These cookies take the flavors of black forest cake and turn them into a big, chewy chocolate cookie. The dough is studded with semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and chunks of fresh cherry, then topped with extra chips while still warm. There’s no mixer and no chilling, so they go from bowl to oven quickly.
Quick facts
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 14 minutes
- Total time: 34 minutes
- Makes: 18 large cookies
- Chill time: None
- Equipment: No mixer needed
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, for best results use dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar, packed light or dark
- 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup White chocolate chips, plus more to top the cookies
- 1/2 cup Semisweet chocolate chips, plus more to top the cookies
- 1 cup Fresh cherries, washed, pitted, and cut into quarters
A Few Notes Before You Start
Dutch process cocoa: Regular unsweetened cocoa works, but Dutch process gives the best results, with a smoother, deeper chocolate flavor.
Butter: Melt it in the microwave, then let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes until it’s about room temperature. Hot butter can start cooking the eggs when you mix the wet ingredients.
Cherries: Wash and pit them, then cut them into small quarters. Smaller pieces spread evenly through the dough, so each cookie gets some fruit.
Plan ahead: Take your dairy ingredients out about 2 hours before baking so the eggs are at room temperature.
High altitude: If you’re baking at a high altitude, add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour.
How to Make Black Forest Cookies
Part 1: Prep
1. Melt the butter. Microwave the butter until melted, then set it aside for 10 to 15 minutes to cool.
2. Prep the cherries. While the butter cools, quarter the pitted cherries into small pieces.
3. Preheat and line the pans. Heat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Part 2: Make the Dough
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
5. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth.
6. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. The dough will be soft.
7. Add the mix-ins. Fold in the white chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and cherries.
Part 3: Shape and Bake
8. Scoop the dough. Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 ounces) to portion the dough, placing 6 dough balls on each cookie sheet.
9. Bake one sheet at a time. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
10. Top with extra chips. While the cookies are still warm, press a few extra white chocolate and semisweet chips onto the tops.
11. Rest, then cool. Let the cookies sit on the hot pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Cookies
Measure the flour carefully. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off, or use a kitchen scale. Packed flour can dry out the cookies and keep them from spreading properly.
Cool the butter first. Letting it come down to room temperature keeps the dough from turning greasy and protects the eggs.
Use room temperature eggs. Taking them out a couple of hours ahead helps them blend smoothly into the batter.
Give them room. Only 6 dough balls per sheet leaves space for these large cookies to spread.
Bake one pan at a time. This helps the cookies bake evenly, rather than some browning faster than others.
Add the topping chips while warm. The residual heat helps the extra chips stick and softens them slightly.
Don’t rush the rest. Ten minutes on the hot pan lets these soft cookies set so they hold together when you move them.
Final Thoughts
These black forest cookies bring together chocolate, cream, and cherry in a chewy, bakery-style cookie that’s simple to make. With no mixer and no chilling, they’re a good pick when you want something that looks fancy without much work. Bake a batch and let me know how they turn out.