Description
These Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies are a delightful blend of chewy oats, tart dried cherries, and rich bittersweet chocolate, perfectly complemented by toasted pecans. Baked to golden perfection with a soft center and finished with a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips, they offer a balanced sweetness and satisfying texture ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cup quick oats
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter (1 1/2 sticks), not too soft
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 1 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (3/4 cup), chopped
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- Dark chocolate chips (for topping cookies)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Soften Butter: Remove butter from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, allowing it to soften slightly but not melt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter with the dark brown sugar until the mixture becomes lighter in color and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl’s sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture, beating well until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add 1 cup of the flour to the bowl but do not mix immediately. In a separate small bowl or with a spoon, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour, then mix this into the wet ingredients just until not fully combined.
- Add Oats and Mix-ins: Add the old fashioned oats, quick oats, chopped dried cherries, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and toasted chopped pecans into the dough.
- Fold Ingredients: Gently fold the mix-ins into the dough carefully, making sure no flour streaks remain. Avoid over mixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape Cookies: Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the dough and shape it into balls. Place the dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Only about 8 cookies fit per sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers have a slight shine but are not completely glossy.
- Top with Chocolate Chips: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press dark chocolate chips on top of each cookie to melt slightly and add extra decadence.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use salted butter as specified; its saltiness balances the sweetness nicely.
- Do not overmix the dough once flour is added to keep the cookies tender.
- Spacing cookies 2 inches apart prevents them from merging during baking.
- Toasting pecans enhances their flavor and crunch, adding a nutty depth to the cookies.
- Pressing chocolate chips on warm cookies helps them melt slightly for a delicious finishing touch.
