Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

A hearty, flavorful oatmeal cookie always hits the spot, but this version takes it to the next level. Oatmeal cherry cookies feature oats, dried cherries and chocolate chips for the perfect combination of flavors with notes of molasses, brown sugar and fruit.

As with most drop cookies, making a batch of these impressive cookies is a cinch. Start by creaming the butter and sugars, then mix in the egg and your favorite vanilla extract. Finish the dough with the dry ingredients, dried cherries and chocolate chips. You’ll have soft, chewy cookies packed with mix-ins on the table in just over 30 minutes. They’re perfect for potlucks, bake sales or filling up the cookie jar whenever a craving strikes.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookie Ingredients

• Butter: Start your cookie dough with a base of unsalted butter for the ideal texture and rich flavor. Be sure to use softened butter for easier incorporation.
• Brown sugar: Packed brown sugar adds notes of caramel and molasses flavor and contributes to a chewy texture. Choose light or dark brown sugar, depending on how robust a flavor you’re hoping for.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar gets creamed with butter and brown sugar to add sweetness to these oat and cherry cookies. It also helps create that signature crisp edge.
• Egg: For the best cookie dough, start with a room-temperature egg.
• Vanilla extract: A dash of vanilla extract helps enhance the flavor of these cherry oatmeal cookies.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is crucial for thickening the dough and adding structure to the cookies.
• Oats: These oatmeal cookies use quick-cooking oats to create a hearty, chewy texture. You can use old-fashioned oats if preferred.
• Baking soda: A small amount of baking soda helps make the cookies rise and slightly spread while baking.
• Salt: A dash of salt balances the sweetness of the cookie dough’s other ingredients.
• Dried cherries: These are the star of this cookie recipe. They add a pop of sweetness and a chewy texture throughout. You can choose to use dried Bing or Rainier cherries.
• Chocolate chips: For rich flavor, incorporate semisweet chocolate chips into the dough. Use milk chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chunks if preferred.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t rush creaming butter and sugars. This step can take about five minutes, as the creaming process helps aerate the butter for proper cookie texture.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the dried cherries and chocolate chips.

Step 3: Portion the dough

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Drop the dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls, placing them 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Step 4: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for one minute before removing the cookies from the baking sheets to wire racks. Let cool completely.

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Oatmeal Cherry Cookie Variations

• Add a glaze: Want even more cherry flavor? Make a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze and add cherry juice for a pop of pink to drizzle over the cookies. No cherry juice? Flavor the glaze with vanilla or almond extract instead.
• Go for white chocolate: These oatmeal cherry chocolate cookies feature semisweet chocolate, but you could opt for a white chocolate and cherry combination instead. Of course, you could omit the chocolate chips altogether as well.
• Make ice cream sandwiches: Imagine biting into a chewy cherry oatmeal cookie with cherry ice cream in the middle. What a treat! You could also pair these cookies with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

How to Store Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

Cherry oatmeal cookies should be stored in an airtight container, cookie jar or zip-top plastic bag to keep them fresh. Storing them in a closed container or bag will help maintain their flavor and chewy texture.

How long do oatmeal cherry cookies last?

Stored at room temperature, oatmeal cherry chocolate cookies will last for up to one week.

Can you freeze oatmeal cherry cookies?

It’s easy to freeze cookies. That way, you always have a snack on hand. Place oat and cherry cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to three months. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature until soft.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookie Tips

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What’s the trick to soft, chewy oatmeal cookies?

Brown sugar and oats help produce a soft and chewy cookie. It’s also important to pay attention to baking times. Bake the cookie dough until the edges just begin to brown, with the centers still soft. When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, the residual heat will help finish baking the centers as the cookies rest for one minute.

Can you make oatmeal cherry cookie dough ahead of time?

Oatmeal cherry cookie dough is an excellent make-ahead option. Prep the dough and store it in the fridge for up to five days before baking the cookies. You could also make the dough and store it in the freezer before baking the cookies. Form the dough into balls or keep it as one larger disk. Place the dough in an airtight container or freezer bag and store it for two months. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge until softened before baking.

How do I make my cookies the same size?

While you can certainly scoop and form cookie dough from a bowl by hand, a few cookie-baking tools can make it easier. Use a cookie dough scoop or weigh the cookie dough balls on a kitchen scale to ensure all cookies are uniformly the same size.