Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
These Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies are comforting, packed with goodness, and surprisingly easy to whip up. They combine hearty oats, rich dark chocolate, and sweet bursts of fresh cherry with a hint of cardamom for a special touch. Perfect for filling your home with a wonderful smell and your cookie jar with happiness.
Equipment
- Large bowl for combining ingredients
- Whisk for dry ingredients
- Wooden spoon or spatula, for stirring and folding
- Spatula or wooden spoon, for stirring and folding
- Baking sheets for baking
- Parchment paper to line baking sheets for easy cleanup
- Cookie scoop optional, for uniform cookies
- Wire rack for cooling cookies
- Oven for baking
- Airtight container for storing cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour regular baking flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
- 0.25 cup milk
- 1.75 cups rolled oats old-fashioned oats are best
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips go for good quality chips
- 1 cup diced fresh cherries pitted and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Pour the beaten egg, vanilla extract, melted butter, and milk into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Don't overmix!
- Now for the stars! Add the rolled oats, dark chocolate chips, and diced fresh cherries to the dough. Gently fold them in until they are just incorporated throughout the dough. You want to see those pockets of chocolate and cherry!
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between cookies as they will spread slightly. I like to use a cookie scoop to get uniform sizes, which helps them bake evenly.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look a little soft. They will continue to set up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Substitutions & Additions:
- Cherries: Use dried cherries (chopped, possibly soaked) instead of fresh.
- Chocolate: Swap dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate, white chocolate, or chopped bars.
- Oats: Quick oats can be used in a pinch for a softer texture (steel-cut won't work).
- Nuts: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spice: Substitute cardamom with cinnamon, nutmeg, or orange zest. Tips for Success:
- Don't overmix the dough after adding wet ingredients.
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats for best chewy texture.
- Dice fresh cherries into small pieces.
- Optional: Chill dough for 30-60 mins to meld flavors and reduce spread.
- Don't overbake; centers should look slightly soft. Storage:
- Cool completely before storing.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days.
- Add a slice of bread to the container to help keep cookies soft.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag (thaw at room temp).
- Freeze scooped dough balls (freeze on a sheet then transfer to bag/container). Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 mins to baking time. FAQs:
- Frozen cherries can be used if thawed, well-drained, and patted dry.
- Flat cookies can be caused by over-softened/warm butter, insufficient flour, overmixing, or not chilling the dough.
- Gluten-free: Try a GF flour blend and certified GF oats.
- Cardamom can be substituted or omitted.
- Cherries: Use dried cherries (chopped, possibly soaked) instead of fresh.
- Chocolate: Swap dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate, white chocolate, or chopped bars.
- Oats: Quick oats can be used in a pinch for a softer texture (steel-cut won't work).
- Nuts: Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Spice: Substitute cardamom with cinnamon, nutmeg, or orange zest. Tips for Success:
- Don't overmix the dough after adding wet ingredients.
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats for best chewy texture.
- Dice fresh cherries into small pieces.
- Optional: Chill dough for 30-60 mins to meld flavors and reduce spread.
- Don't overbake; centers should look slightly soft. Storage:
- Cool completely before storing.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days.
- Add a slice of bread to the container to help keep cookies soft.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag (thaw at room temp).
- Freeze scooped dough balls (freeze on a sheet then transfer to bag/container). Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 mins to baking time. FAQs:
- Frozen cherries can be used if thawed, well-drained, and patted dry.
- Flat cookies can be caused by over-softened/warm butter, insufficient flour, overmixing, or not chilling the dough.
- Gluten-free: Try a GF flour blend and certified GF oats.
- Cardamom can be substituted or omitted.