Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings16 Servings
Picture a brownie so fudgy it leaves a chocolate smudge on your knife. The top is glossy and crackled like dark porcelain, the center dense and studded with ruby-red bursts of tart cherry. These chocolate cherry brownies are the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your handwritten file the first time you make them. Dutch processed cocoa does the heavy lifting on flavor, dried tart cherries bring the bright contrast, and the whole batter comes together in one bowl with a spatula.
The tartness of the dried cherries cuts through the deep cocoa like a little ray of sunshine, and the texture? Glossy, crackly top, dense fudgy middle. Grab a mug of coffee and let’s bake.
In This Post
Why this Works
The secret to these dark chocolate brownies is Dutch processed cocoa. Dutch process cocoa is treated with an alkalizing agent that neutralizes its natural acidity, giving it a darker color, smoother flavor, and that unmistakable deep chocolate richness you taste in European-style chocolate desserts. When you pair it with melted butter and a generous dose of sugar (we’re going for fudgy, not cakey), you get a brownie that’s almost closer to a truffle than a cake. It’s the same science behind bakery-style fudge brownies, and once you understand it you’ll never go back to boxed.
Then there are the dried tart cherries. Unlike fresh cherries, which throw off a lot of water and can make your batter soggy, dried tart cherries concentrate all that bright, punchy flavor into a chewy little package. They plump slightly during baking and deliver pops of tart contrast in every bite. The combination of bittersweet Dutch cocoa with tart cherries is the same flavor profile that makes black forest desserts so iconic, just in an easier, one-bowl format. It’s a chewy brownie recipe with a little surprise tucked into every square.
Heather’s Recipe Notes
Drawing from 20 years of recipe development and my time co-founding a spice company, here’s what makes this recipe worth making exactly as written.
- Soak your dried cherries in a few tablespoons of warm water (or, if you’re feeling fancy, a splash of kirsch or bourbon) for about 10 minutes before folding them in. It plumps them up so they stay juicy instead of turning into chewy little rocks.
- Don’t overbake. Pull these when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly underdone. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. They firm up beautifully as they cool.
- Line your pan with parchment paper and let it hang over two sides like a sling. Lifting the brownies out for slicing becomes effortless, and you’ll get those clean, crisp edges.
- Use a hot knife for bakery-worthy cuts. Run your chef’s knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and slice. Repeat between cuts. Tiny step, huge payoff.
- Let them rest at least an hour before slicing. I know, it’s torture. But the texture transforms from gooey mess to perfect fudgy squares once they’ve had time to set.
Ingredients for Cherry Brownies
- Butter – unsalted butter gets melted to make fudgy brownies.
- Sugar – granulated white sugar.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder – or unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Kosher salt – or regular salt.
- Eggs – large eggs help create a fudgy texture.
- Vanilla extract – or vanilla bean paste, either works great.
- All-purpose flour – or cup-for-cup gluten free all purpose flour.
- Dried tart cherries – you can find these at most grocery stores, or my favorite is at Trader Joes.
Recipe Variations & Add-Ins
- Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur both work beautifully.
- Dairy-free: Replace the butter with a vegan baking stick (Miyoko’s or Country Crock Plant Butter) for similar fudgy results.
- No Dutch cocoa on hand? Natural cocoa powder will work in a pinch, but the flavor will be brighter and more acidic and the color lighter. Add an extra pinch of salt to balance.
- Fresh cherries: In peak cherry season, pit and halve about a cup of fresh sweet cherries and pat them very dry. Reduce the sugar by 2 tablespoons since fresh cherries are sweeter.
- Add-ins: Fold in a half cup of dark chocolate chunks, chopped toasted almonds, or swirl a spoonful of cherry jam across the top before baking.
- Boozy black forest twist: Replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with kirsch (cherry brandy) for a grown-up flavor.
How to Store & Make-Ahead Tips
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between layers for up to 4 days. Keep them on the counter, not in a sunny window.
- Refrigerator: For longer life, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let them come back to room temperature before serving for the best fudgy texture.
- Freezer: These freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Wrap individual squares in plastic wrap, then tuck them into a freezer bag. Thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Reheating: For a just-baked experience, microwave a brownie for 10 to 15 seconds. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and call it dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with a few adjustments. Fresh cherries carry a lot of moisture, which can make your batter too wet and leave you with gummy brownies. Pit and halve about 1 cup of fresh sweet cherries, pat them very dry with paper towels, and toss them in a tablespoon of flour before folding into the batter. I also recommend reducing the sugar slightly since fresh cherries are sweeter than dried tart cherries.
Cakey brownies usually come from too much flour, too much leavening, or overbeating the eggs. For fudgy chocolate cherry brownies, stick to the exact flour measurement (weigh it if you can), skip the baking powder or baking soda, and mix your eggs just until combined. Pulling them from the oven a touch early is also key. They should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out.
Dutch processed cocoa is treated with an alkalizing agent, which neutralizes its natural acidity and gives it a darker, smoother, more mellow chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa is acidic and has a sharper, fruitier taste. In brownie recipes that don’t rely on baking soda for lift, the two can be swapped, but Dutch processed delivers that rich, deep, European-style intensity that pairs perfectly with tart cherries.
Absolutely. These brownies freeze wonderfully for up to 3 months. Cool them completely, slice into squares, and wrap each one in plastic wrap before stashing them in a freezer bag. When a craving hits, thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes or microwave briefly for a warm, gooey square in seconds.
Dried tart cherries (sometimes labeled Montmorency cherries) are my absolute favorite because their tangy flavor balances the deep chocolate beautifully. Dried sweet cherries will also work if that’s what you have on hand, though you may want to reduce the sugar by a tablespoon or two. Look for unsweetened or lightly sweetened varieties at your grocery store.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
- Whole Wheat Zucchini Brownies
- Brown Butter Carrot Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Pear & Walnut Tart
- Black Bean Stout Brownies
- Black Cherry Bourbon Soda
Chocolate Cherry Brownies
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 1/4 sticks
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free all-purpose
- ¾ cup dried tart cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving extra for overhang; set aside.
- In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk together until melted and combined; remove from the heat and set aside to begin cooling.
- While the butter mixture is still a bit warm, add the eggs and vanilla. Stir together until the batter becomes thick and glossy. Mix in the flour and stir until combined. Fold in the cherries.
- Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with small crumbs clinging to it, 33-35 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan on a rack. Remove the brownies from the pan by grasping the edges of the parchment paper, and cut into 16 squares. Wrap the bars individually with waxed or parchment paper or plastic wrap, seal with tape, and pack in a zipper-top plastic bag or other container. Alternatively, layer unwrapped bars in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed or parchment paper.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
This looks like a delicious recipe! A note: recipes containing fruit and butter are not considered “desert safe” for sending in the summer in military care packages. ( No worries for shorter shipping times or cooler temperatures.) Vegetable shortening is the only fat recommended for summer military care packages because the others are more likely to go rancid in transit.
I love chocolate with cherries, these brownies look like chocolate heaven!
What a great idea this cookbook is! I would love to send my sister goodies more often! These brownies would be a perfect way to brighten someone’s day!
I know I could eat this whole pan of brownies.
I love the idea of this book! I never try to ship food because I’m always certain it will arrive in a pile of crumbs. And these brownies…cherry and chocolate is such a great combination.
Aw yum!! I’ve just bought my first bag of dried sour cherries and so far all I’ve done is eaten them on their own. Now they’re going to find a nice snuggly little chocolate home in these amazing looking brownies! Thanks Heather! Love your blog, this is my first visit!
Love chocolate and cherries! Yummy-looking recipe, Heather! 🙂
I absolutely adore the chocolate and cherry combo. (You should see how fast a bag of Harry and David’s chocolate covered cherries disappears around here!) These brownies sound fabulous!
I just bought a big bag of cherries today (BIG sale!). I know where some of them will be going. These look too dang goood!
These look truly amazing, Heather! I love a good gooey brownie. And the cherry with the chocolate reminds me of my grandma…she loved chocolate-covered cherries!
That’s funny Cassie. My grandmother loves chocolate cherries too. I have never really enjoyed them much, but these brownies are another thing all together. So good!