White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

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.

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. The pink dough means they need no decoration to look impressive.

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. They're still a Valentine's Day staple in my house - and they'd pair well with Strawberry Bellinis.

If you love tender shortbread like these, check out my Lemon Bars with a Shortbread Crust. For a more traditional tender shortbread, check out my twist on Ina Garten's Shortbread Cookies.

Ingredients You'll Need

Gather up your ingredients!

Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best results. If you don't bake often, be sure to purchase a new package; old butter can develop off flavors. Soften it if using a mixer (which I recommend); keep it cold if cutting it in by hand.

Maraschino cherries: I use standard US maraschinos, sweetened with corn syrup and brightly colored. "Natural" ones won't color the dough pink. Drain cherries before chopping to keep the dough from being too wet, but no need to pat them dry. Chopped dried cherries work but the cookies will be more crumbly, like traditional shortbread. Fresh cherries add too much liquid to work in this recipe.

Almond extract and maraschino cherry syrup: Both are optional. Extract boosts the cherry flavor, while the syrup boosts the pink color.

White chocolate chips: These add sweetness and a little creaminess, and the white contrasts beautifully with the pink dough and red cherries. Save expensive white chocolate for a special occasion; store-brand vanilla baking chips work fine since you're using them for sweetness and texture, rather than melting them for decoration.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

Most shortbread is made by cutting butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or by hand. I prefer to cream the butter into the sugar using a mixer - it's much less work. 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.

One: Cream softened butter, sugar, salt, almond extract, and maraschino cherry syrup on medium speed until combined.

Two: 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.

Three: 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.

Four: Use a small (2-teaspoon or #60) cookie scoop 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.

Five: 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.

Six: 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.

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookie Troubleshooting

More Buttery, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Treats

Here's some of my other rich, buttery treats.

I hope this becomes a recipe you'll return to. If you try it, a star rating below helps others find it - and I'd love to hear how yours turns out in the comments! 💕 Questions or trouble? Drop a note, and I'll do my best to help.