Buttery Shortbread Cookies with the sweet addition of chocolate and cherries! With a pretty pink color and a chocolate drizzle, Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread looks as good as it tastes.
I love shortbread recipes so much that I included an entire chapter about this cookie in my new cookbook! Today’s version is perfect for holidays or just a sweet treat at the end of the day.
This recipe was originally published in June 2013. The photos were updated in January 2023 and I updated the recipe notes in February 2025.
Shortbread cookies are by far one of my favorite cookies.
Chocolate covered cherries are one of my husband’s favorite candies. I don’t make them often because I’m not the biggest fan.
So, to compromise I took our two favorites (shortbread and chocolate cherries) and put them together!
Filled with maraschino cherry flavor and plenty of chocolate chips, these Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies come together in no time at all. You’ll love this recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Maraschino cherries – Remove 5 cherries from the jar and chop them into small pieces. You’ll need 1/4 cup of the cherry juice to mix into the shortbread cookie dough.
- Powdered sugar – Using powdered sugar gives the shortbread a delicate crumb for perfect consistency and melt in your mouth flavor.
- Butter – Use unsalted REAL butter for best taste. Use my tips and tricks on how to soften butter, I’ve got several ways to do it quickly!
- Mini chocolate chips – I prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips paired with the cherry flavor.
How to Make Cherry Shortbread
Making shortbread hardly gets any easier!
Beat the ingredients for the dough together in a bowl, folding in the mini chocolate chips and cherry pieces. Leave some of the chocolate morsels aside for the topping.
NOTE: the dough WILL be crumbly. Use your warm hands to bring it together in the bowl and patting it on the baking sheet.
Spread the dough in a rectangle on a baking sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. After removing the pan from the oven, immediately slice the shortbread into strips and let cool.
Melt the remaining mini morsels and drizzle over the cookies. Let the chocolate set for a few minutes before eating or storing.
Recipe FAQs
Mine measured about 14 x 9 inches and nearly filled a cookie sheet. The shortbread dough should be about an inch thick before baking. You could also press it into a 13×9 baking dish. If it’s thicker than it should be, just add a minute or two to the baking time.
I line my pan with parchment paper and use floured hands to press the dough evenly into the pan. This prevents the thick buttery dough from sticking to both the pan AND your fingers!
I sliced my baked shortbread into thirds first then into 1 inch strips lengthwise. A sharp knife or pizza cutter work great for making even cuts.
You can keep shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- If you love fruit in cookies, add our raspberry lemon cookies to your baking list. Fantastic!
- Love today’s cookie? These toffee shortbread cookies are a reader favorite too. Or give my lemon biscotti recipe a try for a crunchy breakfast treat.
- Who can resist this easy No Bake Oreo Cheesecake? Perfect for year round dessert.
- I love how cute these Checkerboard Cookies turn out, with their blocks of chocolate and vanilla.
- I took my cookie recipe and made this Coconut Shortbread instead, so good!
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Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice
- 5 maraschino cherries chopped
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with powdered sugar for two minutes, until creamy. Add cherry juice, cherries, flour and salt. Beat until fully combined.
- Fold in 1/4 cup mini morsels.
- Spread dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. My dough measured about 14x9inch. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Cut immediately after removing from oven. I cut mine into strips by cutting in thirds lengthwise, then cutting one inch strips, width-wise.
- Melt remaining 1/4 cup mini morsels. Put into a ziploc bag and cut off the corner. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow to set and enjoy!
Notes
- To spread cookie dough on parchment paper, dip fingertips (repeatedly) in flour to keep them from sticking.
- Store cookies in air tight container for up to one week.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Make these buttery Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies for all the chocolate covered cherries fans you know! In less than 30 minutes you’ll have enough delicious cherry shortbread to share with the whole family.
I LOVE shortbread. I bet this is to die for! Looks amazing.
Aww…this is so special! I always love baking, but even more when it is for a special person and includes some of their favorites 🙂
I totally agree Regina!
Wow, what a great shortbread! Love the cherries and the color!!
Thanks Jennifer!
These are so cute! Love cherries with chocolate!
Thanks Anna!! We all enjoyed them here 🙂
I love the colour of these, they look so summer and pretty.
I love how pink and pretty these are! Chocolate covered cherries are actually one of my favorites! You and I are on the same wave length again…last week I made cookies while everyone was visiting, but I didn’t want to scoop so I made bars too 🙂
Shortbread, aka heaven 🙂
My Dad LOVES the combination of cherry and chocolate, and I know he’d just flip for these cookies. They look irresistible!
You do such fun things with shortbread. These look festive and fun. I’ll bet you could use fresh cherries, here too?!
Fresh cherries would totally work! I bet the color would be more purple, but it would still taste delicious! And fresh 🙂
I love the fact that these are PINK and contain lots of mini chocolate chips! What’s not to love? Hope your husband had a great Father’s Day and enjoyed these!
Thanks Eva!!
LOVE shortbread — this sounds like another tasty take on it. Hope your husband loved his Father’s day treat 🙂
He sure did, thank you 🙂
I love the color of these! Ironically, my toddler (boy) will eat anything pink, especially a cookie, so I will have to whip these up for him!
Haha, Ashley that’s too cute. You def. need to make these 🙂
Beautiful! Love the combination of cherry and chocolate!
I hope you’re ready for me to show up at your door tomorrow, BFF! ‘Cause I miss you already and want some cookies!
I dare ya 🙂
Love the color! And love that it’s a pan of bars and you can just press it all in, no waiting for dough to chill as you said or balls of dough to shape and form. Love pans of cookies/bars!
Yep, sometimes I don’t have the patience for drop cookies!!
Chocolate cherrys, yum!!!
I love it when desserts not only taste amazing, but are pretty too. Bonus if they’re pink. 🙂 These look amazing Aimee. I love chocolate and cherries together!
Pink desserts go over pretty well in my house of “mostly” girls!
Love some chocolate covered cherries!! This is such a great idea adapting this into a cookie!
Thanks Nancy, we sure enjoyed them 🙂
These are gorgeous! Loving the cherry flavor!
Thank you Karissa!!
Yummy in my tummy!