Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

Here’s a timeless favorite: Chocolate Covered Cherries, aka cherry cordials. They’re surprisingly easy to make at home, and they’re perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or anytime you’re in the mood for a sweet little indulgence.

What’s the Story on this Recipe?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this sweet Christmas tradition: gifting my daughters’ Grandma Edith a beautiful red and gold box filled with chocolate covered cherries. She absolutely loved them, and over the years, that little gift became a special family tradition full of meaning and love.

But here’s the funny part—I only made homemade chocolate covered cherries for the first time at Edith’s memorial. I don’t know why I waited so long since these treats are pretty straightforward to make at home. Maybe it was just easier to pick a box up from the store. Still, when Edith passed away between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I wanted to honor her memory with something sweet that reminded me of her the way those cherries always did. It felt just right.

That day really opened my eyes to how quick and delicious homemade chocolate covered cherries can be. And let me tell you — they taste way better than anything you buy on a shelf! Now, every year when I make them, I think of Edith and all the special moments we shared.

Make a Sweet Memory

Dipping your own cherries is such a fun way to make the season even sweeter. Plus, it’s a chill kitchen project that anyone can do, even beginners. Homemade hand-dipped chocolates make thoughtful gifts that say “I made this just for you.” You can easily whip up a batch in an afternoon and start a new tradition for holidays, birthdays, Valentine’s, or simply because the mood strikes.

Chocolate Covered Cherries Ingredients

★ Maraschino cherries: These are the bright red, classic cherries you see in cocktails or desserts. They start as light-colored cherries that are bleached, then soaked in sugar syrup and food coloring.

Look for pre-pitted cherries to save time. You can get ones with stems if you want easier dipping, but pitted cherries without stems work just fine too.

★ Chocolate: Choose your favorite kind—semi-sweet, dark, milk, or a combo. The main thing is to use good-quality chocolate that melts nice and smooth and tastes great. I usually mix dark and semi-sweet chips for the best flavor balance.

Chocolate melting wafers, chips, or bars are all fine here. If you’re dipping a big batch, check local baking shops for bulk dipping chocolate — it’s often cheaper and melts beautifully.

You can even use candy melts in fun colors instead of chocolate, but avoid mini chocolate chips because they don’t melt smoothly for dipping.

★ Powdered sugar: Sifting powdered sugar makes your fondant lighter and easier to work, though it’s not a must. It just helps your mixture blend nice and smooth.

★ Butter: Use softened butter — it should be soft enough to press with your fingertip, like butter left out on a warm day. If your kitchen’s cool, zap it in the microwave at 50% power briefly to soften it up.

★ Corn syrup: Stick with light corn syrup for the best flavor and texture; don’t use dark corn syrup here.

★ Oil: I love using coconut oil because it helps keep the chocolate coating smooth and less likely to crack, but any neutral oil works fine too.

Invertase: Some recipes say you need an enzyme called invertase for that famous gooey liquid center inside the cherry. Honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary with this recipe since the fondant naturally turns syrupy after a couple of weeks. If you want to speed things up, you can add invertase or soak the cherries in liquor, but it’s totally optional.

How to Dip Chocolate Covered Cherries

Heads up — these cherries need about two weeks (and up to four weeks) before you eat them. That wait gives the fondant inside plenty of time to melt into a luscious liquid center wrapped in chocolate.

Prep the Cherries

Decide whether you want to keep the stems on or take them off — it’s completely your call.

Leaving stems on makes dipping a breeze. But I prefer taking stems off and dipping using the toothpick method. This seals the chocolate better and ends up looking much cleaner.

Make sure your cherries are very dry before wrapping them in fondant—pat them gently with paper towels so no moisture remains.

For Cherry Cordials

If you want boozy cherry cordials, soak your pitted cherries in brandy, rum, or your favorite liquor for up to 24 hours. Just rinse and drain them through a colander first.

This step is totally optional — these chocolate covered cherries taste great plain or with a little splash of alcohol.

After soaking, be sure to dry the cherries well on paper towels before wrapping them with fondant.

Mix the Fondant

In a medium bowl, combine softened butter and corn syrup. Mix by hand until smooth and creamy. Then sift in the powdered sugar and knead until the whole mixture forms a soft, smooth dough.

You can use a stand mixer for this, but honestly, I love the hands-on feeling mixing by hand gives—it’s quick and satisfying.

Your fondant is ready when it feels smooth and flexible, kind of like fresh Play-Doh.

Pop the fondant in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm it up before using.

Cover the Cherries

Wrap each cherry with about 1½ teaspoons of your fondant dough:

• A. Roll the dough into a small log roughly the size of your index finger.
• B. Flatten that log just a bit so it’s easier to handle.
• C. Place one cherry right in the center.
• D. Carefully roll the dough around the cherry, pinching the seams tightly at the ends to seal it in.

Once wrapped, gently roll the fondant-covered cherry between your palms to smooth and round it out evenly. The fondant layer should be about the same thickness all around.

Place the wrapped cherries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill them in the fridge for about 30 minutes until firm.

Try not to chill them more than two hours — after that, the fondant can soften too much and break down too soon.

Melt the Chocolate

While your cherries chill, melt your chocolate with a teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil over low heat using a double boiler or fondue pot. Stir almost constantly until the chocolate is silky and smooth.

Chocolate wafers or dipping chocolates usually have oil already added, so they harden nicely at room temp. If you’re melting plain semi-sweet chips, add about a tablespoon of oil per cup to keep the chocolate from getting sticky.

Be patient melting your chocolate slowly. Keep water far away—a single drop can cause your chocolate to seize up and become grainy.

Dip the Cherries

Dipping cherries one by one works best.

If you kept stems, just dip and pull out. But I prefer the toothpick method after removing stems—it seals the chocolate better and looks neater.

Drop one fondant-covered cherry in your melted chocolate.

Use a toothpick to lift it out and gently tap off excess chocolate so it drips back.

Then use a second toothpick to slip the cherry off onto your parchment-lined tray.

Right away, dip the toothpick in chocolate to fill in the little hole left on top.

Keep dipping cherries until all are covered. Let them sit on the tray until the chocolate hardens.

Keep your chocolate warm since you’ll need it again in a moment.

Once the chocolate sets, gently lift each cherry from the parchment. The chocolate shell will be thin, so it won’t hold the liquid center later on. To avoid leaks, give the bottom a quick second dip.

Hold the cherry by the top and softly dip just the bottom into warm chocolate to add a second chocolate layer underneath.

Put dipped cherries back on parchment as you go. You can also nestle them in paper candy cups if you want.

Note: You’ll likely have leftover chocolate after dipping — save it for drizzling over ice cream or stirring into hot cocoa!

Storage

Your chocolate covered cherries will stay fresh for at least a month or more if you keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot away from heat.

Skip freezing them — the moisture inside can cause the chocolate shell to crack and pop when centers expand.

Equipment

Melting chocolate can be tricky if you’re not gentle with the heat. I usually recommend using a double boiler or bain-marie to melt chocolate slowly and gently. Last year, I added an electric fondue pot to my kitchen, and it’s been a total game changer! It keeps chocolate warm and smooth without risk of overheating or seizing.

My fondue pot has a low setting that maintains perfect dipping temp, so I never worry about ruining the batch. Totally recommend it if you love dipping chocolates at home!

Top Tip

Chocolate and water do NOT get along. Even one tiny drop can turn smooth chocolate into a thick, grainy mess — this is called seizing, and it’s so frustrating.

To prevent this, make sure all your tools, your hands, utensils, and bowls are 100% dry before they touch chocolate. Also, steer clear of wooden spoons—they tend to hold moisture.

Another common cause of seized chocolate is cooking it too fast. Take your time melting over low heat, stir frequently, and be patient — it really pays off!

FAQ

How do you make chocolate covered cherries with a liquid center?

To get that dreamy liquid center, you have to plan ahead. Dip your cherries at least two weeks before you want to eat them, and if you can wait up to four weeks, even better. This gives the fondant inside time to transform into that delicious syrupy filling.

What’s the difference between cherry cordials and chocolate covered cherries?

Cordials are cherries dipped in chocolate with a splash of liqueur inside. To make these, soak your cherries in rum or brandy before wrapping with fondant and chocolate for that boozy kick.

Got leftover chocolate after dipping? Don’t toss it—save it to drizzle over cakes or mix into your hot cocoa for a special touch!

How to Store

Keep your chocolate covered cherries fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temp in a cool, dry place. They’ll stay yummy for over a month that way.

Freezing isn’t great here—moisture expands during freezing and can crack the chocolate shell.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 piece | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 34mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can prepare the fondant and wrap the cherries a day or two before you plan to dip them. Just keep the fondant-wrapped cherries chilled in the fridge on parchment paper so they don’t stick together.

If you soak cherries in liquor for cordials, plan that step at least 24 hours ahead for best flavor. This helps infuse the cherries and keeps them juicy.

Once dipped in chocolate, the real magic happens in the fridge over a couple of weeks as the fondant melts inside. So, the sooner you make them, the better the liquid center will develop!

Variations

If you want to switch things up, try using fresh cherries when they’re in season—just be sure to pit and dry them very well before wrapping.

You can swap the maraschino cherries for dark sweet cherries for a less sweet, more natural flavor.

For the chocolate, experiment with white chocolate or mix in a little peppermint extract during melting for a fun holiday twist.

If you’re feeling adventurous, add a sprinkle of chili powder or sea salt on the wet chocolate before it sets for a surprising sweet-savory kick.

Serving Suggestions

Chocolate covered cherries are perfect little bites on their own, but they shine even more when served alongside a cup of hot coffee or a glass of red wine.

Pop some in pretty candy cups or small gift boxes lined with tissue paper for a cute presentation that doubles as a gift.

They also make a lovely dessert plate paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of whipped cream.