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)!
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I have made chocolate covered cherries since 1979 only for Christmas. They are a favorite of the family. My recipe is similar. I probably make over a hundred. I cannot stand store brought cherries anymore. Way too sweet.
The cherries do get pitted I may of missed that and if so what is the easiest way to get them out?
We use pre-pitted Maraschino cherries!
Why would my cherries lose their shine?? They are so dull now! I just made them a few days ago! Like the chocolate is not holding up!
If the chocolate is heated or cooled too quickly it can cause it to lose it’s shine. They will still taste delicious!
Hey, I made those chocolate covered cherries . They were easy and shiny, I made them a few days ago and they have lost their shine! Now they are ugly! I followed this exact recipe!
We could no longer find the brand of cherries my husband likes so I tried these. He likes them even better! They are very easy to make. I added a drop of almond extract. I’m going to use less chocolate next time since I had quite a bit left over.
Marilyn, I have made these for years and they are indeed always a hit. As for having chocolate left over, and there always is more, I just throw in some chopped nuts (walnuts are especially good), using just enough for the amount of chocolate. No leftover chocolate, and the nut clusters don’t last long at all.
I had no idea I could make these at home! This recipe is really easy to follow and they turn out so delicious, fabulous for the holidays!
Oh my gosh!! A childhood favorite. Thanks for this classic Christmas recipe. Can’t wait to share it with my family.
Do these need to be refrigerated after making? I was going to mail some to family and friends out of town.
I would be hesitant to send them in the mail. I would worry that the chocolate would melt, but I live in Arizona. They don’t need to be refrigerated, so if you live in a cold place and package them well, they should be fine!
I mailed some from Italy to Arkansas one Christmas and they did fine except some got a little smooshed. Make sure to pack with care!