Discover how to make irresistible Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies! Soft, chewy, and packed with sweet cherries and rich chocolate, these cookies are a quick and delicious treat made in your air fryer.
Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies are a delightful treat that combines the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture of chocolate with the sweet, tart flavor of cherries. Made in the air fryer, these cookies come out perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining soft and chewy on the inside. With just a few simple ingredients, including chocolate chips and dried cherries, this recipe is an easy way to indulge in a sweet snack with minimal effort.
The air fryer ensures a quicker baking time compared to traditional ovens, making these cookies the perfect dessert for busy days or whenever you crave a homemade sweet treat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe!
- These cookies are quick and easy to make, perfect for a last-minute treat.
- The air fryer gives them a crispy, golden edge while keeping the center soft and chewy.
- The combination of rich chocolate and sweet cherries creates a mouthwatering flavor you’ll crave.
- They require minimal ingredients, making them a simple yet indulgent dessert.
- With the air fryer, there’s no need to heat up the oven, saving you time and energy.
If you love easy Air Fryer Cookie Recipes, try Air Fryer Three Ingredient Nutella Cookies, Air Fryer Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Pillsbury Cookies.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour: For structure and texture
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: For rich chocolate flavor
- Baking soda: To help the dough rise
- Salt: To balance sweetness and enhance flavors
- Unsalted butter, softened: For a creamy consistency
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness and texture
- Light brown sugar: For a deeper flavor
- Large egg: To bind ingredients together
- Vanilla extract: For a warm, aromatic flavor
- Cherries: For a sweet, fruity bite
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips: For extra chocolate goodness
How To Make Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Step One: Preheat the air fryer to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to break up any lumps. Set aside.
Step Two: In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar on high speed for about 2 minutes until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture, and beat on high for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix to ensure the cookies rise properly.
Step Three: Gently fold in the chopped glace cherries and mini chocolate chips. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of cherries and 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips to top the cookies later, if desired.
Step Four: Scoop 2-tablespoon sized portions of dough (about 30 grams each) onto a large parchment-lined baking sheet. The dough balls can be placed close together, but not touching. Shape the dough into round balls using your hands, then place them back onto the baking sheet.
Step Five: If you’re topping the cookies, sprinkle the reserved cherries and chocolate chips on top now. Freeze the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet for 15 minutes to help prevent spreading during baking.
Step Six: Prepare the air fryer for baking. Use a baking tray that fits into the air fryer basket, or line the basket with parchment paper, ensuring to poke holes in the paper to avoid it curling up. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart in the air fryer basket. Bake in batches as needed, keeping the dough in the freezer until ready to bake.
Step Seven: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes or until the tops are set but slightly undercooked. Remove the basket and let the cookies finish baking in the hot basket for 5 minutes.
Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix on low speed just until incorporated to avoid tough cookies. Overmixing can prevent the cookies from rising properly.
- Chill the Dough: Freezing the cookie dough balls for 15 minutes helps prevent them from spreading too much while baking, ensuring they keep their shape.
- Use Parchment Paper: If you’re placing cookies directly in the air fryer basket, use parchment paper. Make sure to poke a few holes to allow air circulation for even baking.
- Bake in Batches: Depending on the size of your air fryer, bake the cookies in small batches to give them enough room for even cooking and prevent them from sticking together.
- Adjust for Size: If you prefer larger or smaller cookies, adjust the baking time accordingly. Larger cookies may need a minute or two longer, while smaller ones may bake faster.
- Don’t Skip the Toppings: Reserve some chopped glace cherries and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the dough balls before freezing, giving the cookies extra flavor and texture.
- Check for Doneness: The cookies should look set on top but slightly undercooked when you pull them out. Let them rest in the basket for a few minutes to finish baking without drying out.
Storing
- Storing: Once the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 7 days. To keep them soft, you can place a slice of bread in the container to help retain moisture.
- Freezing: To freeze the cookie dough, scoop out the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze the dough balls for 15–20 minutes until firm, then transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Store the dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls in the air fryer and bake as usual (you may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time).
- Reheating: To reheat leftover cookies, preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C). Place the cookies in the air fryer basket for 2-3 minutes until warm and slightly crispy on the edges. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-baking. Alternatively, you can microwave them for 10-15 seconds for a softer result.
Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe Faqs
Can I use frozen cherries for this recipe? Yes, you can use frozen cherries, but make sure to thaw and drain them before chopping to prevent excess moisture in the dough.
Can I substitute the egg in this recipe? If you need an egg substitute, you can try using a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes) or another egg replacer of your choice.
What can I use instead of mini chocolate chips? You can substitute mini chocolate chips with regular-sized chocolate chips or even chopped chocolate if you prefer larger chunks in your cookies.
How do I prevent cookies from spreading too much in the air fryer? Freezing the cookie dough balls for about 15 minutes before baking helps prevent excessive spreading and maintains a thick, chewy texture.
Can I make these cookies without the cherries? Yes, you can omit the cherries and make chocolate chip cookies instead, or substitute with other dried fruits like cranberries or raisins.
How should I store the leftover cookies? Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them or freeze for up to 3 months.
How can I reheat the cookies? To reheat, place the cookies back in the air fryer at 300°F for about 2-3 minutes to warm them up while keeping the edges crispy.
Why are my cookies not cooking evenly in the air fryer? Ensure the cookies are placed 2 inches apart in the air fryer and that the dough is well-chilled before baking. Also, bake in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
More Easy Air Fryer Cookie Recipes
- Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Pillsbury Cookies
- Air Fryer Snowball Cookies
- Air Fryer Blueberry Cookies
- Air Fryer 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Air Fryer Three Ingredient Nutella Cookies
- Air Fryer Shortbread Cookies
Don’t Forget To Pin!
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Air Fryer Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour*
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cherries, chopped , also called candied cherries
- ½ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 325 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside for now. It’s important that these ingredients are sifted together to break up any little lumps in the flour and cocoa powder.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on high speed until well combined (about 2 minutes).
- Beat the egg and vanilla into the butter mixture. Beat until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed just until the ingredients are well combined and you no longer see dry ingredients in the mix. Do not overmix or the cookies won’t rise properly.
- Gently stir in the glace cherries and the mini chocolate chips (do not beat these ingredients in). Save about 2 tablespoons of the glace cherries and 1 tablespoon of the mini chocolate chips to top the cookie dough balls later (optional).
- Scoop cookies into a 2-tablespoon size (about 30 grams per cookie). Place cookie dough balls on a large baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) that you can transfer to the freezer. The cookies can be close together for this step but not touching or they’ll stick together.
- Use your hands to shape cookie dough scoops into round balls. Place these back onto the large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- If you want to top the cookies with chopped glace cherries and mini chocolate chips, do that step now with the amounts of each you saved earlier.
- Place the tray of cookies into the freezer for 15 minutes. This will help prevent them from spreading too much during baking.
- Prepare your air fryer for baking. You can set the cookies right in the basket but it can cause a bit of a mess with ingredients leaking through the holes in the basket. I prefer to use a baking tray that fits into the air fryer. Another option is to line the bottom of the air fryer basket with parchment paper but you’ll want to poke a few holes in the parchment paper first to help prevent the paper from blowing around and curling up around the cookies. Place cookies two inches apart in the air fryer. You’ll have to bake the cookies in a few separate batches. The cookies that are currently waiting to be baked should stay in the freezer for now.
- Bake cookies in air fryer for 7 to 8 minutes or until the tops look set but the cookies still look slightly undercooked. Remove the basket from the air fryer and let the cookies finish baking in the hot basket for 5 minutes. This helps the cookies to finish baking without drying them out.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing in a sealed container. Store leftovers in a sealed food-safe container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Equipment
- Cooking Spray
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
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