Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Rich, Chewy, Cherry, Delicious
Oatmeal cookies are quintessential to the holiday season for me! My papa makes oatmeal cookies every year for the holidays and they are my absolute favorite. They’re so soft and chewy - you can’t stop yourself from eating only one. The basis of these oatmeal cookies are the same as my Papa’s, but I’ve added a few ingredients to make them extra just in time for the holiday season. I’ve added dark chocolate chips and dried cherries for a rich and tart festive flavor plus browned the butter before adding it in, giving a nutty depth of flavor that takes these cookies to the next level.
Tips For Making These Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
If you plan on making these dark chocolate cherry oatmeal cookies, here are a few tips to make them extra special:
- When browning the butter, keep a close eye on the pan. It can go from bright yellow to dark brown within a minute and you don’t want it to burn. Once you can smell the nutty aroma and the butter has turned a pale, golden brown you’ll be ready to take it off the heat.
- When adding your eggs to the mixer, crack them into a small bowl first. This way if any shell gets in you can scoop it out easily. It also makes it easier to pour the eggs in while the mixer runs.
- It’s very important to let your dough cool in the fridge before you scoop and bake the cookies. If the butter is still warm, the cookies will spread out too thin and potentially overbake. Having the butter cooled will keep the cookies thick and chewy, the way oatmeal cookies should be!
Recipe Details
As with any recipe, it’s important to get yourself organized before you actually start cooking! Measure out your ingredients, cube your butter, set out your eggs to allow them to come to room temperature, and line your trays with parchment. To begin, mix your dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Having this step done first will help you move more quickly when it’s time to bring the dough together.
Once your prep work is done, you can begin the real cooking. To start, you’ll brown the cubed butter in a large frying pan. Let the butter melt over medium-low heat and cook until the butter is a pale golden brown and has a nutty aroma. This extra layer of flavor is what makes these cookies extra special!
After browning the butter, you’ll mix it with the brown sugar. You’ll let this two mix together until they’re melded together nicely and the butter has cooled slightly. At this point, you’ll mix in the rest of your wet ingredients, the eggs and the vanilla extract. Let the ingredients continue to mix until thoroughly combined and then pour them into the flour mixture you prepare earlier, using a silicone spatula to scrape all of the butter and sugar into the bowl.
Mix to combine and form the start of a dough. Once almost all of the flour has been incorporated, add the old fashioned oats and stir them in to incorporate. Lastly, add the dark chocolate chips and dried cherries, folding them in to evenly distribute them throughout the cookie dough. Chill the dark chocolate cherry oatmeal cookie dough until it’s cold, but still easily scoopable.
Scoop and bake the cookies until they’re golden brown but still gooey in the middle. Let them cool for a few minutes on the warm pan before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or store at room temperature for a few days to enjoy!
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A few decadent additions make these oatmeal cookies a special treat. Classic oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and loads of chewy oats are paired with nutty brown butter, tart dried cherries, and rich dark chocolate to make an incredibly delicious bite.
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Cube the unsalted butter and set aside.
Set out the eggs to allow them to come to room temperature.
Measure the brown sugar, vanilla, oats, dark chocolate chips, and dried cherries. Set aside.
Add the cubed butter to a large frying pan and set it over medium-low heat. Let melt.
Once melted, let the butter brown over the heat until it turns light brown and has a nutty aroma, about 6-7 minutes. The butter will bubble and foam while you brown it, use a silicone spatula to stir the butter occasionally to ensure no bits of butter burn to the bottom of the pan.
Carefully pour the browned butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar to the bowl and mix using the paddle attachment or by using a hand mixer on medium speed for 4-5 minutes.
Turn the speed of the mixer to low and add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time. Let continue to mix on low for 1-2 minutes until the eggs are incorporated.
Pour the butter, sugar, and eggs into the bowl of flour and other dried ingredients. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together until a dough forms.
When there’s only a few streaks of flour left in the dough, add the old fashioned oats. Stir to incorporate the oats into the dough and finish mixing in the flour. Fold in the dark chocolate chips and dried cherries until evenly distributed.
Refrigerate the bowl of dough for 30-60 minutes, until the dough is cooled, but still malleable.
While the cookies are chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Scoop the dough into heaping tablespoons, arranging them on the baking trays so there’s a 1 ½ inches between each cookie.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are browned.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. Enjoy!
