I adore these White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies. They're tender without being crumbly, sweet without being cloying, and beautifully festive. Because the dough comes together easily with a mixer, they're a cinch to make.
They strike a perfect balance: rich but not heavy, delicate but not fragile. Almond flavor runs through the cookies, chewy cherries add bright pops of flavor, and white chocolate softens and melts in your mouth as you eat them. If you love maraschino cherry cookies or almond extract, these are for you.
I first made these as #279 of my 365 Recipe Challenge in 2010, and they're just as good now as they were the first time.
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A Shortbread Cookie With a Twist
Here's why I love these Cherry Shortbread Cookies:
- Maraschino cherries make these more tender than traditional shortbread, even while they stay rich and buttery.
- Pink dough, red cherries, and white chocolate chips make the cookies look impressive without extra decorating.
- No chilling, no fuss - the dough comes together easily with a mixer.
- Cute little portions - cookies are rich enough to be satisfying, but not so heavy that you can't eat a second one.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Gather up your ingredients!
All-purpose flour: This provides the cookies' structure.
Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best results. Soften it if using a mixer (which I recommend); keep it cold if cutting it in by hand.
Granulated sugar and table salt: Sugar sweetens; salt keeps the flavors balanced.
Maraschino cherries: These provide fruitiness and bright color - more details below. Drain them before chopping to keep the dough from being too wet. I pluck them from the jar one by one, leaving behind as much syrup as possible - no need to pat them dry.
White chocolate chips: These add sweetness and a little creaminess, and the white contrasts beautifully with the pink dough and red cherries. Generic or store-brand vanilla baking chips work fine.
Almond extract and maraschino cherry syrup: Both are optional. Extract boosts the cherry flavor, while the syrup boosts the pink color.
Ingredient Note: Maraschino Cherries
Maraschino Cherries:
In the US, these are small cherries soaked in thin, brightly colored syrup, usually sweetened with corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
"Natural" Maraschinos:
These are sweetened with sugar and colored with vegetable dyes. their syrup doesn't add much, if any, color to the cookies.
Premium Cocktail Cherries (like Luxardo):
These come in a thick, richer syrup. They should work in these shortbread cookies, although the syrup may not add much color to the dough.
Sweetened Dried Cherries:
A good substitute if you can't find maraschinos. Chop them up before adding them to the dough, and be sure they're fresh - dried fruit continues to dry out over time. Cookies made with dried cherries are slightly more crumbly, similar to traditional shortbread cookies.
Fresh Cherries:
These would add too much liquid to the dough; save them for snacking.
How to Make White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Be sure the butter is at room temperature before you start for the easiest mixing. Chop your cherries before starting, or while creaming the butter and sugar.
- Cream softened butter, sugar, salt, almond extract, and maraschino cherry syrup on medium speed until combined.
- Add the flour and mix on low until combined. The mixture will look crumbly at first and then start to clump together.
Don't overmix the dough - overmixing can make the cookies tough.
- Add the drained chopped cherries and the white chocolate chips, and mix until just combined. It may or may not fully clump together. Avoid adding much liquid - too much syrup will make the cookies spread or bake up doughy.
- Use a small (2-teaspoon or #60) cookie scoop (affiliate link) to portion ¾ inch balls of dough. Press each scoop together with your hands so it doesn't crumble, then roll to smooth out the edges.
- Coat half of each ball in granulated sugar, then place sugar-side up, 2 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten each ball to ¼-inch thickness. Dip the glass in sugar if it starts to stick.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, until centers are set. Cool 3-5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.
If you use parchment or a silicone mat, the cookies will be a little doughier in the center.
If your oven runs hot, check the cookies early. The white chocolate can scorch on bottom if they overbake.
Serving and Storage
Storage: Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They'll still taste good after that but will start to go stale - especially if they were slightly underbaked.
Freezing: Make, shape, and flatten the dough. Freeze cookies on a plate lined with plastic wrap or waxed paper, then transfer them to a freezer bag. The dough will keep for about 1 month. Bake from frozen, without thawing, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Tips for Making Shortbread Cookies by Hand
I recommend using an electric mixer, but you can absolutely make the cookies without one. If you're mixing by hand, remember these tips.
Use a pastry cutter (affiliate link)
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter (affiliate link), until everything is fine crumbs. Large chunks of butter won't combine properly.
Bring the dough together with your hands
Once you stir in the mix-ins, extract, and syrup, the dough will be clumpy. Use the warmth and pressure of your hands to press it together.
Knead gently
Fold the dough over itself a few times (like folding a sheet of paper). Stop when it clings together and holds its shape; overworking the dough will make the cookies tough.
FAQ
I've never had an issue with these cookies spreading. If yours spread, the culprit is likely too much cherry syrup added with the cherries, or butter that's a little too soft (especially in a warm kitchen). Measure carefully, and chill the dough briefly before baking if it seems too soft to work with.
More Buttery, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Treats
Here's some of my other rich, buttery treats.
Cherry and Almond Favorites
If you love the cherry-almond flavor in these cookies, here's some other recipes worth trying:
Interested in other recipes? I save and share recipes I like or want to try on my Pinterest page - follow me there! You can also check out my Facebook page for more recipes and helpful tips. I'm also happy to try to help troubleshoot my recipes there.
Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- electric mixer (optional)
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (227 grams; softened)
- ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)
- ½ teaspoon maraschino cherry juice (optional)
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips (130 grams)
- ½ cup maraschino cherries (~100 grams; drained and chopped very finely)
To Finish
- ~½ cup granulated sugar (~100 grams; for rolling)
Instructions
Mixer Instructions
- Cream softened butter, sugar, salt, almond extract, and maraschino cherry juice until well combined and smooth, around 2 minutes.
- Stir in flour, mixing on low until combined. The mixture will be crumbly to start, and will then clump together.
- Add the white chocolate chips and (chopped and drained) maraschino cherries. Avoid adding too much liquid, which will make cookies spread or bake up doughy. Mix until just combined. Don't overwork the dough.
By-Hand Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter (affiliate link) to cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Stir in the extract and cherry syrup, and then add the white chocolate chips and (drained and chopped) maraschino cherries. Use your hands to mold the dough together, kneading it (folding it over on itself, like a letter) until it forms a ball. The dough will be crumbly but will come together as you knead.
Shaping and Baking
- Shape the dough into ¾ inch balls, using a small (2-teaspoon or #60) cookie scoop (affiliate link). Press the dough together if necessary; crumbly dough makes crumbly cookies.
- Roll each ball in your hands to smooth the edges, then coat half of each ball in granulated sugar. Place balls sugar-side-up on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each ball until it's 1 ½ inch across, or around ¼-inch thick.
- Bake at 325F for 11-13 minutes, or until centers are set. Cool for 3-5 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring cookies to a wire rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Make-Ahead & Freezing
- Make, shape, and flatten the dough. Freeze the shaped cookie dough, then transfer to a freezer bag. Frozen dough keeps for 1 month. Bake from frozen, without thawing, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Notes
Nutrition
[Recipe originally reviewed October 2010, and updated February 2018, under a different URL. Rewritten and restructured February 3, 2026. ]
Leona Konkel says
I love these little cookies. I like how colorful they are, without any decorating. I hope you love them too. Let me know how they turn out when you try them!