They’re not the most impressive cookies in the world, but I love this classic and make it every year. They’ve got a sweet maraschino cherry on top of a soft, buttery cookie that’s just perfect. And best of all, this thumbprint cookie is super easy – no chilling, decorating, or hassle. Everything you want from a Christmas cookie.
These are great to add to a cookie table at a work or family holiday party. Everyone loves them – well, almost everyone. There’s always one person who doesn’t like maraschino cherries. And frankly, I don’t understand why.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
If you are using a half cherry per cookie, you will need about 18 cherries, or one jar. But if you want a whole cherry per cookie, you’ll need 36 cherries, about two jars. Aren’t you glad I did the math for you? And you will definitely need an electric mixer of some kind. Hand or stand doesn’t matter, but you can’t properly cream the butter and sugar by hand. And why would you want to?
This will make 36 cookies, and they freeze really well. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Small cookie scoop or spoon
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- extra sugar for rolling
- 36 maraschino cherries halves (1 jar is enough if you’re cutting them in half, otherwise you might need 2)
How to Make
Do not underbake! The edges and bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown. If they’re still pale, the cookie will be too soft and flavorless.
Step One: Wet Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Get three baking sheets ready. You don’t need to use parchment paper or grease the baking sheets, but it will make clean-up easier if you do.
Cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy. This will take at least 3 minutes using a mixer on medium speed. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Beat 1 minute more.
Step Two: Finish Dough
In a separate bowl, mix together the salt and flour. Add 1 cup of butter at a time to the mixture, mixing until just combined.
Step Three: Roll Into Balls
Make the cookies into balls and then roll them in sugar. Place them on baking sheets 2 inches apart from each other. (The cookies will spread.) Then use your thumb or a wooden spoon to make an indentation in each ball and place a cherry on top.
Step Four: Bake
Bake the cookies at 350°F for 13-14 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on wire racks.
Serving & Storing
Serve these with hot chocolate and on a cookie platter with Italian Christmas butter cookies and peppermint fudge.
Buttery cookies like these will stay fresh for up to a week, but the cherry shortens their lifespan. Place them in an airtight container and eat within 3 days.
You can also freeze them fully baked and cooled for up to a month.
The dough freezes very well for 3 months if you want to make it ahead of time, then defrost it and shape it into balls.
More Christmas Desserts You’ll Love
It’s the season when all the baking happens. I hope you find a new favorite here.
- Crockpot Christmas candy is as easy as it sounds – throw it all in and let it cook.
- When you start getting sick of making cookies, try these old-fashioned peanut butter balls.
- If you have a Bundt pan, you can make this impressive (but easy) Chocolate Christmas Bundt cake. And if you don’t have a Bundt pan, you really should get one.
- Sometimes you just need a well-done classic, like this old-fashioned gingerbread.
Printable Recipe
Cherry Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Small cookie scoop or spoon
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- extra sugar for rolling
- 36 maraschino cherries halves (1 jar is enough if you're cutting them in half, otherwise you might need 2)
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Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, line three baking sheets with parchment paper for easier cleanup. The cookies will bake fine on ungreased sheets if you don’t have parchment.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar using a mixer on medium speed. Beat for at least 3 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. Then, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute until fully combined.
- Combine to form dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, one cup at a time. Mix on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing. The dough should be soft, smooth, and hold together when rolled into a ball.
- Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (about the size of a large marble). Then, roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat the surface completely. Next, place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
- Add the cherries. Press a small indentation into the center of each ball using your thumb, the back of a teaspoon, or the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Be careful not to press too deeply; about halfway through is perfect. Then, place a cherry (halved or whole, depending on your preference) in the center of each indentation.
- Bake and cool. Bake in the preheated oven for 13–14 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Love,
I made these and everyone in the family loves them; they are delicious and I’m keeping this recipe. Thank you.
I made this in 2020 along with fudge and many other Christmas treats. Found out a few days later we had contracted covid. I did try these, why not, I was already sick. They melted in my mouth, so delicious!! I had to throw away everything that year. Last year didn’t make anything but this year making a few things for neighbors and close friends. Thought I had lost this recipe. Thankfully I remembered the cherries. So excited to share these with others. Thank you!!!