If you’re anything like me, finding that absolute perfect cookie texture is the goal of life—you know, the one that’s soft and wonderfully chewy, not stiff or cracker-like? Well, stop searching, because I’ve finally nailed it with these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies. Oatmeal is the secret weapon here; it gives the cookies structure while somehow keeping them delightfully soft. You can check out a similar texture idea over at Bon Appétit if you need some inspiration!
I spent entirely too long testing batches just to make sure they came out perfectly chewy every single time. This combination of oats, chocolate, and bright cherries is just heavenly, and I know you’re going to love this wonderfully consistent recipe. These Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies came straight out of my test kitchen and are ready for yours!
Why You Will Love These Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Okay, let’s quickly talk about why my kitchen has been smelling like a cherry bakery lately. These cookies are just the best snack!
- Soft, Chewy Texture Guaranteed
- Perfect Balance in Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
- Simple Mixing Process
Soft, Chewy Texture Guaranteed
Seriously, those oats do all the heavy lifting. They let the cookie be tender and satisfyingly chewy without ever getting dry. I can’t stand a crisp cookie, and these never are!
Perfect Balance in Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
The sweet pop of the dried cherries plays off the dark chocolate chips so beautifully. It’s an amazing flavor combination that feels really special, but they are easy enough for a snack. That’s what makes these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies so addictive!
Simple Mixing Process
You’re only looking at about 15 minutes of prep work, which is fantastic for how gourmet they taste. I can whip these up after dinner and have them cooling while I clean up!
Essential Equipment for Perfect Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
You don’t need a whole professional bakery setup for these, thank goodness! We keep things simple here. Having the right basics ready makes sure your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies turn out perfectly flat and chewy like mine do.
You just need these three easy-to-find items:
- Oven (You can’t bake without heat, right?)
- Baking Sheet (Make sure it’s clean so nothing sticks!)
- Mixing Bowls (You’ll need at least one for dry and one for wet, trust me on that one!)
If you’re using those big, heavy-duty cookie sheets, make sure you leave enough space between the dough balls. These cookies spread just a little bit as they bake, and we don’t want them merging into one Giant Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie blob!
Gathering Ingredients for Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
The best part about this recipe is that everything you need is already hanging out in your pantry, or it’s something you grab during a regular grocery run. A good batch of Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies just needs happy, quality ingredients. I’ve linked to Quaker’s own favorite cookies for reference, just in case you need to check your oat stock! Check out their best oatmeal cookies here.
We are going to break this down into three groups, just like I do when I’m prepping my mise en place. It just makes things so much smoother when you start mixing!
Dry Ingredients
Make sure you have a good set of measuring cups for this part. Accuracy matters for that perfect lift:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
This is where the flavor base really happens. Remember, the butter needs to be properly softened—not melted! If it’s too warm, the creaming process in the next step just won’t work right and your cookies will spread way too much.
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix-ins for Your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Now for the stars of the show! If you love baking up other Sweet Cherry Recipes, you probably have these waiting for you. The dried cherries give you that intense, chewy flavor that holds up perfectly during the bake, which is why I prefer them over fresh for this specific dough.
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
When you have all this laid out, making these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies feels like assembling a delightful little puzzle. Everything is ready to go!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Alright, let’s get baking! This is where the magic of creating those soft Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies really happens. Just follow these steps precisely, and you’ll be pulling perfect rounds off the oven rack in no time. You can see a great guide on what the dough should look like after mixing at Guittard’s site here: check out their chocolate tips.
We’re moving fast, but stay calm! We have about 15 minutes of active work before they go in to bake for just 10 to 12 minutes. For more dessert inspiration from my kitchen, take a peek over at my desserts page!
Preparation and Dry Mix
First things first, we need some heat! Preheat your oven right now to 350°F (175°C). Don’t wait until the dough is ready, or your butter will get too warm just sitting on the counter. While that’s heating up, grab one of your mixing bowls.
In that bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients: the flour, the rolled oats, baking soda, and the salt. You aren’t trying to blend them totally perfectly here, but just giving them a good stir ensures the leavening agent (that’s the baking soda!) is evenly distributed. Nobody wants a salty bite in their cookie!
Creaming Wet Ingredients
Now, go to your second bowl—this is the important one for texture! You need that softened butter and the brown sugar. Get in there with your mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon and cream them together. You’re looking for it to get wonderfully pale and fluffy. This step traps the air that keeps your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies light.
Once that mixture looks light and creamy, beat in your single egg until it’s fully incorporated. Then, just drop in that teaspoon of vanilla extract and give it one last quick mix until it’s all smooth, like thick wet sand.
Combining Dough and Folding in Mix-ins
Time to marry the wet and dry! Take your dry mixture and add it gradually to your creamed butter mixture. Here’s the golden rule: mix until *just* blended. Seriously, stop the moment you don’t see streaks of dry flour anymore. If you overmix here, you develop the gluten and these famously chewy cookies turn tough. We don’t want tough cookies!
When it looks *almost* done, it’s time for the fun stuff. Gently fold in your dried cherries and the chocolate chips. Use a spatula for this! You want to use gentle, sweeping motions to distribute them without deflating all the air you worked so hard to cream into that butter mixture.
Baking and Cooling the Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Get your baking sheet ready—I usually line mine with parchment paper because cleanup is just better that way. Scoop out spoonfuls of the dough onto the sheet. I use about a tablespoon and a half for a nice, standard cookie size, but you can make them bigger if you are extra hungry!
Pop them right into that preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Watch them closely! When the edges look set and just starting to get golden brown, they are ready. They will look slightly soft in the very center, but that’s totally fine. Let your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies cool right on the baking sheet for about five minutes before gently transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up nicely during that time!
Tips for Perfect Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Even though this recipe is really straightforward, just a couple of little tweaks can take your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies from good to absolutely unforgettable. It’s all about treating those ingredients right!
First up, let’s talk about the oats again—I know, I know, but this is key for texture! You absolutely must use rolled oats, not the quick-cooking instant kind. The quick oats break down way too much when baked, and suddenly you don’t have chewiness, just… oat mush. Trust me on this one; if you’re looking for something a little more wholesome, check out some of my healthy snack recipes, but for this cookie, stick to the rolled stuff!
Chilling the Dough (If You Have Time!)
If you have an extra hour or two, this is my favorite pro tip for any drop cookie, especially those jam-packed with chocolate chips. Wrap the dough up tightly and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes, or even longer. Why? When the dough is slightly chilled, the butter firms up again.
When the firmer dough hits the hot oven, the cookies spread slower. This means they stay thicker and chewier, which is exactly what we want for these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies! They bake up beautifully thick.
Butter Temperature is Non-Negotiable
I mentioned it before, but I have to repeat it because it’s the number one reason cookies fail for people. Your butter needs to be **softened**, not melted, and definitely not rock hard straight from the fridge. If it’s melted, the cookies spread into thin puddles. If it’s too cold, it won’t cream evenly with the sugar, and you won’t get those necessary air pockets.
If you look down the road into my chocolate lovers’ section, you’ll see that most of my best chocolate cookies rely on perfectly creamed butter!
Drying Out Your Cherries (Especially if Using Fresh)
Since we are using dried cherries, they usually don’t cause trouble. But if you want to experiment with Fresh Cherry Desserts and try knocking down the dried ones for fresh ones—you have to chop them small and pat them aggressively dry with a paper towel first. Fresh fruit has too much water!
Too much moisture throws off the ratio, and you’ll end up with sad, gooey centers that never quite finish baking in time. Dry mix-ins are the best friends of a chewy cookie recipe!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
One of the best parts about having this tried-and-true recipe for Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies is knowing how flexible it is, even though I stick to the original religiously! Ingredient choices really dictate the final texture and overall vibe of your cookie. I actually have another post on some easy healthy snack ideas if you’re looking to lighten things up overall, but let’s talk about these cherries.
My recipe calls for dried cherries because they are perfectly concentrated in flavor and won’t leak excess water into our delicate dough balance. But I know not everyone keeps those on hand! If you’re digging through the pantry for other options, we have choices.
What About Sour Cherry Recipes?
If you love that bright tartness you find in many classic Sour Cherry Recipes, you just need to be careful with moisture control. If you decide to use sour cherries—especially if you are working with Canned Cherry Recipes—you must drain them like crazy. Pat them between several layers of paper towels until you feel like you’ve squeezed out every drop of juice.
Even after draining, I always recommend tossing those sour cherries in about two tablespoons of flour before folding them in with the chocolate chips. That dry coating helps shield the dough from any residual moisture. It’s a little extra step, but it keeps these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies from falling apart!
Swapping Chocolate Chips
Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips! If you prefer dark chocolate, go for it. If you want to use milk chocolate, that’s fine too. But the chocolate really helps tame the tartness of the cherries.
If you don’t have chips, I’ve actually chopped up a good-quality chocolate bar, and it works beautifully because the irregular sizes give you those lovely unexpected bursts of melted chocolate throughout your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies.
Do I Have to Use Brown Sugar?
Yes, please, stick with the brown sugar for this one! While you could technically use granulated white sugar, that brown sugar is crucial. It brings that soft chewiness because it contains molasses, which keeps the cookie tender longer. White sugar results in a crisper edge, and we are aiming for soft and chewy here!
Honestly, once you nail the ingredient balance for these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies, you’ll find they are so consistent that you’ll want to make them all the time!
Serving Suggestions for This Cherry Dessert Recipe
These Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies are hearty enough to stand alone, but wow, are they amazing with the right accompaniment! Since they are already packed with flavor and oats, they feel a little more substantial than your average cookie, which opens up some fun serving options.
If you are serving them warm right out of the oven—and I highly recommend you do that at least once—they are fantastic all by themselves. That first bite when the chocolate is molten and the cherries are gooey? Pure bliss.
Pairing with Something Cold
Forget plain milk! Because we have that wonderful tartness from the cherries, you can pair these cookies with drinks that really complement that flavor profile. Think about a tall glass of cold vanilla bean ice cream or maybe even a slightly tangy, cold brew coffee with a splash of cream.
If you are looking for something slightly less sugary to serve alongside these rich cookies, check out my recipe for a Vegan Iced Chai Tea Latte. The warm spices in the chai cut through the richness of the chocolate perfectly, making for a wonderful afternoon treat combination.
Using Them in Other Cherry Dessert Recipes
Don’t just stop at cookies! I’ve experimented with crumbling these up slightly and using them as a base layer for a quick parfait. Think of them almost like ladyfingers! Layer crushed pieces with Greek yogurt—maybe plain or vanilla flavored—and a drizzle of honey for a layered treat.
This is a sneaky way to turn a cookie into something that feels closer to one of those lighter, layered Cherry Dessert Recipes you see in the summer, even though these cookies themselves are pretty hearty.
Keeping it on the Lighter Side
If you’re trying to stick to some of those Healthy Cherry Recipes goals while still enjoying a treat, focus on the portion size! These cookies are great for packing in a lunch. They keep so well, which means you can grab one small cookie instead of a huge slice of cake later in the day.
Honestly, whether you have them with a scoop of lemon sorbet or just dunked in hot tea, these are meant to be enjoyed! Enjoy making these sensational Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies!
Storage and Reheating Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
The absolute last thing we want after all that hard work is for these wonderfully soft Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies to go stale! Since the oats are doing such a great job of keeping them moist, we need to store them properly so they stay just as chewy tomorrow as they are today.
The key here is airtight containers. Seriously, don’t even try stacking them on a plate covered loosely in plastic wrap—they’ll dry out before morning, and we can’t have that!
Airtight Containers are Your Best Friend
Find a good, sturdy cookie tin or glass container with a lid that seals tightly. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled down before they go in; warm cookies create condensation, and condensation means sogginess, which is the opposite of what we want!
I like to line the bottom of the container with a paper towel first. This helps absorb any lingering moisture that might sneak out of the cookies. Then, layer them up, but be gentle! You don’t want to crush that perfect oatmeal structure.
How Long Do They Stay Fresh?
Stored correctly at room temperature—not in the fridge, because that dries them out faster—these cookies are fantastic for about four to five days. If you’re storing them longer than that, or if your kitchen is super humid, you might want to freeze them instead. They keep beautifully in the freezer!
Reheating for That Fresh-Baked Feel
If you’ve kept them in the fridge or freezer, they absolutely need a quick reheat to bring back that soft, gooey texture. Don’t use the microwave for too long, or they get tough fast!
I put mine right on a baking sheet for about 3 to 5 minutes in a 300°F oven. That low heat just warms everything through gently. If you happen to have one of those cookies that got a tiny bit stiff, a quick 10-second blast in the microwave—paired with a tiny splash of water beside the cookie on the plate—can steam it soft again. It’s a trick I learned the hard way!
Frequently Asked Questions About Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
It’s totally normal to have a few questions when you’re tinkering with a perfect recipe like this one! I get so many notes asking about substitutions or troubleshooting, so I thought I’d put my most frequently heard questions right here. Honestly, these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies are pretty foolproof, but just in case you run into any hiccups, here are my go-to answers!
Can I use fresh cherries instead of dried in these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies?
That’s a great question, especially if you have an orchard nearby and are excited about making some beautiful Fresh Cherry Desserts! Yes, you can, but you have to treat the fresh cherries way differently than the dried ones we used here. Fresh fruit has way too much water. You’ll need to pit and chop them small, and then you absolutely must sauté them briefly in a tiny bit of butter for a few minutes to cook off the excess moisture.
After cooking, you have to cool them completely and then gently pat them dry with paper towels before folding them in. If you don’t take that step, they leak juice while baking and turn your perfect batch of Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies into puddles of pink goo. If you’re looking for something that requires no cooking, stick with the dried ones!
Why did my cookies spread too much?
Oh, I’ve seen this happen only a couple of times, and it always comes down to the butter temperature or your mixing technique, which is key for that hearty oatmeal structure. If your butter was melted or too soft when you creamed it with the sugar, the cookies spread out like pancakes before the structure has a chance to set in the oven!
If you accidentally over-mixed the dough after adding the flour, that also develops gluten too much, making the dough slack and prone to spreading. For the chewiest Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies, that creaming step matters—it should be fluffy, but not liquidy! If you suspect your dough was too soft, pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes next time before scooping!
Are there any healthy cherry recipes that are similar to this?
That’s a common request! These cookies are a treat, not a health food, thanks to the butter and sugar, but you can certainly adjust them slightly! If you are looking for simpler, lighter options, check out some of my favorite Healthy Cherry Recipes. For these cookies specifically, if you wanted a slight health nudge, you could swap out half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour, or use oat flour if you have a blender.
You could also swap out half the chocolate chips for almonds or chopped walnuts to increase the healthy fats and fiber. It will change the texture slightly from our classic soft batch, but you still get that lovely cherry and oat flavor profile in your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies!
If you try any of my no-bake variations, make sure to peek at my section on no-bake treats, too!
Share Your Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies Experience
I really, truly hope these Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies made their way into your rotation! When I developed this recipe, I was aiming for that perfect, soft, chewy bite that makes you close your eyes when you taste it—and I think we got there!
But baking is a conversation, right? I always want to know if they worked magic in your oven too! Did the oats hold up just right? Did you use dark chocolate or milk chocolate? I want all the details!
Please take a second, leave a star rating right below this text, and tell me how they turned out in the comments. If you tried any fun swaps—maybe adding some pecans or using dried cranberries instead of cherries for a different spin—I’m dying to hear about it. Good recipes evolve through community feedback!
If you had any confusing moments or absolutely amazing successes, don’t keep it to yourself! You can always reach out to me directly through my Contact page as well. Happy baking, and I can’t wait to see your results!
Cherry Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- Cream the softened butter and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until combined.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Mix until just blended.
- Fold in the dried cherries and chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cool the cookies before you serve them.