Old Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries are a favorite of ours around Christmas. They make the sweetest gift for friends and family.
How Long Do Chocolate Covered Cherries Take to Set Up?
These Old Fashioned Chocolate Cherries are such a fun candy to make and give away at Christmastime. But it’s important to remember they take TWO WEEKS to set up completely. A little time intensive, but they are so worth the effort! True old fashioned chocolate cherries turn into a creamy smooth center once they’re set. So start prepping now; they are so delicious!
How Long Do Old Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries Last?
Another tip from us to you is this: hide these candies in a place where your family can’t find them and snitch until they are completely ready. A nook in the garage, on the high shelf in the kitchen, wherever. Just don’t forget where they are! A couple of Christmases went by where we forgot to retrieve our yummy treats. But it’s okay because these goodies will stay good and fresh until Valentine’s Day.
More Cherry Recipes
If you love cherries, try a few of our favorite treats using this juicy fruit.
- Chocolate Cherry Cake – this is a tasty pudding based cake.
- Microwave Cherry Crunch – easy to make and cooks in the microwave for a fast dessert.
- Cherry Vanilla Cookies – like chocolate chip, but better!
- Mini Cherry Cheesecakes – easy little bite sized cheesecakes.
- Chocolate Cake with Cherry Topping – chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and cherry topping.
- Alligator Jaws – one of my favorite cherry recipes! A triangle shaped doughnut with cherry cream filling.
- Cherry Limeade Cupcakes – a tart yummy cupcake great for any occasion.
12 Days of Christmas Treats
Check out our list of 12 Days of Christmas Treats. You’ll find all of our holiday favorites including:
- Mom’s Christmas Caramels
- Peanut Clusters
- Cinnamon Almonds
- German Chocolate Fudge
- Peppermint Bark Brownies
How to Make Chocolate Covered Cherries
Old Fashioned Chocolate Covered Cherries
INGREDIENTS
- 36 Maraschino cherries with stems
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 1/2 bags chocolate chips semi-sweet or milk chocolate
- 2 teaspoons oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Drain cherries and set on paper towel to dry
- In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary.
- Wrap each cherry in about 1 tsp of dough. Chill until firm.
- In a microwave-safe bowl melt chocolate chips with oil for about 20 seconds at a time (stirring each time) until chocolate is just melted and completely smooth.
- Dip each cherry in by its stem and place on wax paper-lined sheets. Place in an air-tight container (like a large tupperware) and store in a cool place for TWO WEEKS (yes, it is a long time-- but patience... I promise they taste best if you wait until the fondant softens)!
Amy Drown says
December 11, 2013 at 8:17 amCan you use white chips in place of the chocolate ones?
Emily says
December 11, 2013 at 8:19 amYes, you can use white, milk, or dark chocolate. Whatever you prefer.
Lahoma says
December 10, 2014 at 1:30 pmIf you add a tsp of Crisco to your chocolate it will set up better and faster.
rachel lynn young says
December 4, 2018 at 2:30 pmCan I use candiquick or chocolate bark to coat the cherries ?
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 4, 2018 at 8:08 pmI haven’t tried either of those with this recipe, so I can’t speak to how they would affect the texture or taste.
Barbie Smith says
December 11, 2013 at 10:30 amI am so excited to finally have a recipe for these. Thank you!
anne says
December 11, 2013 at 2:07 pmI make these every year. I always add a few tsps of the cherry juice from the jar the cherries come in. It helps them get gooey a little bit faster. Merry Christmas!
Erica says
December 11, 2013 at 5:52 pmI was hoping someone would have advice to make them set faster! 🙂
Rachel R. says
December 15, 2014 at 1:13 pmHow fast does the cherry juice take to make white part gooey??
Erica says
December 19, 2014 at 7:52 pmThe chocolates take 2 weeks to set.. that is the time needed to make the white part gooey. Hope that helps!
Ruthie Smith says
April 12, 2017 at 2:12 pmHi, If you make the cream recipe to wrap the cherries, they will be ready to eat with-in one hour. You can also buy wraps of many flavors.
Marguerite E. Dawson says
December 27, 2016 at 1:03 amI add a few tsps of cherry liqueur. Delicious!
Annette says
December 12, 2013 at 10:24 amOh. My. Gosh. I now know what to make my brother for Christmas! I had a great-aunt who used to make a plate of home made candies for all of her neices and nephews each year for Christmas. We used to DROOL over them because my Dad has a real sweet tooth and wasn’t real keen on sharing this prized gift. My brother is a BIG chocolate covered cherry nut, but only likes “the GOOD kind”, as he puts it. Won’t he be surprised… 🙂 I can’t wait to make up a couple of batches. I hope they’ll travel well.
Emily says
December 12, 2013 at 9:00 pmThat is awesome, you will have to let us know how your brother likes them!
Amy says
August 17, 2014 at 9:12 amIs it ok to put them in the fridge for two weeks?
Emily says
August 22, 2014 at 11:16 amYes, two weeks would be fine.
Celena says
December 8, 2014 at 8:15 pmYou can put them in the fridge, but the inside won’t get gooey and liquid. The juices from the cherries need to seep out and liquefy the fondant. I usually stick mine on top of the fridge.
Angela Johnston says
December 1, 2014 at 8:15 amExcited about trying these. I see they take two weeks to set but I was wondering how long they would last for in the fridge? Thanks!
Erica says
December 1, 2014 at 10:00 pmI have never tried them in the fridge. After they set up for two weeks you could sure throw them in the fridge and see what happens? Ours usually don’t last that long lol
Celena says
December 8, 2014 at 8:17 pmThey really don’t need to be refrigerated. The inside stays more liquid when left at room temperature. I always use baking chocolate (semi-sweet) instead of chocolate chips. The chips never seem to set up well for me.
Shirley says
December 4, 2014 at 1:44 pmHas anyone added brandy? Soak the cherries briefly ? Or add add a small amount in fondant? Just wondering if anyone tried this and what would be the proper method.
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:42 pmI think this would work as long as the cherries are totally dry before wrapping in fondant. Thanks for asking!
Anita says
December 8, 2014 at 7:48 pmShirley, I have made the Brandy ones before! Mine were the liquid centers tho, dont know if this recipe is the same. I remember the one I used before, had salt in the powdered sugar, and this is what made the liquid center. Right now, I have a 3 Jars of Cherries, that have been soaking since October 2010!!
Denise says
December 8, 2014 at 8:11 pmIf you don’t make your own dough what can you use in its place??
Lashea says
December 19, 2017 at 1:51 pmI use moonshine cherries or rum. The cherries being soaked in liquor then wrap then freeze then dip and let me set up at room temp. Hope this helps
Terry says
December 5, 2014 at 11:37 amI made a Christmas Party sized batch today and can not wait for them to be ready! It was taking me a while so I put the dough between two pieces of saran wrap, rolled it really thin, then used a doughnut hole cutter to punch out perfect size pieces for wrapping them and got four jars of cherries finished in no time! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 2:04 pmThat is a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
EmilyHess says
December 5, 2014 at 2:54 pmI am having troubles finding cherries with stems on. Where did you purchase yours?
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:41 pmI had a harder time finding cherries with the stems this year too, so I did the cherries without the stems. I did notice that I used more fondant without the stems. You might want to try the aisle that carries drink mixers or near the canned fruit. Good luck! Thank you for asking!
Julie says
December 9, 2014 at 3:42 amYou could probably just insert tooth picks just so it’s easier to dip them in the chocolate… 🙂
Susanne Boyd says
December 16, 2014 at 9:15 amI like the toothpick idea. Thank u 🙂
Valerie says
December 13, 2014 at 9:56 amThe only place I have found the cherries with stems is in the ice cream toppings section!
Bonnie says
October 20, 2015 at 5:12 pmI just found the cherries with stems on them at Walmart in the area of the alcohols. By the mixers!
Lisa Harlan says
June 9, 2018 at 1:52 pmLarge jar of stemmed cherries can be found at cash n carry
cristine finnerty says
December 8, 2014 at 7:45 pmSams club always has gallon jars of the cherries with the stems that’s where I get mine.
Lisa says
December 5, 2014 at 6:19 pmCan you soak the cherries in rum first?
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:33 pmI’ve never tried it, but as long as you dry them out afterwards, it should work. Let me know how it works!
Jodi says
December 5, 2014 at 9:00 pmThank you! I love chocolate cherries I’m excited to try the homemade version. I’ve covered about 30 cherries so far with the fondant and I’m almost out of fondant. Maybe I measured wrong somewhere. I’m using about a tsp per cherry.
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:36 pmYou are doing it right. I am correcting the recipe. One batch of fondant will cover 1 16 oz jar of cherries, or about 36 cherries. Thank you for bringing that to may attention!
Renee Kern says
December 6, 2014 at 6:17 amCool place. Would the garage work? On warm days during winter it might get to 55 degrees.
Celena says
December 8, 2014 at 8:20 pmThat should be fine. I always leave mine on top of the fridge in the house. I think the cherries ‘age’ better at room temp since the liquid has to seep out of the cherry to make the fondant liquid. I also always use bakers chocolate since it sets up better and firmer than chips, usually the semi-sweet. Hope that helps! I make cherries 1-2x every year for my dad. He won’t even buy store cherries anymore because mine are so much better!
Marjorie Turpen says
August 20, 2017 at 3:18 pmWhat ounce bags of chocolate do you use?
Jenn says
December 6, 2014 at 6:23 amI take it the bag of chocolate chips is 12 ounces so this recipe calls for 18 ounces?
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:31 pmYes, the recipe is for 18 ounces. You can also use melting chocolates. Thanks for asking!
Paulette says
January 12, 2018 at 8:06 pmYou can get a 6oz bag of chips at the dollar store to go with 12 oz.
Gretchen says
December 6, 2014 at 5:51 pmMy grandmother made these every Xmas she added coconut. Yummy. Thanks I lost the recipe
liz says
December 6, 2014 at 6:33 pmDo they need to dry on wax paper before storing in Tupperware
Echo says
December 8, 2014 at 1:30 pmYes, you want the chocolate to harden before putting them in a storage container. Thanks for asking!
Katrina says
December 8, 2014 at 7:49 pmMy dad has always been partial to Brach’s Cherry Chocolates, so I am hoping that these will be close. I plan on making them and sending him a whole batch just for him. I may soak the cherries in Amaretto for my own batch
Kendra says
December 10, 2018 at 11:31 amI know you said this comment YEARS ago, but did you try them? Were they like Brach’s? That’s my moms favorite and since you can’t buy them anywhere I am looking for a recipe that matches it..
CJ says
December 8, 2014 at 7:53 pmCould you wrap cherries in marzipan instead of the fondant?
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:27 pmHave never tried it that way.. if you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Denise says
December 8, 2014 at 7:57 pmwhat other dough can you use if you don’t make your own?
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:29 pmYou could try using the pre-made fondant but we usually make our own because it tastes better 🙂
Celena says
December 8, 2014 at 8:24 pmI wrap my cherries in the fondant, put them in rows on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and stick the whole cookie sheet in the freezer. The chocolate hardens faster on cold fondant. Once I’m done dipping all the cherries, it’s super helpful to go back and examine each cherry. Sometimes you’ll be able to see fondant peeking through the chocolate on the bottom… I dip the bottom of the cherry into the chocolate again, otherwise the fondant ends up leaking out and making a mess. Sometimes a little hole will form up top too, by the stem usually. I will use my finger to dab a bit more chocolate there as well to keep the liquid inside. I’ve been making these at least once (usually twice) a year for the past 8 years, and these tips took me a while to figure out and have saved me so much frustration.
[email protected] says
December 8, 2014 at 8:55 pmMy mom used to make these growing up! Love them!
Lisa says
December 8, 2014 at 10:25 pmDo you have to wait 2 weeks to eat them?
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:24 pmThey taste the best that way, yes
becky says
December 9, 2014 at 5:00 amWhst is the purp use of wrapping them. Why not just dip them in chocolate
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:23 pmIf you just dip them in chocolate the center won’t be creamy
Jean says
December 9, 2014 at 5:54 amDo they have to set for 2 weeks. Or that’s the storage time? Watching to make but don’t have that much storage space in refrigerator
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:22 pmIt takes 2 weeks to set so the fondant has time to liquify… after 2 weeks they will taste the best
Celena says
July 5, 2015 at 2:45 pmThey don’t need to be in the fridge. Just leave them on top of the fridge for two weeks and they’ll be perfect. 🙂
Mary says
February 11, 2017 at 1:01 amErica said to let them set up for 2 wks at room temp – not frig. ☺
Leeann says
December 9, 2014 at 9:32 amThese sound great
Deanna says
December 9, 2014 at 5:43 pmSo does this recipe make the kind of chocolate covered cherries with the white cream liquid? How do you make them with the clear liquid? Thanks!
Erica says
December 10, 2014 at 12:20 pmYes, that is why it takes 2 weeks to set.. the fondant liquifies and gets extra creamy
KAY KIDWILER says
November 27, 2017 at 8:04 pmYou can also speed up the process by putting a bit if Invertase in your fondant. That is what some candy makers use. You can find it on line.
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 28, 2017 at 12:05 pmThat’s awesome! I am going to try that!!
Adelle says
December 10, 2014 at 5:15 pmCan I add a little cherry juice when wrapping it in the fondant? A chocolate store has the cherries that when you bite into them cherry juice runs out.
Erica says
December 11, 2014 at 9:05 pmWe haven’t tried it that way.. if you try it let us know how it turns out!
veronica says
December 10, 2014 at 6:28 pmjust finished making these had a hard time with them they were falling about when I dipped them in the chocolate they look very messy oh well as long as they taste good
Erica says
December 11, 2014 at 9:04 pmThey should set up nicely. How were they falling apart?
Celena says
July 5, 2015 at 2:48 pmTry putting them in the freezer on a parchment lined cookie sheet before dipping them. Hold together better and the chic sets up faster. Your chocolate may have been too hot, melting the fondant and making it gooey.
mary says
December 11, 2014 at 7:58 amCan the cherries be placed in mini baking cups instead of putting on the wax paper?
Erica says
December 11, 2014 at 9:02 pmIf that is what you want to do, I am sure it would be fine!
shauna says
December 12, 2014 at 11:33 amHelp….my fondant is sticky and I couldn’t knead it…I doubled the dose and I’ve put it in the freezer…tried more ps. ..little flour….
Erica says
December 15, 2014 at 11:18 amSometimes doubling can make things tricky. Let me know how yours turns out by adding more sugar and flour
Jenna says
December 14, 2014 at 12:06 pmJust finished making these. Definitely, definitely use cherries with stems. It was a pain in the behind to dip them without. Also, I had to double the recipe to cover 60 cherries.
Echo says
December 15, 2014 at 10:15 amI found that I had to use extra fondant when I used cherries without stems as well. When you use cherries with stems it doesn’t take as much. They will be worth it!
Gretchen says
December 21, 2014 at 8:01 amMy grandmother added coconut. Yummy
Christopher knupp says
March 14, 2015 at 7:29 pmI make my own chocolate from scratch it takes longer but turns out a lot better than any store bought kind. Thanks for another recipe. My family is going to drive me crazy. Cause now I’m going to have to make about 25 dozen.
Echo says
March 16, 2015 at 7:16 pmWow – 25 dozen!?! That is a lot of cherry chocolates, especially when you are making your own chocolate. That is amazing. You are so nice to do that much work for your family. I hope they appreciate it!
Stephanie says
September 10, 2015 at 5:52 pmI like making food baskets for Christmas gifts. I start making my holiday treats in advance, then freeze the treats until Christmas. What is the best way to store the chocolate covered cherries if I make them 6 to 8 weeks in advance, and can I store them for an extended time?
Thank you
Erica says
September 10, 2015 at 8:50 pmI haven’t stored them for more than just a couple weeks after they are finished setting so I don’t know how they will last after 6-8 weeks. I would imagine they would probably be fine if they were kept in a cool place in an air-tight container. You can always freeze them, too, if you are worried about them going bad. Hope this helps!
patricia says
November 28, 2015 at 2:18 pmWhat purpose does the oil in the chocolate serve
Erica says
November 29, 2015 at 3:26 pmIt keeps it nice and smooth 🙂
Brenda Cathey says
December 16, 2015 at 4:04 amHow much semi-sweet chocolate do you use if you don’t use the chips? Recipe sounds great. Plan on making these soon. Thanks for this recipe.
Erica says
December 19, 2015 at 3:40 pmYou will want to do 18-20 oz.
Kelly says
December 17, 2015 at 2:29 pmMy fondant is sticky, do I add more sugar. I can’t flatten it out to wrap cherries
Erica says
December 19, 2015 at 3:35 pmYes, if it is too sticky you can add more sugar so it is more like a soft play-dough consistency
Jackie says
December 21, 2015 at 12:26 pmI wrap mine in marzipan, and then dip in Milk chocolate…delicious
Jeanne says
December 23, 2015 at 8:03 pmCan you use fresh strawberries in place of the cherries?
Erica says
December 31, 2015 at 10:41 pmNo– you definitely need to use the jars of cherries. The strawberries will not last
Catie says
January 24, 2016 at 10:01 amMine looked fantastic, but when I let them cool completely and then took them off the wax paper, the bottoms all looked like they had expanded and pushed the chocolate out, letting the fondant poke through!! 🙁 Not sure what I did wrong! They aren’t sticking, as they come off the wax paper super easily. Might try dipping them and then placing them straight into mini cupcake liners and hoping the bottoms stay sealed!
Erica says
January 27, 2016 at 10:05 amHmmm.. not sure what could have happened there :/ what elevation are you at? Do you live in a place with high humidity?
Kathy Anderson says
November 30, 2016 at 2:18 pmCan you use coconut oil for the 2tsp oil?
Erica says
November 30, 2016 at 9:00 pmYes, it actually works great 🙂
Kathy Anderson says
November 30, 2016 at 2:20 pmCan you use coconut oil for the oil?
Maria says
December 8, 2016 at 12:06 pmI would imagine that the chocolate would set up perfect if you put coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or whatever ” oil ” it calls for. That’s a great way to make the chocolate shell for ice cream!
Kimberly says
December 9, 2016 at 10:29 pmJust finished making these and I am impressed!! Pretty excited! Can’t wait for the two weeks to be up. Thank you for the recipe and easy directions.
Echo says
December 10, 2016 at 10:05 amJust wait until you taste them! You are going to love them!
Norma says
December 10, 2016 at 7:25 amCan you use the almond bark or chocolate bark from Walmart for the dipping chocolate??
Echo says
December 10, 2016 at 10:07 amYes, you can. The almond bark or chocolate bark already have added wax for easy coating, so you will not need to add the oil. Thanks for asking!
Stella says
December 12, 2016 at 1:35 pmI use those cherries molds. They work really good and no mess. But I don’t have powdered sugar can I use Icing sugar?
Echo says
December 12, 2016 at 1:57 pmPowdered sugar, icing sugar, and confectioner’s sugar are all the time type of sugar. There are varying textures and degrees of fineness, but they will all work great in this recipe. Thank you for asking Stella!
Jessica says
December 12, 2016 at 9:14 pmI’d love to make these as a gift for my father in law but Christmas is 12 days away.. is that enough time?
Erica says
December 12, 2016 at 9:24 pmYou would be cutting it close :/ You might be ok if you did them tonight.
Jessica says
December 13, 2016 at 12:19 pmI’ll try them… worst case scenario he has to wait a few days. Haha thanks for getting back to me!
Doreen says
December 13, 2016 at 12:25 amI cannot fined corn syrup. what can i use please.
Echo says
December 14, 2016 at 9:51 amHi Doreen, here are some suggestions for making your own corn syrup – and a link to Amazon if you would like to buy it. Thanks for asking!
http://www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/pantry-pointers/substitute-for-corn-syrup
http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/677262/uk-equivalent-of-light-corn-syrup
http://amzn.to/2hNQDkq
Terri Sheridan says
December 25, 2016 at 10:54 amWhat can one use in place of the corn syrup? That crap is POISON!!! Allergies and all, too! I already have to find ORGANIC maraschino cherries. Ugh. Corn syrup sucks. I can SMELL it in foods. Wish one could use something that’s not a commercial by-product. Please let me know. I loved these as a kid, before I was educated on the health problems associated with HFCS and CS. Thank you.
Echo says
December 26, 2016 at 1:15 pmHi Terri,
I read an article recently on Epicurious.com about corn syrup and healthy substitutions in recipes. I have not tried this myself in this recipe, but I really like their ideas, and I think the Brown Rice Syrup would work the best for the Chocolate Covered Cherries. Here is the link to the article:
http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-substitute-corn-syrup-article
Diane says
December 22, 2017 at 5:51 pmMy mom used to make these years ago abd used a big slab if chocolate. Is corn syrup the same as Karo surup.
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 23, 2017 at 5:52 pmYes, corn syrup is the same as Karo syrup. “Karo” is a brand of corn syrup. Thanks for asking!
Davey says
April 26, 2018 at 10:04 pmHello I have a bag of dry fondant can I use that ? I only have one mold can I reuse it only holds 12 cherries. Where does clear liquid come from in some candy?
Favorite Family Recipes says
April 30, 2018 at 1:39 pmHi Davey– You will want to use the fondant in our recipe to get the consistency just right. The liquid comes from the fondant reacting with the cherry juices. The fondant will liquify and become soooo good!
brenda says
November 28, 2018 at 7:01 amThe recipe I have wraps them in a fondant-type mixture first. As they sit, that layer becomes liquidy. YUM!
Cindy says
December 1, 2018 at 7:16 amI used to make these years ago and then I lost all of my Christmas magazines along with the recipe. My grown son loved mine and I will surprise him with these for Christmas! Thanks so much for giving this back to my family
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 2, 2018 at 1:57 pmCindy, we love getting comments like this! I’m so happy this recipe will bring back a family tradition. Please let us know how your son likes them! What a fun surprise! 🙂
Pam says
December 3, 2018 at 9:21 amCan’t wait to try these cherries. I was wondering if the current published ingredients (3 Tbspn corn syrup/2 cups powdered sugar) is the one that was edited for 60 cherries or the original recipe for 36, as someone commented about.
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 3, 2018 at 8:48 pmI’m so sorry for the confusion. I’m not sure how that was changed back 60. This recipe is for 36 chocolate covered cherries. I’ve corrected it on the recipe. Thank you so much for letting us know!