Chocolate Cherry Cookie Bites
Equipment
- airtight container
- baking paper
- electric mixer
- Fork
- medium mixing bowl
- microwave-safe bowl
- spoon
Ingredients
For the Cherry Filling
- 15 g cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maraschino cherries drained and finely chopped
- 2 drops almond extract
For the Cookies
- 8 vanilla wafers
- For the Chocolate Coating
- 45 g chocolate-flavoured candy coating chopped
- ¼ teaspoon vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon sprinkles or edible decorations
Instructions
For the Cherry Filling
- Place the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth.
- Stir in the chopped maraschino cherries and almond extract.
For the Cookie Sandwiches
- Spread the cherry filling over the flat sides of 4 vanilla wafers.
- Place the remaining wafers on top with their flat sides facing the filling.
- Gently press the wafers together to form 4 sandwich cookies.
- Refrigerate the assembled cookies for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm.
For the Chocolate Coating
- Place the chocolate coating and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly.
- Continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth.
- Dip each chilled sandwich cookie into the melted chocolate using a fork.
- Turn the cookie until it is completely coated.
- Lift it from the chocolate and allow the excess coating to drip back into the bowl.
- Place the coated cookie on baking paper.
- Immediately add the sprinkles or edible decorations.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Leave the cookies at room temperature until the coating has set.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cookies chilled with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. They also work well on a dessert platter or packaged individually as a homemade gift.Recipe Notes
Drain the maraschino cherries thoroughly and pat them dry before chopping. Excess liquid can make the cream cheese filling too soft. Check the vanilla wafers, candy coating and decorations when preparing the cookies for someone with a food allergy.Variations
Replace the maraschino cherries with finely chopped dried cherries. Dark, milk or white chocolate coating can be used. Add finely chopped pistachios, coconut or freeze-dried raspberry crumbs instead of sprinkles.Storage
Layer the cookies between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to two days. Freezing is not recommended because the filling may separate and the wafers can lose their crisp texture.Wine Advice
A lightly sparkling Moscato complements the sweet cherry filling and chocolate coating. A ruby port is a richer alternative for serving these cookies as an after-dinner treat.Nutrition values
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Chocolate cherry cookie bites combine crisp vanilla wafers with a smooth cream cheese filling flavoured with maraschino cherries and almond extract. Each sandwich is dipped in chocolate and decorated with colourful sprinkles. They require no baking and the small-batch recipe makes four individual treats.
A Simple No-Bake Treat
Vanilla wafers form a convenient cookie base because they are crisp, evenly shaped and ready to use. Their mild flavour allows the cherry filling and chocolate coating to stand out. Using eight wafers creates four sandwiches, making this version useful when you want a small dessert without a large quantity of leftovers.
The cream cheese filling needs only powdered sugar, cherries and a tiny amount of almond extract. Almond enhances the cherry flavour, but it is strong, so just a couple of drops are sufficient for this small batch. Too much extract can quickly overpower the filling.
Preparing the Cherry Filling
Allow the cream cheese to soften before mixing. Cold cream cheese is difficult to beat smoothly and may leave small lumps. Beat it with the powdered sugar first, then fold in the chopped cherries and almond extract.
Drain the maraschino cherries carefully and pat them dry before chopping. Excess syrup can loosen the filling and make the wafer sandwiches slide apart. Chop the cherries finely so their flavour is evenly distributed and the cookies remain easy to assemble.
Making Chocolate Cherry Cookie Bites
Spread the filling over the flat sides of four wafers and top them with the remaining wafers. Press gently because vanilla wafers can crack under too much pressure. Refrigerating the assembled sandwiches for 30 minutes firms the cream cheese and helps prevent the cookies from separating when dipped.
Melt the candy coating with a small amount of vegetable shortening. The shortening makes the chocolate thinner and easier to spread evenly around each cookie. Microwave it in short intervals and stir frequently. Chocolate can retain its shape even after it has melted, so stirring is a better test than appearance alone.
Dipping and Decorating
Lower one sandwich into the melted coating using a fork, turn it carefully and lift it out. Tap the fork gently against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place the dipped cookie on baking paper and add decorations immediately, before the coating begins to set.
Sprinkles are the easiest finish, but freeze-dried raspberry crumbs, finely chopped pistachios or desiccated coconut also work well. When serving anyone with a food allergy, check every package carefully. Vanilla wafers, chocolate coating and decorations may contain wheat, milk, egg, nuts or soy. General kitchen guidance is available from the FDA information about safe food handling.
Serving Ideas
Serve one cookie per person with coffee, tea or hot chocolate. They also look attractive on a platter with other choices from the cookie recipes collection. For a larger sweet selection, combine them with recipes from the chocolate collection.
The cookies are suitable for high tea, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and gift-giving. Allow refrigerated cookies to stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. This softens the filling slightly while keeping the outer chocolate coating firm.
Flavour Variations
Dark chocolate creates a less sweet finish, while white chocolate gives the cookies a softer colour and creamier flavour. Dried cherries can replace maraschino cherries, although they produce a firmer filling. Raspberry, strawberry or orange flavouring can also be used in place of almond extract.
Browse the no-bake recipes for more desserts that do not require an oven. When increasing the quantity, multiply all ingredients evenly and dip the cookies in batches so the chocolate remains fluid.
Storage
Place the finished cookies in a single layer in an airtight container. If they must be stacked, separate the layers with baking paper. Refrigerate for up to two days because the filling contains cream cheese.
Freezing is not recommended. Thawing can cause condensation on the chocolate, while the filling may separate and soften the wafers. These chocolate cherry cookie bites are best prepared the day before serving and enjoyed while their contrasting textures remain fresh.