These cherry sugar cookies are better than a box of chocolates! The cookies are easy to make and require no chilling! This effortless cookie recipe is not overly sweet, but they are melt-in-your-mouth amazing!
I know the kids are expecting boxes of chocolate for Valentine’s Day. I may get them tiny boxes, but the real treat will be these cherry sugar cookies! This is hands down one of the best sugar cookie recipes and the base comes from my friend at Katrina’s Kitchen.
This recipe is super simple and the best part is it doesn’t require any CHILLING!!
What Do I Need To Make These Sugar Cookies?
Softened Butter – I always bake with unsalted butter
Flour – All Purpose
Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Egg
Baking Powder
Salt
Maraschino Cherries – Chopped and completely drained
Powdered Sugar – For the frosting
Heavy Cream
Cherry Juice – From those chopped cherries
Cookie Cutter
Silicone Baking Mat – optional, but I highly recommend you invest in these. Sheets of parchment paper can be used instead.
*Red Food Coloring* Optional
How Do I Make Cherry Sugar Cookies?
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets and set them aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, begin to cream your butter. You want to beat your butter and sugar until they are very creamy, soft and smooth.
Beat in the vanilla extract and egg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture. The dough will become quite stiff.
Fold in your chopped cherries.
Divide the dough in half and work with one half at a time, roll out the dough out on a well-floured work surface. Dip your cookie cutter into your flour and then press out your shapes. These cookies are a little thicker, about ¼ inch thick.
Place your cookies onto your prepared baking sheets and bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes. The edges will be set and turn golden.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes or until they are cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
While the cookies cool on wire racks, prepare your frosting.
In a bowl, whisk together softened butter and powdered sugar. Stir in cherry juice and enough heavy cream to get a spreadable consistency; adding more cream or powdered sugar as necessary.
If you want a brighter color for either the dough or the frosting, a few drops of food coloring can be used.
Carefully spread the frosting on the cooled cookies.
How To Store Sugar Cookies
To store your frosted sugar cookies, place the cookies right side up in one flat layer in your container. Then, place a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper over the cookies before placing another layer of cookies in the container.
Can Sugar Cookies Be Frozen?
Sugar cookies, like most cookies, can be frozen, but if you are planning to decorate your sugar cookies with frosting, freeze before decorating. Then freeze in layers, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an airtight container.
When needed, thaw the cookies and then decorate as per the recipe instructions,
Are These Sugar Cookies Supposed To Be Soft
These cookies are more of a crisp cookie than a soft cookie. If you want your cookies to be slightly chewy, I would advise underbaking them for a minute or two. They will be crisp on the outside but soft in the center.
My Sugar Cookie Dough Is Too Crumbly
Sometimes your dough will come out crumbly after you mix in all your flour. It is ok to add a little water to your dough, only a tablespoon or two to the dough until it comes together and holds it’s shape.
How Else Can I Flavor Sugar Cookies?
You can easily add a little almond extract to these sugar cookies if you want to add a little more flavor to this recipe.
You can omit the cherries and add drained strawberries, raspberries, lemon zest, key lime zest, shredded coconut or nuts!
You can also frost these cookies with buttercream, royal icing, or leave plain!
If you love these bright little cherry sugar cookies, then you should try:
Chocolate Dipped Cherry Meringue Cookies
Chocolate Whoopie Pies With Cherry Filling
Cherry Sugar Cookies
These flavored sugar cookies are not as sweet as you might think! The cookie dough is an easy no-chill cookie recipe that has been flavored with cherries. A creamy homemade cherry frosting is spread on top!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup unsalted butter
- 1 Cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries squeezed dry
- For the Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets and set them aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, begin to cream your butter. You want to beat your butter and sugar until they are very creamy, soft and smooth.
- Beat in the vanilla extract and egg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture. The dough will become quite stiff.
- Fold in your chopped cherries.
- Divide the dough in half and work with one half at a time, roll out the dough out on a well-floured work surface. Dip your cookie cutter into your flour and then press out your shapes. These cookies are a little thicker, about ¼ inch thick.
- Place your cookies onto your prepared baking sheets and bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes. The edges will be set and turn golden.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes or until they are cool enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- While the cookies cool on wire racks, prepare your frosting.
- In a bowl, whisk together softened butter and powdered sugar. Stir in cherry juice and enough heavy cream to get a spreadable consistency; adding more cream or powdered sugar as necessary.
- Carefully spread the frosting on the cooled cookies.
Notes
The yield for this recipe may vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookie shapes.
Casey N. says
These cookies were delicious and incredibly easy. My husband loves marachino cherries. I did them drop style without the frosting. Will definitely make them again.
Tanya Schroeder says
I’m so glad you liked them! I love the color too!