Sweeten Up Your Week with Chewy Vegan Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When it comes to vegan baking, things can get tricky in the cookie department.

I have tried my hand at it several times and the results have been varied, from horrible disasters to pure perfection, like this recipe.

It can be difficult to find an ideal cookie recipe in general, so when you find it, you cling to it like crazy.

Now, you no longer have to worry about finding the perfect recipe, because you have this one. Your search is over!

These cookies are big and chewy, with delightfully sweet bites of chocolate and cherries studded throughout.

The best part is, whether you are vegan or not, you are going to love every bite of these delicious baked treats.

Cookies are one of those desserts that I will always turn to before asking for cake, brownies, or any other dessert. They are wonderful for lifting spirits, and satisfying a sweet tooth.

I absolutely adore the combination of chocolate and cherries. It brings back memories of my grandfather, who used to have chocolate covered cherries in the house all the time.

I’m not talking about maraschino cherries, which tend to be a bit too sweet, in my humble opinion (though they can be nice if you make your own at home with fresh fruit). I’m talking about the rich and sweet dried tart cherries, with the bit of tanginess to them.

Honestly, I have no idea where my grandfather found the little confections every week. I suspect it was a small bakery and candy shop that has long since closed… Alas, I cannot seem to find these fresh chocolate-covered bites of joy anywhere.

So, I started buying chocolate-covered dried cherries on the regular from the grocery store to get my fix. The flavors are still delightful, and that’s exactly why this recipe is such a serious winner in my book.

You get bursts of the tart and sweet cherries, combined with the taste of melt-in-your-mouth slightly bitter dark chocolate. Each cookie is a mouthful of delicious.

No longer will you be craving the typical chocolate chip cookie once you make these for yourself. Instead, you’ll be reaching for this recipe.

You will always have time to make this recipe, because it is so easy. No electric mixers needed, just a couple of bowls and a whisk. You don’t even have to worry about the strange vegan ingredients and substitutes you usually run into. No palm oil, margarine, or egg replacers required.

Most likely, you already have all the ingredients you need in your pantry right now.

The main thing to remember is that you have to let the dough rest before you bake. You can either leave it at room temperature for an hour, or you can make the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours to bake at a later time.

Don’t have dried cherries on hand? You can easily use chopped dried apricots instead, as a substitute.

It’s crazy how amazing these vegan cookies are when compared to traditional chocolate chip cookies. You might not go back to a traditional recipe, even if you are a lover of dairy and eggs.

Vegan Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

---

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

No reviews

• Author: Meghan Yager
• Total Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
• Yield: 20-24 cookies 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Brighten up your week with a vegan cherry chocolate chunk cookie. Like your favorite candy, in the form of a soft and delicious baked good.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 6 Tbsp water, room temp
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup dried cherries
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine brown sugar, coconut oil, water, almond butter, and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined.
3. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate and dried cherries.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Or, refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before portioning the dough.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Make balls of dough, about 3 tablespoons each, and place on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 12-14 minutes, until the edges are set and golden brown.
7. Let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
8. Store at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

Notes

Adapted from Not Without Salt.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 14 minutes
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: vegan desserts, vegan, chocolate chip, cherry, cookie

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Chop Chocolate and Measure Ingredients

Roughly chop dark chocolate until you have 1 cup in total. It took roughly one 3.5-ounce dark chocolate bar for me to get this amount, maybe a little more.

Make sure that your dark chocolate is at least 65% cacao.

Try your hand at making the chocolate from scratch with our easy recipe for vegan dark chocolate chunks!

Step 2 – Combined Dry and Wet Ingredients

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl.

Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, coconut oil, water, almond butter, and vanilla until combined.

Step 3 – Make Dough

Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Do not over mix.

Fold in chocolate and dried cherries.

Again, stir these in until just combined, to avoid overworking the dough.

Step 4 – Let Rest

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.

You can also refrigerate the dough for 24 hours. You will need to let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before portioning the dough if you do this.

Step 5 – Bake

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Form balls of dough with 3 tablespoons of dough each. Place on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake one sheet at a time, on the middle rack of the oven, for 12-4 minutes. The edges will be set and golden brown, and the centers will still be soft.

Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

Place in airtight containers to store for up to 3 days.

Can’t Get Enough Cherries?

Cherries are one of those fruits that I can eat year round without any trouble. Whether they are fresh or frozen, dried or ripe, there are infinite creative and new ways to use this fruit.

If you need more vegan cookie goodness in your life, check out some of our recipes that you can indulge in all year long:

• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread
• Chocolate and Pomegranate Oatmeal
• White Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal

Which of these recipes do you want to make first (after you make these cookies, of course)? Tell us in the comments below, and come back to rate this cookie recipe once you make it.

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on December 4, 2012. Last updated: December 30, 2021 at 17:47 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

• More Posts(378)