Black Forest Cookies Recipe that delivers fudgy chocolate cookies packed with tart cherries, dark chocolate chunks, and a whisper of almond. This batch suits chocolate lovers, holiday cookie tins, and bake-sale heroes, and the total time hits about 1 hour with a quick chill. I shared these with my next-door taste testers, and they traded silence for crumbs and thumbs-up.
Why You Should Try This Black Forest Cookies Recipe
This Black Forest Cookies Recipe brings the classic cake combo to a handheld treat with bold chocolate, bright cherry pops, and soft, chewy centers. You get bakery-level flavor with simple steps that work for weeknights or parties. The dough chills fast, the cookies bake quickly, and the results look fancy with minimal fuss.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter, 1/2 cup or 113 g, softened (use good butter for best flavor)
- Granulated sugar, 1/2 cup or 100 g
- Light brown sugar, 1/2 cup or 110 g, packed
- Large egg, 1
- Pure vanilla extract, 2 tsp
- Almond extract, 1/4 tsp
- Kirsch, 1 tbsp, optional but tasty, or use milk or cherry juice
- All-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cups or about 155 g
- Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1/2 cup or about 45 g (natural cocoa works, cookies may puff a bit more)
- Cornstarch, 1 tbsp, for extra chew
- Baking soda, 1/2 tsp
- Fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp
- Espresso powder, 1 tsp, optional for deeper chocolate flavor
- Dark chocolate chips or chopped bar, 1 cup or 170 g (I like Guittard or Ghirardelli)
- Dried tart cherries, 3/4 cup, roughly chopped (pantry shortcut: use cherry baking chips or chopped maraschinos patted very dry; jarred Morello cherries also work if you blot them very well)
- Optional drizzle: 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar mixed with 1 to 2 tsp cherry juice
Equipment
- Mixing bowls, whisk, and rubber spatula
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheets lined with parchment
- Cookie scoop, about 2 tbsp
- Wire rack and cooling rack
- Kitchen scale for accuracy, optional but helpful
How to Make Black Forest Cookies
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 10 to 12 minutes per batch
- Total: about 1 hour, including a quick chill
- Roughly chop the dried cherries and dark chocolate if using a bar. If you want extra cherry punch, soak the cherries in hot water or Kirsch for 5 minutes, then drain and blot very dry.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk the dry mix: flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.
- Add the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and Kirsch if using. Mix until smooth and glossy.
- Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients. Mix on low until the dough comes together with no dry pockets. If the dough looks crumbly, splash in 1 to 2 tsp milk.
- Fold in the chocolate and cherries until evenly distributed.
- Chill the bowl for 20 to 30 minutes for thicker cookies and tidier edges. You can skip the chill if you need cookies fast, but expect a little more spread.
- Scoop 2-tbsp mounds onto the sheets with 2 inches of space. For pretty tops, press a few extra chocolate bits and cherry pieces on each scoop.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes until edges set and centers look slightly soft. Do not overbake or you lose the fudgy texture.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Drizzle the cherry icing over cooled cookies if you want a bakery finish. Let the drizzle set for 10 minutes before stacking.
Tips & Tricks
- Pat cherries very dry so the dough stays cohesive and the cookies keep their shape.
- Weigh flour for consistent results. If you use cups, spoon and level to avoid dense cookies.
- Use Dutch-process cocoa for deep color and smooth flavor. Natural cocoa works fine if that is what you have.
- Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes for thicker cookies with gooey centers.
- Scoop evenly for uniform baking. I use a #30 scoop for 2-tbsp portions.
- Rotate the sheet at the 7-minute mark if your oven runs hot on one side.
- Freeze pre-scooped dough balls, then bake from frozen and add 2 minutes to the timer.
What to Serve with Black Forest Cookies
These cookies love a cold glass of milk, a mug of coffee, or a cherry cordial if you feel festive. Vanilla ice cream turns two cookies into a quick ice cream sandwich. You can dust them with confectioners’ sugar or add a light cherry drizzle for extra flair. A bowl of fresh cherries on the side never hurts either.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months with parchment between layers, then thaw at room temp. Rewarm on a sheet at 300°F for 3 to 4 minutes for melty chips and soft centers. Freeze scooped dough balls for up to 2 months, then bake from frozen and add about 2 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Per cookie, based on 20 cookies without drizzle: about 180 calories, 9 g fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 16 g sugars, 3 g protein, 95 mg sodium. These numbers are estimates and can vary by ingredient brand and cookie size.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in the chopped dried cherries and chocolate chips.
- Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.