Description

These decadent Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies combine rich cocoa and bittersweet chocolate chunks with tart dried cherries and crunchy almonds, resulting in a perfectly balanced treat. Featuring a tender, fudgy texture and a hint of almond extract, these cookies are baked to perfection and topped with extra chocolate chunks for an indulgent finish.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt

Wet Ingredients

2 1/2 sticks butter (room temperature, 1 1/4 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Add-ins

3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks/chips (+ extra for topping)
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks/chips (+ extra for topping)
2/3 cups almonds (chopped, unsalted)
2/3 cups dried tart cherries (roughly chopped)

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat it with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cookies from sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. This ensures even distribution of the leavening and cocoa.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Beat for several minutes until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and well combined.
Add Egg and Extracts: Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Continue to beat until the texture is light and airy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in portions, mixing just until fully combined. The dough will be quite thick and chocolatey.
Add Mix-ins: Fold in the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate chunks, chopped dried tart cherries, and chopped almonds until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Shape Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Shape the dough balls slightly to ensure even baking.
Bake and Top: Bake the cookies for a total of 9 minutes. After approximately 7 minutes, open the oven and gently top each cookie with additional chocolate chunks. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for the remaining 2 minutes.
Cool and Finish: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to set and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Optionally, sprinkle with fleur de sel for a touch of contrasting saltiness.

Notes

Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming and better cookie texture.
Do not overmix once the dry ingredients are added to avoid tough cookies.
Adding fleur de sel on top before serving enhances the chocolate flavor and balances sweetness.
You can substitute almonds with walnuts or pecans if preferred.
For a more intense chocolate flavor, consider using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies, chocolate cookies, chewy chocolate cookies, almond cookies, cherry cookies, holiday cookies, baking recipe