Black Forest Cookies
These black forest cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream- combining rich cocoa, gooey semi-sweet chocolate chips, and juicy cherries in one soft, chewy cookie. If you love the contrast between deep chocolate flavor and bright, slightly tart cherries, you've got to give these a try.
Feature them a holiday cookie platter along with pecan snowball cookies for a nice contrast!
I have a special place in my heart for desserts and sweet treats that are not overly sweet. My gluten free gingersnap cookies reflects just that, and so does my apple pear compote.
I like to make these indulgent cookies particularly when I'm hosting- they're always such a crowdpleaser.
Quick Look: Black Forest Cookies
- 🔪 Prep time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 15 minutes
- 🍪 Servings: 12 cookies
- 🍫 Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, cocoa powder, butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and cherries
- 🍪 Cooking method: Cream butter and sugar → add wet ingredients → combine dry ingredients → fold in cherries and chocolate → bake → cool
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🍨 Best served: With milk, coffee, or vanilla ice cream.
Jump to recipe
What You'll Love About this Recipe
- Rich cocoa gives these cookies an intense chocolate flavor without making them overly complicated- just like in my single serve mug brownie.
- The dough comes together with simple baking ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- They’re delicious on their own but even better served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The base of the cookies.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives the cookies their deep chocolate flavor and color.
- Baking soda: To help the cookies rise slightly as they bake.
- Butter: For the richness and a soft, tender cookie texture.
- Brown sugar: For sweetness, moisture, and that subtle caramel flavor.
- Egg: Helps bind the dough together and contributes to the cookies’ soft texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the chocolate flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Add extra chocolate flavor and gooey pockets throughout the cookies.
- Cherries: Bring juicy, fruity flavor and a little tartness to balance the chocolate. I used fresh cherries here.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use dried cherries instead of fresh cherries for a more concentrated cherry flavor and chewier texture.
- If you prefer a deeper, less sweet chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans can also be added for a little crunch. I like to make a batch of candied walnuts with brown sugar and use some of them for these cookies.
How to Make Black Forest Cookies
Step 1: Blend softened butter with brown sugar, add egg and vanilla extract mix until uniform consistency.
Step 2: Combine all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Add cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Step 4: Drop a portion of dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes
Step 5: Let them cool completely
Shahida's Tips & Tricks
- Bring the butter to room temperature before mixing so it creams smoothly with the brown sugar.
- Chop the cherries fairly small so they distribute evenly throughout the dough. If you're using fresh cherries, make sure you remove all the pits before chopping.
- Don't overmix the dough after adding the flour and leave enough space between the cookies on the baking sheet so they can spread. I always do this when I make almond florentines too.
- Watch the cookies closely during the last few minutes of baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving them to a rack.
How to Serve Black Forest Cookies
These cookies are delicious slightly warm with a cold glass of milk or a cup of coffee. For a more indulgent dessert, serve one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few extra cherries.
They also make a great addition to a holiday cookie platter or dessert spread along with condensed milk brownies or eggnog cupcakes.
💭 Top Tip
Don’t wait for the cookies to look completely firm in the center before taking them out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Keep them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment paper if you want to protect the chocolate and cherry topping.
Overbaking is one of the easiest ways to end up with dry cookies. Start checking them around the 13-minute mark. The edges should be slightly crisp while the centers can still look a little soft.
Yes. For best results, freeze the completely cooled cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Festive Sweet Treats
If you tried this black forest cookies recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Black Forest Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup chopped cherries plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until a dough forms.
- Fold in the chopped cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips, distributing them evenly throughout the dough.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Top with additional chopped cherries and chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges are slightly crisp.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Notes
- Use softened butter rather than melted butter for the best dough texture.
- Fresh cherries can be replaced with dried cherries.
- Avoid overbaking if you want soft, chewy cookies.
- Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Serve with milk or vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent dessert.
