These homemade chocolate covered cherries are an easy take on the classic cordial candy. Each cherry has a sweet liquid center and a smooth chocolate shell that melts in your mouth.

Chocolate covered cherries with stems, including a sliced cherry showing the cordial-style filling.

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Old-Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries

Chocolate covered cherries are a longtime favorite for Christmas treats, Valentine’s Day gifts, or anytime you want a classic homemade candy. Just like buckeyes or peanut butter balls, they’re simple to make right in your own kitchen.

With just a few pantry staples, you can make your own homemade cherry cordials. Each one has a soft fondant center wrapped around sweet maraschino cherries and coated in smooth chocolate, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.

Ingredients Notes

Chocolate covered cherry ingredients including maraschino cherries, butter, powdered sugar and melting wafers.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Maraschino cherries. The star of the show in homemade chocolate-covered cherries! I prefer a jar of maraschino cherries that have the red color added. It’s fine to use a brand that does not add a red color, your cherries just won’t have a pink color.
  • Powdered sugar and salted butter: Together confectioners’ sugar and salted butter create a fondant coating around the cherries.
  • Chocolate. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate melting wafers for a smooth chocolate coating. You can use dark chocolate, make milk chocolate cherries or use white chocolate.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Cherries

Reserve 2 Tablespoons of cherry juice and then drain cherries. Place cherries on plate lined with paper towels to dry.

Pat them lightly with an extra paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Cherries with stems on a paper towel.

In a large bowl combine salted butter, powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon reserved cherry juice from the jar. Add more powdered sugar until you reach a soft dough. Add another Tablespoon of the cherry juice if the sugar dough is too dry. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Place about a teaspoon of the sugar filling into your hands then flatten with your palms. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and wrap fondant around the cherries to completely cover and gently press down on the edges.

Sweet powdered sugar mixture used to create the liquid center for homemade chocolate covered cherries.
Wrapping a maraschino cherry in the sugar mixture to form the liquid center for homemade chocolate covered cherries.

Melt chocolate in a glass measuring cup or bowl then holding the cherry stem dip the cherry into the melted chocolate, making sure the chocolate covers the filling completely.

Allow excess chocolate to drip off and then place on piece on lined baking sheet. Allow chocolate to set then store for a few days before enjoying.

Prepared chocolate covered cherries with the sugar coating set and ready for dipping in chocolate.
Dipping a homemade chocolate covered cherry into melted chocolate for a smooth outer coating.

Recipe Tips

  • Chill time. After wrapping the cherries in the sugar dough, chill up to 30 minutes for easier dipping but no longer than 2 hours.
  • Stems on (or off). It’s easier to dip chocolate covered cherries with the stems intact. If you prefer to remove them, you will need to use a toothpick for dipping.
  • Wait to eat. The longer you let your cherry cordials sit the more liquified the center will become. I prefer at least 3-6 days but for the best chocolate-covered cherries wait up to 2 weeks.
  • For gifting: Directly from dipping in the chocolate place in mini white cupcake liners instead of placing on parchment paper. 
Chocolate covered cherries in small paper liners for Christmas.

More candy recipes to try include cool whip candy, homemade crunch bars and homemade Almond Joys.

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Homemade chocolate covered cherries with one cut open to show the soft fondant center and juicy maraschino cherry.

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Chill time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 24
These homemade chocolate covered cherries are an easy take on the classic cordial candy. Each cherry has a sweet liquid center and maraschino cherry dipped into a smooth chocolate shell.
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Ingredients 

  • 24 maraschino cherries with stems (about 1 jar)
  • 3 Tablespoons salted butter ,softened
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melting wafers

Instructions

  • Drain: Reserve 3 Tablespoons of cherry juice in a bowl and then drain cherries. Place cherries on plate lined with paper towels to dry. Pat them lightly with an extra paper towel to remove excess moisture.
  • For the filling: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, combine 3 Tablespoons butter, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1-2 Tablespoons of cherry juice. Add 1/4 cup more powdered sugar at a time until you reach a soft dough. Add another Tablespoon of the cherry juice if the fondant is too dry. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
  • Wrap: Place about a teaspoon of filling into your hands and then flatten with your palms. Dust your hands with powdered sugar if necessary. Then wrap around the cherries to completely cover and gently press down on the edges.
  • Melt your chocolate in a glass measuring cup (or glass cup), to make it easier for dipping. Then hold the stem and dip the cherry into the melted chocolate, making sure the chocolate covers the filling completely. Allow excess chocolate to drip off and then place on piece on lined baking sheet. Allow chocolate to set.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Chocolate: If you prefer milk or white you can use that as well (or for half the batch).
Tip: If gifting these, you can place in mini white cupcake liners (directly from dipping into chocolate, instead of placing on parchment paper. 

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 14mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 55IU, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

FAQs

How do chocolate covered cherries get a liquid center?

The creamy soft fondant layer slowly breaks down as the cherries rest, creating that classic gooey, cordial-style filling. Letting them sit for several days helps the centers fully liquify.

What kind of chocolate is best for dipping?

Melting wafers, chocolate bars, or high-quality baking chocolate melts more smoothly to create a clean, even coating.

Can I make these without the fondant layer?

Yes, but they won’t have the soft, liquid-style center. The fondant is what gives these cherry cordials their signature texture and gooey middle.

How should I store chocolate covered cherries?

Keep chocolate covered cherries in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot. They stay fresh for weeks and even develop a softer, more cordial-style center as they rest. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerating them is perfectly fine.

Can I freeze chocolate covered cherries?

No. Freezing causes the moisture inside the cherries to expand and crack the chocolate coating. The results are messy and sticky, so freezing isn’t recommended.