Delicious and Easy Chocolate Chunk Cherry Cookie Bars
Treats like these crunchy, perfectly soft, chewy Chocolate Chunk Cherry Cookie Bars don’t last long in our house. These “I Love You” treats are not just your average chocolate chip cookie bars…they come fully loaded with hugs, smiles, and lots of kisses. Be alert and ready for incoming affection!
Rich layers of decadent flavors make these chocolate cherry cookie bars a very special thank you or a “just because I Love You” gift. Plus they’re very pretty too! Double win!!!
Jump to RecipeChocolate Cherry Cookie Bars vs. Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Making chocolate cherry cookie bars instead of chocolate chunk covered Cherry individual cookies is a great time saver.
You also have more control over the final appearance of the cookie cake making them perfect for a gift, birthday party, or any kind of special get-together.
What’s in this Delicious Chocolate Chunk Cherry Cookie Bar Recipe?
As you know you can add just about anything to a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe…and you can make just about any cookie recipe into a cookie bar creation. I basically used my chocolate covered cherry oatmeal cookie recipe as the inspiration for these awesome chocolate cherry chunk cookie bars.
Print RecipeFirst you start with
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract…or any extract…like Almond
then add the extras
- Cinnamon
- Oats
- Chocolate Covered Dried Cherries
- Almonds, sliced or chopped
- Chocolate Chunks
Easy Step by Step Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookie Bar Assembly👇
- Place softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, almond extract and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix above ingredients together with an electric hand mixer or upright stand alone mixer until creamy and well incorporated.
- Gently mix dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and baking soda – with a fork or whisk until all dry ingredients are blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture…mix with an electric hand or stand alone mixer. Be careful not to over mix.
- Now fold in the oatmeal and almonds gently with a rubber spatula or large spoon…5-8 big folds.
- Chop the cherries in half with a sharp knife making them slice clean.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks and half of the sliced cherries into the cookie mixture…5-8 big folds.
- Press cookie mixture into a 9″x 13″x 2″ glass baking pan with greased fingers. Gently press remaining sliced cherries onto top of spread cookie mixture.
More Cookie Recipes that would make Great Cookie Bars
Key Lime Chocolate Chip Cookies
Red, White and Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate
Chocolate Covered Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Shop Now😉
Do You Have to Chill These Before you Bake?
No, in fact, it would make this thick dough hard to press out. By making cookie bars instead of individual cookies you just eliminated the chill stage.
Can You Freeze Cooked Cookie Bars for Later?
Yes! If you make a lot of treats around the holidays I would think this step would be a great time saver. I would let them cool completely before you pop them in a freezer bag or freezer safe storage dish.
How Long do They Stay Fresh at Room Temperature?
I would imagine like all fresh homemade cookies they would last about 3 days stored in an air tight container. But to make them last that long in my house I would have to find a pretty secret hiding place!!
Additional Ingredients That Would be Delish in Cookie Bars
- White Chocolate Chips or Chunks
- Pecans, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts
- Granola
- Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Chocolate Covered Blueberries
- Yogurt Covered Raisins
- The list is endless!
Chocolate Chunk Cherry Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar, light or dark firmly packed
- 1 tsp salt, I used fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ tsp almond or vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2½ cups whole wheat flour or all purpose
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ cups rolled old fashioned oats
- 2 cups chocolate covered dried cherries, rough chopped
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Place softened butter, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, almond extract and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix above ingredients together with an electric hand mixer or upright stand alone mixer until creamy and well incorporated.
- Gently mix dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and baking soda – with a fork or whisk until all dry ingredients are blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture…mix with an electric hand or stand alone mixer. Be careful not to over mix
- Now fold in the oatmeal and almonds gently with a rubber spatula or large spoon…5-8 big folds.
- Chop the cherries in half with a sharp knife making them slice clean. About 2 cups or more if desired.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks and about 1½ cups of the sliced cherries into the cookie mixture…5-8 big folds.
- Press cookie mixture into a 9"x 13"x 2" glass baking pan with greased fingers. Gently press remaining sliced cherries onto top of spread cookie mixture.
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting into desired size of servings.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Sweet Recipes from The Contractor’s Castle 👇
Yummy Cherry Shortbread Fluff Bars are perfect for any special occasion.
Key Lime Cast Iron Icebox Pie….it is sooooo good!
The Best Southern Homemade Pecan Pie…in the world!!
Orange Cream Cast Iron Icebox Pie…great for Easter!
