
Cherry Chocolate Valentine Cookies: A Recipe for Love
Published: January 2025
Valentine's Day is the perfect reminder to express love, appreciation, and affection to others with sweet gestures. What better way to do so than with homemade cookies? While roses and chocolates are classic Valentine's gifts, baking something heartfelt adds a personal touch that shows you've put extra thought into the occasion, whether it is Feb. 14th or any other day of the year.
These cherry chocolate cookies can be the perfect treat for your special day. They combine the richness of dark chocolate, the sweetness and muscle health benefits of cherries, and the warmth of a home-baked gift. These cookies are not only fun and visually charming with their sweet cherry center, but also delightfully decadent. Plus, they're plant-based and gluten-free, making them an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys delicious, wholesome treats, even those with dietary restrictions.
Whether you're baking for your sweetheart, friends, or simply indulging in a moment of self-love, these cookies will touch hearts and delight taste buds.
Does chocolate go well with cherries?
Cherry and chocolate have long been associated with romance. Chocolate, often seen as an indulgent and comforting treat, has romantic qualities that make it a classic choice for Valentine's Day. Cherries, with their vibrant red color and sweet-tart taste, symbolize love, passion and desire. Together, they create the perfect pairing for a day devoted to love. Plus, the red jam center of the cookies resembles the color of a heart, making them even more fitting for February 14.
Cherries are a good source of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. They are also packed with anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that support muscle health and function and protect against oxidative stress.
Chocolate is well-known as a comfort food, but its benefits go beyond that. Chocolate is linked to the "feel-good" hormone dopamine, and it supports healthy levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol. So, just like you and your boo, a combination of cherries and chocolate is a match made in heaven!
What type of cherries should I use for chocolate cookies?
For this cookie recipe, we are making cherry jam, and it is best to use frozen cherries. Not only are they more cost-effective and available year-round, but frozen berries are also picked and packaged at their ripest, providing the full spectrum of flavor and nutrition.
This cookie recipe calls for dark, sweet cherries, which are commonly found at your local grocery store. But if you are able to find frozen tart cherries, they would be an amazing choice, adding a balance of sweet and tartness between the chocolate cookie and the jam.
How To Make Cherry Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cookies
This cookie recipe is not only delicious but also incredibly easy to make. You don't need to be an experienced baker to pull it off successfully. The thumbprint design is simple to achieve, and the prints can be filled with cherry jam or any other fruit flavor you love. Once baked, the cookies are perfect for gifting in a cute box or jar or sharing at a friendly get-together. This recipe makes 12 cookies.
Ingredients
Cherry Jam
1.5 cups (300 g) of frozen cherries (or other berry)
¼ cup (50 g) of granulated monk fruit sugar-free sweetener (or liquid sweetener)
Chocolate Almond Cookie
1 cup (100 g) almond flour
¼ cup (30 g) oat flour
¼ cup (25 g) cacao powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener)
2 tablespoons (30 g) coconut oil, melted
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Preparation
Cherry jam
- Cook the jam: In a saucepan, add the frozen cherries and the granulated monk fruit and cover with a lid. Cook on the stovetop on medium-high heat until gently bubbling. Uncover and reduce the temperature to simmer. Cook until the fruit is fully defrosted and soft.
- Blend: Pour the cherry mixture into a blender and process until the mixture is smooth (without chunks of fruit).
- Reduce: Pour the smooth cherry mixture back into the saucepan and reduce its consistency by at least half, so it is thick and little juice remains. This gives you an amazing cherry jam consistency. Please note: The jam will harden and become more stable as it cools in the refrigerator.
- Cool: Pour the prepared jam into a container. Before placing the jam in the refrigerator, allow it to cool down on your kitchen counter. Once cooled, seal the jam container with the lid and chill it in the refrigerator while your cookies bake.
Cookie dough
- Process dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, oat flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add wet ingredients: To the dry mix, add the liquid sweetener and the melted coconut oil at room temperature. Using a spatula or a fork, mix until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Cool: Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow it to firm up for better handling and for the ingredients to fully incorporate.
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven (using the fan option) to 320 degrees F.
- Prepare the cookies: Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll cookie balls of about 1.5-2 tablespoons (20-25 g) each. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other. Using the back of a measuring teaspoon, create the thumbprint pocket where we'll insert the cherry jam once baked. Note: To prevent the dough from sticking to the teaspoon, wet the teaspoon with water as many times as needed.
- Bake: Bake the thumbprint cookies for 10 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from oven and allow cookies to come to room temperature on the kitchen counter.
- Assemble: Once the cookies are at room temperature, add the desired amount of cherry jam (about a teaspoon) to the center of the cookie.
Nutritional values per cookie
Calories: 102
Fat: 7 g
Protein: 2.6 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fiber: 7.2 g
Sugar: 5 g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes.
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How do I store my Valentine’s cookies?
These cherry chocolate Valentine's Day cookies are best kept refrigerated. To maintain that cookie snap, it is best to keep both elements (the cookies and the jam) in the refrigerator in separate, airtight containers. However, you can also opt to assemble them and store them in the refrigerator.
- Unbaked cookie dough: 2 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer
- Baked cookies: 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer
- Cherry jam: 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer
- Assembled cookies: 5 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer
Tips for Success: Customizing Your Valentine’s Day Cookies
A great thing about these cookies is how customizable they are. You can adapt the recipe to suit your favorite tastes, dietary needs, and what's in your pantry. Here are some ideas:
- If you prefer to make them as sugar cookies without the chocolate taste, simply omit the cacao powder. You will be surprised how much like sugar cookies they taste without the wheat flour, butter and granulated sugar that make up traditional sugar cookies.
- This dough is perfect for cutting the cookies into shapes. Want some heart cookies for Valentine's Day? Simply roll out the dough after allowing it to chill in the fridge, use your cookie cutter of choice, then bake and decorate.
- Get "jamming" with other berries! Try the humble strawberry or explore a whole new flavor experience with blueberries or raspberries.
- If you are a chocolate lover, you can double up on the taste by melting some chocolate chips and lightly drizzling them over the cookies like icing. You can even dip the cookies in melted chocolate chips to create a chocolate shell.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free or dairy-free?
This recipe does not contain cream or eggs, uses almond and oat flour in place of wheat flour, and calls for coconut oil instead of butter, so it is already gluten-free and dairy-free. If you customize the recipe with other favorite flavors, be sure to choose gluten- and dairy-free options.
Do you get enough tart cherries in your diet from Valentine’s Day cookies?
While these Valentine's cookies can help nourish your wellness journey on occasion, dietary supplements can help you obtain the health benefits of tart cherry all year round. A daily supplement can also help you avoid the added calories of sugar cookies. A tart cherry fitness supplement helps support muscle recovery after exercise. This high-antioxidant supplement also helps relieve post-exertion stiffness and discomfort with a vegetarian and gluten-free formula.
Want to encourage your muscle health and recovery after exercise? Life Extension's health needs quiz can recommend nutritional support that fits your lifestyle.
About the Author: Helen Rodriguez is the plant-based pastry chef behind Helen's Cakes, a boutique studio specializing in handcrafted desserts with wholesome ingredients and free from most common allergens. It is Helen's mission to transform the script from traditional desserts and provide a guilt-free experience through creations that will elevate your wellness journey!
Website: www.cakebyhelen.com
References
- Abdoli E, et al. "A clinical trial of the effects of cocoa rich chocolate on depression and sleep quality in menopausal women." Sci Rep. October 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11471752/
- Gonçalves B, et al. "From Orchard to Wellness: Unveiling the Health Effects of Sweet Cherry Nutrients." Nutrients. October 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11547742/
- "Cherries, sweet, dark red, raw." U.S. Department of Agriculture. October 2022. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2346399/nutrients