you like to keep track! Since every brand of butter and every type of cherry syrup is a little different, these figures are just an estimate based on standard ingredient measurements for these **maraschino cherry sugar cookies**.

Remember, these numbers are calculated per cookie, assuming you get the full yield of about 24 cookies from the batch. If you make your scoops gigantic, your numbers will jump up a bit. It’s all about that Goldilocks scoop size!

• **Serving Size:** 1 cookie
• **Calories:** Approximately 145
• **Sugar:** Around 13 grams
• **Fat:** About 7 grams (this is where the wonderfully soft texture comes from!)
• **Carbohydrates:** Around 19 grams
• **Protein:** About 2 grams

It’s a sweet treat, for sure, but considering how fast they bake and how much joy they bring to a cookie platter, I think these are a completely worthwhile addition to your holiday schedule. Enjoy them!

Share Your Pink Christmas Cookies Creation

Now that you’ve got a beautiful stack of soft, chewy, pink delights—it’s your turn to shine! I really, truly love seeing how my recipes come to life in your kitchens. Seriously, it makes my day when I get a little note saying how much your family loved these **Maraschino cherry sugar cookies**!

Don’t be shy! Head down to the comments section below and tell me everything. Did you dust them with powdered sugar like I sometimes forget to do, or did you leave them plain? Did the kids try to sneak bites of the dough, or did they manage to keep their hands off until they were cool? I want to hear all the details about how these fit into your holiday baking this year.

If you snapped a picture of your gorgeous pink cookies—maybe arranged perfectly on a platter for some **Christmas cookie tray ideas**—I would absolutely love to see it! Sharing photos helps encourage other bakers who might be on the fence about trying something new. You can share your experience and connect with us directly by hitting up the Contact page if you have a major question, but comments are the place for cookie chat!

Happy baking, and thank you so much for trusting this **cherry sugar cookie recipe** for your celebrations!

Print