Cherry Shortbread Cookies
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
My cherry shortbread cookies will melt in your mouth with sweet cherries, white and dark chocolate chips. An easy holiday cookie recipe for Christmas or Valentine’s Day!
Cherry shortbread cookies
You’ll start by making my basic shortbread cookie dough recipe, then load it up with delicious, sweet maraschino cherries. To satisfy the chocolate craving, some white chocolate chips and mini dark chocolate chips go in as well.
Like I’ve said before, this is a site devoted to helping “mixed diet” families, like Dave and I, make meals that are every bit as delicious as they are healthy – because life’s too short to be bland! That includes desserts and I wanted a cookie darn it!
With Dave being a type 2 diabetic I have really made an effort to make meals and desserts with him in mind to be able to enjoy.
Every now and then I make something for me and you. He has one and that’s it. So with everything, a little moderation is in order and just a couple of these will do. The rest, are for friends. Really. Scouts Honor.
Shortbread comes together quickly and can be enjoyed fresh from the oven with a glass of cold milk.
Other holiday dessert recipes
If you love the buttery flavor of shortbread, be sure to also make a batch of millionaire shortbread bars. They’re a holiday favorite as well!
For more traditional Christmas cookies, you can bake up some Mexican wedding cookies (aka, almond crescents).
If you the cherry flavored desserts, definitely try my recipes for old fashioned cherry crisp and cherry pie with crumb topping!
Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup maraschino cherries chopped
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips white and/or dark
Instructions
- In a mixer, cream the butter and the sugar. In a bowl sift together the flour and the salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until it comes together. Mix in the maraschino cherries, white chocolate and dark chocolate chips.
- Using a spatula, scoop the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and form into a 2 inch diameter log. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat (silicone baking sheet). Unwrap the cookie dough log, and using a very sharp knife, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and arrange on the baking sheets. This makes 24 cookies.
- Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly and move to a cooling rack.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Kevin:
I’v been making recipes from your site for a while now!. I have a fair number of recently developed food allergies, so I modify recipes a lot. And yours are fairly easy to manipulate. For these I had to use regular sugar instead of confectioners’/powdered, and that has always worked fine for me (intolerant of cornstarch). The regular sugar melts into the butter fine, and I reduce the overall amount to 1/3 cup!. I made these with fresh chopped cherries, lightly salted sprouted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and some 60% bittersweet organic baking chocolate that I chopped up. So nice. I love forming the dough into logs, but had not thought to do this with shortbread dough. I have been doing the for a couple of years now with various forms of cookie dough. Then I cut the logs into two or three sections, freeze 2 and bake one. I usually have several varieties of cookie logs in the freezer for my cookie addiction. Just the two of snow, and this works great to just have a few cookies fresh baked after dinner… Thanks for a new take on shortbread. (Iused fresh cherries because it is cherry season, will try this with maraschinos around holiday time! Your recipes are great!
Thank you Judy! Thank you for sharing all of this! I love these cookies! I cannot wait to make them again!
These are just adorable! I swear Kevin, I could just plan all my cooking and baking around your web-site. I love how this is a recipe for “us”. My Dave is sugar-adverse too, so I won’t be sharing any of these with my sweetie, except maybe my daughter-sweetie who’ll be visiting at the end of the month and we’ll both love and devour these.
These cookies also appeal to me because my grandmother’s favorite ice cream from our favorite ice cream parlor (totally soda jerk decor that hadn’t changed since the 50’s, awesome) was a chocolate chip ice cream with big chunks of maraschino cherries. And my grandma was my forever bff.
Thanks for this and all your recipes. You know I love ya! I might have to test the recipe out today.
Ha! I just replied to your other comment on the Chocolate Caramel Butter Bars re: Dave and sugar, too. You and your daughter will love these. 😉 So cool to read about your grandma. Mine on my mother’s side influenced my baking (yay for apple crisps!) and the one on my dad’s side taught me what NOT to do to vegetables (grey and over cooked). 🙂 Test away and have a great weekend Sally <3
I’ve never thought to bake with maraschino cherries, but that is a fantastic idea! These look completely irresistible…I can see it now: I’ll be telling myself “just one more” over and over again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
True! LOL Now can we talk about a trade, I’ll make some of these for you if you make me some of your amazing Poppy Seed Blood Orange Bars. Deal? Thanks Mara!
Shortbread cookies again, I’m still thinking of that espresso, white chocolate toffee one, pinned this one too! And I’m glad you can do balance to make meals for the family, I’m still struggling with this 🙁 Really well done Kevin !
Every now and then I need one, but I too try to keep the sugar lower these days. Plus, it’s always nice to bring friends the desserts I make here that are occasionally not always so in line with being “good”. Thanks Farida!
These look absolutely drool worthy! Chocolate and cherry are such great combo+ you can’t go wrong with a classic shortbread cookie! Thanks for sharing! 😀
Thanks KC, they are so good and you can never go wrong with shortbread cookies.
Hope your Valentines Day is a good one. LOVE the warm weather and blue skies! 🙂
“The rest are for friends”, he says as he wipes the pink crumbs from his mouth. I think I’d struggle to share any of these. Perhaps one!
Oh, I guess I meant me and friends, but I did share. Ha!
Hope the two of you are enjoying a beautiful weekend John. Cheers!
I love the combo of cherry and chocolate – then you put them in shortbread!! Yummy…Have you ever tried Luxardo brand marachino cherries? If not, it’s a must…have a wonderful weekend my friend!
Hi there Marissa! I have not, but I looked them up. They look dark and delicious. Have a wonderful weekend yourself. 🙂
I totally agree with, Kevin! Life is way too short for bland food. I like my food to punch me in the face with flavor. And you know what? I’d be perfectly happy if these chocolate cherry shortbread cookies punched me in the face. You know, just for Valentine’s Day and all… #WolfpackToughLove
Haha, #WolfpackToughLove, that’s a great one. Thanks Dave, these hit the spot, but I need to give the rest away – quick. Just one more with my coffee…
Hey Kevin! I was thinking about shortbread cookies yesterday and here you are with jazzed up shortbread! I am definitely making these for Valentines Day!
Oh you will not be disappointed Dorothy, these are exceptional and they have a little something inside for everyone! Have a wonderful Valentines with your hubby and a great weekend. 🙂
Oh my gawwwwsh – you had me hooked at “maraschino cherries”! Life is most definitely too short to be bland and these sure do bring the yum factor up quite a few notches!
Thanks Shashi, shortbread cookies are my all time fav and they can be made so many different ways. This one is especially fun, colorful and perfect for that moment of sweet weakness. Have a wonderful Happy Valentines Day if you celebrate, and enjoy your weekend.