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Okay, friends, let’s talk Christmas cookies. Specifically, Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies—the kind you bite into and immediately want to snuggle up with a cup of cocoa and a cozy blanket. When my kids were little, these cookies always made an appearance on our holiday platter, carried off gleefully by sticky little hands and admired by every neighbor I’ve ever wrapped up a cookie tin for. They’re buttery (oh, so buttery!), with little pops of cherry and speckles of chocolate. I always say, if you can slice a log and work a hand mixer, you can make these—trust me, you’ll want to add them to your holiday baking list.
And before you ask: Yes, they really are that tender. It’s like, if butter had a love affair with sweetness and just a hint of old-fashioned cheer, you’d end up with these cookies. You slice them straight from the fridge and bake them off to golden-edged perfection. Plus, they make fantastic gifts and are basically guaranteed to disappear from any cookie swap or brunch table. (Let’s just say, more than one neighbor has asked for the “cherry and chocolate secrets.” I always smile and hand them a copy of the recipe.)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive as all get-out: Red cherries and chocolate chips are classic Christmas flavors, and these look just as pretty as they taste. If your holiday cookie tray needs a pop of color, look no further.
- Insanely buttery: The shortbread melts in your mouth, with the exact delicate crumb we all crave come December (or, you know, any Tuesday?).
- No-fuss ingredients: Nothing wild here—just butter, flour, powdered sugar, and a handful of pantry staples. If your cupboards are anything like mine, you might only need to grab some maraschino cherries.
- Super versatile: These pair with cocoa, coffee, tea, mulled wine… heck, sometimes I sneak one with a late-night glass of milk when I’m wrapping gifts.
- Make-ahead friendly: Mix your dough days in advance. Pop the log in the fridge, then slice and bake when the cookie craving strikes (or that holiday panic sets in).
Key Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: Do yourself a favor and let it come to room temp before you start. A richer butter makes a richer cookie—don’t be shy about splurging a little if you’re feeling it! I usually grab store brand, but European butters (like Kerrygold) truly level these up.
Powdered Sugar: Not granulated for this one—powdered sugar is what gives shortbread its signature soft, tender bite. I’ve tried swapping in granulated and the cookie comes out just a little dense for my liking.
Maraschino Cherries: Yes, the bright red ones in the jar! Chop them up and then blot them really well—like, lay them on a paper towel, pat, and repeat. Promise me you’ll do this or you’ll have pink streaky cookies (not the good kind of festive!).
Mini Chocolate Chips: I’m obsessed with how the mini ones tuck themselves into each slice, but if you only have regular chips, just give them a rough chop. It doesn’t need to be perfect—some rustic bits and bobs are part of the charm.
Vanilla Extract: Just a splash makes the whole batch smell like a dream. Around the holidays, I love using real vanilla extract—so worth the tiny splurge.
P.S. The full list of quantities and the printable recipe card is down at the bottom if you like having something on the counter while you bake (I do!).
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. This step is as basic as it gets but makes the mixing in a bit smoother.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar. You want it light, pillowy, and whipped-looking. I use my hand mixer, but if you love your stand mixer, go wild.
Add Vanilla: Splash in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix one more time until it’s all blended. Your kitchen already smells incredible at this point—I never get tired of it.
2. Incorporate Dry Ingredients
Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter, bit by bit. Don’t dump it all in at once or you’ll end up in a flour cloud—ask me how I know! Mix gently just until it comes together. This dough is more about clumping than smoothness, so don’t overwork it. Trust me, it’s worth fussing less for true melt-in-your-mouth shortbread.
3. Add Cherries and Chocolate Chips
Rough chop 1/2 cup maraschino cherries—be generous if you snack a few! Blot them well (I’ll say it again, dry cherries = happy cookies). Sprinkle in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Use a spatula or your clean hands to fold everything together; at this stage, it really starts feeling festive.
4. Shape and Chill the Dough
Now’s the fun part: Plop your dough onto a big piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a log, roughly 2 inches in diameter. (Perfection? Not necessary!) Roll it up snug and chill in the fridge at least 1–2 hours or overnight—sometimes I even make this part a couple days ahead so I can bake whenever I get the urge—or the kids ask a million times if cookies are ready yet.
5. Preheat and Prepare the Oven
When you’re ready to bake (aka, when your willpower gives in), preheat that oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment, which not only saves your pans but also makes it so much easier to pop the cookies off later. I promise, no one likes scrubbing stuck-on shortbread when they could be eating cookies instead.
6. Slice and Bake
Unwrap your firm, chilly dough and use a sharp knife to slice rounds about 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick. If the dough crumbles, just squish it back—it’s a forgiving kind of cookie. Lay slices about an inch apart on your lined sheet. Bake 10–15 minutes, just until the edges barely turn golden and the centers still look light. If you overbake, you’ll miss out on the dreamy tender bite, so watch that first batch closely.
7. Cool and Serve
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes (they’ll firm up without falling apart). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely—unless, like me, you must sneak a warm one just to “test.” Some rituals are sacred. Store cooled cookies in an airtight tin or jar and enjoy through the whole holiday week (if they last that long…).
Leftovers? These shortbreads last about a week in an airtight container. I try to hide a few for late-night cravings, but someone always finds them. The real secret is: make a double batch!
Serving Suggestions
These little beauties are so versatile! I love piling them high with other holiday favorites—think gingerbread men, classic sugar cookies, and peppermint bark. Give your cookie tray some color and texture—everyone gravitates toward the ones with cherries peeking out.
Edible Gifts: Tuck a handful into a festive tin, cellophane bag, or mason jar with a bow. I send these to teachers, neighbors, and yes, one to myself for emergencies. Homemade always wins as a hostess gift, by the way.
Perfect Pairings: Coffee is the obvious choice, but try them with hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, or for the adventurous, mulled wine (I see you, adults!). And don’t tell, but sometimes these show up in Christmas morning breakfast… it’s tradition at this point.
Cookie Party: Got a cookie swap? Bring these—they’re the ones that vanish first, always. Seriously, keep some recipe cards handy for everyone who asks.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Room Temperature
Slide cookies into a cookie tin or lidded container and store on the counter (preferably on a high shelf, if you’re fending off midnight snackers). They’ll keep for about a week, tasting as good on day five as day one. Doubling the batch is honestly the best trick for enjoying them all season long.
Chill & Freeze
If you want to go long-haul: refrigerate the cookies in a sealed container for up to ten days, or freeze both dough and baked cookies. I like to wrap the shaped dough log tight in plastic wrap, then tuck it in a freezer bag. When a cookie emergency hits (you know the kind), slice and bake straight from the freezer—just add a minute to your bake time.
Baked cookies also freeze beautifully. Just pop them on a tray to freeze solid, then transfer to bags. Thaw at room temp and you’re set for every last-minute get-together or cozy night by the fire.
Variations
White Chocolate Cherry: Swap the mini chips for white chocolate chips and suddenly these taste like a grown-up version of a cherry cordial. Sweet, creamy, and a touch more decadent.
Pistachio-Cherry: Maybe my absolute favorite twist: toss in a handful of chopped pistachios—about 1/4 cup—with the cherries. The green looks so pretty against the red, and that little nutty crunch is chef’s kiss perfect.
Orange-Cherry: Grate in a teaspoon or two of fresh orange zest with the butter. Trust me, the bright citrus bump transforms these into something you’ll want to eat all winter long.
Drizzled Elegance: Melt a bit of white or dark chocolate and zig-zag it over the cooled cookies. Let them set and suddenly you’re the lady with bakery-worthy treats (without the sticker shock).
Gluten-Free: Substitute your go-to 1-to-1 GF flour—Bob’s Red Mill is my fave—for the all-purpose flour. The texture stays dreamy and no one misses out at the cookie platter!
Conclusion
If I had to narrow it down to a single cookie that feels like Christmas in our house, it’d be these Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies—no contest. Buttery, delicate, with those cheerful cherry bits and flecks of chocolate—they’re as close to holiday bliss as you’ll find on a plate. My biggest tip? Blot those cherries as dry as you possibly can for cookies that truly melt in your mouth. Crank up your holiday playlist, grab an apron, and bake up a batch (or two, or three—we don’t judge!).
I’d absolutely love to hear if you make these or tweak them your own way. Drop a comment, share your family traditions, or tell me which cookie always disappears first at your Christmas swap. The holidays are all about sharing love (and sweet things), so let’s keep the cookie chatter going. Happy baking, my friends!
FAQ
Do I really need to let the butter come to room temperature, or can I soften it in the microwave?
Room temperature butter is definitely best here! It should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it, but not melted or greasy. If you’re in a hurry, you can soften it in the microwave using 10-15 second intervals on low power, but be careful not to melt it. Melted butter will make your dough too soft and affect that perfect shortbread texture. I usually just set my butter out on the counter about an hour before I want to bake – it’s worth the wait!
Help! My dough is crumbly and won’t hold together when I try to shape it into a log. What did I go wrong?
Don’t panic – this is totally fixable! Shortbread dough is naturally crumbly, but if it’s really not holding together, you might need to work with it a bit more. Try pressing and squishing the dough with your hands (clean hands work better than a spoon here). If it’s still too dry, you can add a teaspoon of milk or cream to help bind it. The key is getting it just cohesive enough to form a log. Once it’s wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled, it’ll firm up perfectly for slicing.
How do I know when these cookies are actually done? They still look pretty pale to me.
That’s exactly right – shortbread should look pretty pale! You’re looking for just the tiniest hint of golden color around the edges, and the centers should still be light. These cookies will seem soft when they’re hot, but they’ll firm up as they cool. If you overbake them trying to get them brown, you’ll end up with hard, crumbly cookies instead of that melt-in-your-mouth texture. Trust the timer and look for those barely-golden edges – that’s your cue they’re perfect!
These cookies are softer than I expected – did I mess something up, or is that normal?
Soft and tender is exactly what shortbread should be! That’s the whole magic of using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. These aren’t meant to be crispy cookies – they should practically melt in your mouth. If they seem almost too delicate, that means you nailed it. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before you store them, as they’ll firm up slightly but keep that beautiful tender crumb.
How long will these actually keep, and should I really store them on the counter?
These cookies will stay fresh for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature – no need to refrigerate them unless your kitchen is really warm. I like to put a piece of parchment between layers if I’m stacking them, just to keep them from sticking. Honestly though, a week is pretty optimistic in my house because they disappear so fast! If you want to keep them longer, they freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Just thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy.
Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries chopped and well-drained
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract until well incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the dough forms large clumps but do not overmix. The dough should hold together when pressed.
- Chop and thoroughly drain maraschino cherries. Pat them dry to remove excess moisture. Fold the cherries and chocolate chips into the dough, distributing evenly.
- Form the dough into a log approximately 2 inches thick. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until firm.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for even baking and easy cleanup.
- Remove the dough log from the refrigerator. Slice into 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick rounds. Arrange on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!