These Old Fashioned Chocolate covered cherries are the perfect blend of sweet and tart, wrapped up in a combination of juicy cherries encased in a sugary dough and dipped in rich chocolate that melts in your mouth.
Try more kind of this recipe with yummy fruit and chocolate: Mini Fruit Cookies, White Chocolate Fruit Tart, and Chocolate Pretzel Rods.
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Substitutions
- If you don’t have shortening, use coconut oil.
- If you don't have fresh cherries, you can use maraschino cherries from a jar instead. Just make sure to pat them dry to remove any juices before wrapping them in the dough.
- For the chocolate coating, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate work well, but you can also use chocolate candy melts or Ghirardelli wafers for an easy melt.
Variations
- If you want a thinner chocolate for dipping, add more coconut oil to the chocolate.
- If dough is too sticky, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. If dough is too dry, add a few drops of milk until it a pliable consistency.
- To make them extra special for Christmas or as gifts, drizzle some white chocolate on top or use a candy mold to shape them into festive candies.
Storage
- Store the chocolate covered cherries in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you live in a warmer climate, consider keeping them in the refrigerator to prevent the chocolate from melting.
- For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to a month, although they may lose some of their texture.
Top Tips
- Make sure the cherries are dry before dipping in melted chocolate. Because the chocolate will seize up.
- To ensure the chocolate doesn't burn or seize, melt chocolate and butter over very low heat.
- Try not to get water in the bowl with the chocolate or on any of the utensils you’re using. It will cause your chocolate to seize up.
- If you’re worried about excess chocolate making a mess, place the cherries on wax paper to harden.
Ingredients
- fresh cherries
- confectioners' sugar
- butter
- milk
- almond extract
- chocolate chips
- chocolate bar (optional)
- plain shortening (optional)
Instructions
The sweet cherries I used for this recipe are fresh Northwest Cherries. Pick some up at your local grocery store.
Remove pits from about 16-18 fresh cherries. Wash and set aside on paper towels to dry completely. You can leave the stems to help with dipping in chocolate:
Mix together confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and almond extract until it forms a smooth round ball with the consistency of play-doh.
Pinch off about about ounce of the dough (about the same size of a cherry) and roll it into a small ball, then flatten it out and press your thumb in the center.
Put a cherry inside the thumbprint and mold the dough up and around the stem until the entire cherry is covered:
Place cherries in freezer for about 10-15 minutes while you melt the chocolate. Melt all the chocolate chips and chocolate bar in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, then microwave in 20 second increments until it begins to melt. Stir it often so it doesn’t burn.
Dip the cherries into the melted chocolate, using a spoon to roll them until completely covered chocolate:
Place on wax or parchment paper to harden completely. You can place in refrigerator to speed up the hardening process. Enjoy!
How to Freeze Cherries in 3 simple steps
If you have extra cherries on hand and would like to freeze them for baking at a later date, here is how:
- Wash and pit all the cherries.
- Place cherries onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze flat for 12-24 hours. Or freeze directly in a bag, making sure it's evenly spaced out.
- After this initial freeze, transfer frozen cherries into a large plastic zip-top bag.
Cherries should keep for 6 months as long as they are in an air-tight, freezer-safe bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Old Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 fresh cherries washed and pitted
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 bag chocolate chips
- 1 chocolate bar optional
- 1 teaspoon plain shortening optional
Instructions
- Remove pits from about 16-18 fresh cherries. Wash and set aside on paper towels to dry completely. You can leave the stems to help with dipping in chocolate.
- Mix together confectioners sugar, butter, milk and almond extract until it forms a smooth round ball with the consistency of play-doh. If dough is too sticky, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar. If dough is too dry, add a few drops of milk until it becomes a pliable consistency.
- Pinch off about about ounce of the dough (about the same size of a cherry) and roll it into a small ball, then flatten it out and press your thumb in the center.
- Put a cherry inside the thumbprint and mold the dough up and around the stem until the entire cherry is covered.
- Place cherries in freezer for about 10-15 minutes while you melt the chocolate.
- Melt all the chocolate chips and chocolate bar in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, then microwave in 20 second increments until it begins to melt. Stir it often so it doesn’t burn. If chocolate is too thick you can add 1 teaspoon shortening to help it coat better. DO NOT ADD WATER. (You can substitute a package of chocolate almond bark for this enrobing process.)
- Dip the cherries into the melted chocolate, using a spoon to roll them until completely covered chocolate.
- Place on wax or parchment paper to harden completely. You can place in refrigerator to speed up the hardening process.
Ben Grounds says
Great article
Lainey says
Hi Ben,
Thank you for your kind words and for visiting my blog! I appreciate it. Do you love chocolate desserts?
Julius says
I loove it! Super simple ad would definitely be a crowd-pleaser. The chocolate and juicy cherries go so well together!