There aren’t many treats better than luscious cherries wrapped in chocolate. Make this sweet in your own kitchen with this recipe.
When I was growing up, my aunt used to babysit my sister and me after school until my parents got home from work. This was awesome for a lot of reasons, but the biggest plus to me was that their house was full of candy.
My parents’ house was an “ingredient household,” so there weren’t many ready-to-eat snacks in the pantry. Meanwhile, my aunt kept the kitchen stocked with gummy worms and Little Debbie cakes, and my uncle always had a box of chocolate-covered cherries on the coffee table in the den. They had vastly different approaches to shopping than my parents did, for sure. At my aunt’s house, the chocolate-covered cherries were my favorite treat. It was the difference in textures that got me: the sweet, fruity center inside the hard, rich chocolate shell.
This recipe recreates my favorite childhood treat impeccably. The hard chocolate exterior hides a delicious maraschino cherry, separated by a thin layer of white sugar dough. It takes me right back to watching soap operas with my aunt after school, eating bite after chocolaty bite.
Are Chocolate-Covered Cherries Healthy?
As you can probably guess, chocolate-covered cherries aren’t meant to be a healthy snack, but rather an occasional indulgence. Maraschino cherries are preserved in sweetened red juice and don’t have much to offer in terms of vitamins and nutrients. The cup of powdered sugar in this recipe doesn’t exactly help the nutritional profile, and although dark chocolate contains lots of healthy antioxidants, the sugar and fats in most chocolate negate the gains if you eat too much of it. Therefore, this is a treat that should be enjoyed in moderation.
You can, however, try a few things to make this treat a little healthier. Instead of regular powdered sugar, butter, and milk for the sugar dough, you can use a powdered sugar alternative, with vegan butter and non-dairy milk.
Getting A Feel For Variations
I like to think of homemade chocolate-covered cherries as a labor of love. It’s one of those things you make based on feeling rather than following the recipe exactly. For example, if you feel so inclined, you can add some maraschino cherry juice to flavor the sugar dough differently, half a teaspoon at a time. Likewise, you can roll the chocolate-covered cherries through some finely chopped hazelnuts immediately after you’ve dipped them in chocolate. Or, experiment with a white chocolate drizzle once the chocolate has dried. You can dress these up as fancy as you like!
How To Make Ahead And Store
As long as the chocolate-covered cherries are in a covered container and stored in a cool, dry place, preferably the fridge, they should be good for at least 2 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to eat these delights is to pluck them off of a plate one at a time and consume while watching soap operas; no garnishing necessary. Even though chocolate-covered cherries are sweet enough on their own, they can be used to jazz up ice cream. Try adding a few to a bowl of Healthy Ice Cream With Chocolate And Pomegranate. Naturally, chocolate-covered cherries also go well with Frozen Yogurt.
If you’re interested in more classic chocolate-cherry flavors, you may want to try these Black Forest Cake Overnight Oats or these Gluten-Free Brownies With Cherries.
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 24 maraschino cherries with stems well-drained
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar, softened butter, milk, and vanilla extract until a dough forms. If the mixture is too sticky, gradually add more powdered sugar until it is pliable.
- Take a small amount of the sugar dough and flatten it into a disc. Wrap each cherry in the dough, completely encasing the fruit. Place on a parchment-lined tray with the stems pointing up. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst.
- Dip each dough-wrapped cherry into the melted chocolate by holding the stem. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then place back on the parchment paper. Chill the chocolate-covered cherries until set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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