These chocolate-covered cherries are the perfect gift for your sweetheart. They’re like those old-fashioned Queen Anns, only better!
They’re hard to resist with a creamy chocolate coating, liquid center, and sweet maraschino cherry.
One bite of the chocolatey crust oozes sweet nectar. It’s hard to eat just one.
Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think to create these amazing cherries.
You could give these treats away as a gift, but you can also keep them all for yourself!
So, grab some cherries and check out this chocolate-covered cherry recipe below.
Ingredients for Chocolate Covered Cherries
If you have the cherries ready to go, the rest are pantry staples. Here’s everything you’ll need for these chocolate-covered cherries.
- Maraschino cherries – When selecting your cherries, opt for the ones that are pitted and still have the stems attached. While you can’t technically eat the stems, they add a special pop of flair to the finished product!
- Powdered sugar – You’ll need sifted powdered sugar to create the super-sweet liquid center.
- Butter – The liquid center also needs butter. Be sure to allow your butter to come to room temperature since you work with it with your hands.
- Vanilla or almond extract – Adding an extract adds another layer of flavor. Vanilla adds nice warming notes, while almond adds a hint of nutty flavors. Use whichever flavor you prefer.
- Milk chocolate chips – Chocolate chips create that nice, crispy chocolate coating over the cherries. Reach for good-quality chocolate for the best flavor, like Ghirardelli.
- Coconut oil – Combining coconut oil with your chocolate chips helps make it silky smooth when tempering. If you opt for baking chocolate or chocolate candies, you can skip the coconut oil.
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Cherries
Chocolate-covered cherries may appear difficult, but they’re easier than you think! Here’s how easily this old-fashioned sweet treat comes together.
1. Make the liquid filling. Cream the powdered sugar, butter, water, and extract to a large bowl. The mixture will be pliable like Play-Doh.
2. Roll the filling. When the filling comes together, roll it into small balls (about 1 teaspoon). Then, flatten them.
3. Wrap the cherries. Holding the cherry by the stem, wrap each cherry with the flattened filling. Then, place cherries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate. Put a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Then, add the chocolate chips and oil and stir until smooth.
5. Dip the frozen cherries. Hold each cherry by the stem and dip them into the melted chocolate. Then, place them back on the baking sheet.
6. Chill. When all the cherries are covered, place them in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. Once chilled and set, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
Here are some easy tips and fun variations to make your cherries even better:
- Dry ’em up. Maraschino cherries come packed in a jar with liquid. Drain the liquid from the jar, and let your cherries dry. If you don’t, you’ll run into issues wrapping them in the fondant coating.
- Don’t be afraid to splurge. Since the chocolate is the co-star of this show, opt for something of high quality. If it doesn’t taste good before it melts, it won’t taste good after.
- Pay attention! When tempering chocolate, it’s important to remove it from the heat as soon as it melts. If you leave it under the heat for too long, the chocolate will seize up.
- Try and easy shortcut. Don’t want to fuss with double-boilers? The microwave to the rescue! Just zap your chocolate for 30 seconds at a time and stir between runs. Repeat this method until the chocolate is creamy.
- Switch up the chocolate. For a different flavor, you can also change up your chocolate. Dark chocolate and white chocolate are great options.
- Make ‘em boozy! For a boozy kick, soak the cherries in cherry vodka, brandy, or rum for 24 hours. Pat them dry before wrapping them in fondant.
How to Store
Chocolate-covered cherries only get better with time. The longer they sit, the more the fondant liquifies. So, feel free to make a big batch because they go quickly!
Here’s how to store chocolate-covered cherries:
- To Store: These cherries will keep well at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 4-6 weeks. The fondant center won’t become liquid gold until the 2-week mark. The longer they sit, the better!
Can You Freeze Chocolate-Covered Cherries?
It’s not recommended to freeze chocolate-covered cherries. The liquid center will expand in the freezer, and you’ll have quite a mess on your hands when they thaw!
More Cherry Recipes
Chocolate-Covered Cherries
20-25
servings1
hour10
minutes1
hourThese chocolate-covered cherries are better than anything you get from the store! They’re additively sweet, and that liquid center is pure perfection.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained and patted dry
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
12 oz milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cream together the powdered sugar, butter, water, and vanilla/almond extract until smooth and pliable. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more water by the teaspoonful until it becomes workable.
- Roll the filling into small balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Then, flatten them.
- Press a flat disc of filling around each cherry, completely encasing it. Place the covered cherries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Place a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double boiler method). Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil (if using). Melt until smooth and stir regularly.
- Working one at a time, dip the frozen cherries into the melted chocolate, holding by the stem. Tap gently to remove excess chocolate and let any drips fall back into the bowl. Place the coated cherries back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Once all cherries are chocolate-covered, move them to the refrigerator to chill and set for about 1-2 hours.
- Store your chocolate-covered cherries in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled, and enjoy!
Notes
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips or a blend of milk and dark chocolate.
- Experiment with different flavored extracts like almond, peppermint, or orange for a unique twist.
- Decorate your cherries with sprinkles, chopped nuts, or edible glitter before the chocolate sets.
- To create a thinner chocolate coating, dip the cherries twice, allowing the first layer to set partially before adding the second.
