These cherry almond sugar cookies are crispy around the edges and soft and chewy inside. They are a perfect easy sweet treat for the holidays or for Valentine's Day (not to mention all the other days).
*This is an updated version of a post I originally published in the early days of the blog.
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I've made this sugar cookie recipe from Cooks Illustrated for years, but I thought it would be fun to kick them up a notch this time.
I added some chopped maraschino cherries and some syrup from the jar, and subbed the vanilla extract for almond extract, because cherries and almond together make this girl very happy. The cherry juice gives them a pretty soft pink hue.
I love a classic, simple sugar cookie, and this recipe is the best I've found. Crispy around the edges, and soft and chewy inside, with great buttery flavor.
By the way, do you use a silicone baking mat when baking cookies? I was hesitant about them for the longest time (I mean parchment paper is cheap and disposable).
But I finally got some a couple of years ago, mainly to see what all the fuss was about, and I haven't looked back. They're a breeze to clean, environmentally friendly, and my cookies always bake evenly.
They work great with my favorite Chicago Metallic jelly roll pans that never bend or warp.
How to Make Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies
Before I experimented with these cherry almond sugar cookies, I had this idea that I would fancify them even more by putting a chocolate glaze on top. Sounds good, right?
Well... I never believed I would ever speak or write the words I am about to say, but...
It turns out that sometimes chocolate is...unnecessary. Even...too much.
Chocolate and cherries are great together of course, but the chocolate just kind of killed the delicate almond flavor. Sometimes you just have to let those subtler flavors shine.
Huh. Just trust me on this one, ok?
I also decided to forgo the rolling in additional sugar before baking, simply because I felt the cherries and juice made them plenty sweet already.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cream cheese, and melted butter until smooth.
3. Add the oil and stir to combine.
4. Add an egg and stir again to combine.
5. Add chopped cherries and cherry syrup.
6. Stir in the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
7. Roll the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each, and drop about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until edges have started to brown and the cookies look set. Bake a little longer if you like your cookies crispier.
9. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!! xx
Love cherries as much as I do? Try this cherry chocolate bundt cake or these cherry muffins with coconut streusel.
Sound good to you? If you make this recipe, I would love it if you would take a pic and tag me on Instagram @ourhappymess!
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Cherry Almond Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries finely chopped, and squeezed to remove excess juice
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cream cheese, and melted butter until smooth.
- Add the oil and mix until combined. Add the egg and combine again.
- Add cherry juice and almond extract and mix well. Fold in the chopped cherries.
- Add the dry ingredients to the cherry mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined and a soft dough forms.
- Roll the dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons each and drop, about 2 inches apart, on a baking sheet line with a baking mat or parchment. (The dough will be very soft).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges have started to brown and look set.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
jenny kelleher
You inspire me! I'm hosting my first cookie swap this year and this is THE recipe!!! Wish me luck,
signed your sole sister of a happy mess home in Massachusetts. Happy Holidays!!! 🙂
Ann
Jenny, you rock!! Cookie swaps are so much fun. Happy holidays to you too!! 🤗
Lola
Can you use dried cherries?
Ann
I haven’t personally tried it, but I see no reason it wouldn’t work! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Samantha-Jeanne
Made these today to kick off my holiday baking and they were delicious!
Ann
Thank you so much Samantha-Jeanne!! I’m so glad to hear that. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season 🙂
Stephanie
I have a feeling my family is going to love these cookies. I'll use the extra maraschino cherries in my cocktail!
Ann
Haha, I love that Stephanie! 🙂
Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman
These look so pretty. Cherry and almond is such a great combo, too!
Ann
I agree! Thank you Renee 🙂
Sandi
I love the idea of cherries and almonds in cookies!!
Ann
Thank you Sandi! 🙂
Valentina
How lovely for Valentine's Day -- or any day! I love cherries and putting them inside a sugar cookie sounds so tasty!
Ann
Thanks Valentina! It worked even better than I'd hoped!
Natalie
I never tried baking cookies with cherries before, but these look so delicious and also perfect for Valentine's day!
Ann
The little cherry bits are really delicious! Thanks Natalie!
Adriana
Almond cookies are one of my favorites and the addition of the cherries is just perfect to add more sweetness. This is a really nice recipe for valentines day.
Ann
Thanks Adriana! 🙂
Karen Smith
If we dont have almond extract, think we can add thin sliced almonds instead??
Ann
If you want to used sliced almonds, I would try adding some to the tops of the cookies before baking :). I think if you mix them into the dough, they are so delicate that they would just break down and affect the texture, and wouldn’t really flavor the dough the same way an extract would. I’d love to know if you try it!