Easy Chocolate Cherry Cookies with Cake Mix: Decadent Black Forest Thumbprint Recipe

Indulge in the ultimate quick and easy dessert with these incredible chocolate cherry cookies. Crafted effortlessly with a simple cake mix, these “black forest cookies” are a delightful twist on a classic cake, transformed into a convenient and irresistible cookie form. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of rich chocolate, tart cherry pie filling, and smooth vanilla buttercream icing, all finished with delicate chocolate shreds. You’ll love their perfect texture – wonderfully soft on the inside with a delightful crispness on the outside.

These magnificent cookies encapsulate all the beloved flavors of a traditional Black Forest Cake, serving as a direct inspiration from my Easy Black Forest Cake {With Cake Mix}. Imagine that rich, layered dessert, but now in a charming, handheld cookie. Their unique texture—crispy and crunchy on the outside, yet wonderfully soft and tender within—makes them an ideal treat for any occasion. Whether you’re planning a festive Christmas cookie party, participating in a friendly cookie exchange, or simply craving a decadent chocolate and cherry delight, these cookies are sure to impress. The deep chocolate flavor in this recipe comes from a dual source: the cocoa powder already present in the chocolate cake mix, and the additional layer of luxurious chocolate shreds used as a topping. This combination ensures a truly indulgent chocolate experience that beautifully complements the vibrant cherry filling.

Key Ingredients for Your Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Creating these delightful Black Forest-inspired cookies is surprisingly simple, thanks to a few essential ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the perfect flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Chocolate Cake Mix: This is the hero ingredient that makes this recipe so incredibly easy and quick. Opt for a chocolate-flavored cake mix, such as Devil’s Food cake mix, which tends to offer a richer, deeper chocolate flavor. However, any standard chocolate cake mix will yield fantastic results. Using cake mix eliminates the need for measuring multiple dry ingredients, saving you time and effort.
• Baking Powder: While cake mixes often contain leavening agents, an extra teaspoon of baking powder ensures your cookies rise beautifully and achieve that soft, pillowy interior. It helps the dough expand slightly, contributing to the desirable texture.
• Large Eggs: Eggs act as a crucial binding agent, holding all the ingredients together and providing structure to the cookies. Using large eggs at room temperature is ideal, as they incorporate more smoothly into the batter, leading to a more consistent dough.
• Neutral-Tasting Oil: The choice of oil over butter is deliberate for this recipe, as oil contributes to a wonderfully moist and tender crumb that butter might not achieve. Make sure to use a neutral-tasting oil like canola, vegetable, or corn oil, so it doesn’t interfere with the rich chocolate and cherry flavors.
• Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla extract elevates the overall flavor profile, adding a warm, aromatic depth that complements both the chocolate and cherry notes beautifully. Don’t skip this, as it brightens all the other flavors.
• Granulated Sugar: This isn’t just for sweetness within the cookie; it’s primarily used for rolling the cookie dough balls. Rolling the dough in granulated sugar before baking creates a delightful sparkly, crispy coating on the outside of each cookie, adding an extra layer of texture.
• Cherry Pie Filling: The star of the show for that classic Black Forest taste! You can use either a high-quality store-bought cherry pie filling for convenience or whip up a homemade version if you prefer. The sweet and tart cherries are essential for balancing the richness of the chocolate.
• Frosting: I highly recommend using American buttercream for its creamy texture and vanilla flavor, which pairs wonderfully with chocolate and cherry. However, feel free to experiment with other frosting flavors like cream cheese frosting or even a light whipped cream, depending on your preference.
• Chocolate Shreds: These are used as a final flourish, adding both visual appeal and an extra boost of intense chocolate flavor and delicate texture to the top of your cookies. They complete the Black Forest aesthetic.

How to Make Easy Chocolate Cherry Cookies (Step-by-Step)

Get ready to bake a batch of these sensational chocolate cherry thumbprint cookies in just a few simple steps. The beauty of this recipe lies in its straightforward process, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels.

1. Prepare the Dough Base: Begin by combining the chocolate cake mix powder and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed. This step is crucial for an even rise.
2. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the large, room-temperature eggs, neutral-tasting oil, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Mix these ingredients until they are just combined and form a smooth, cohesive cookie dough. Be careful not to over-mix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
3. Form Cookie Balls: Scoop out small, uniform portions of the cookie dough. Roll each portion into a neat ball between your palms. Consistency in size will help ensure that all your cookies bake evenly.
4. Coat in Sugar: Pour granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball generously in the sugar, ensuring it’s completely coated. This step adds a beautiful sparkle and creates that irresistible crispy exterior during baking.
5. Arrange and Indent: Place the sugar-coated cookie balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each for spreading. Using your thumb or the back of a small spoon, make a noticeable indentation in the center of each cookie dough ball. This creates the “thumbprint” well for your fillings.
6. Bake to Perfection: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until the edges appear firm and lightly golden. The centers should still be slightly soft.
7. Re-indent Immediately: This is a crucial tip! As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, you’ll notice the indentations might have puffed up. Quickly use the back of a wooden spoon or the rounded bottom of a measuring spoon to re-press and deepen the centers. Do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, before they cool and set.
8. Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool down completely. This step is vital; attempting to fill warm cookies will result in melted frosting and a messy situation.
9. Fill with Buttercream: Once fully cooled, pipe or spoon a dollop of American buttercream frosting into the center of each cookie, filling most of the indentation but leaving a small space at the very top.
10. Add Cherry Pie Filling: Carefully spoon the cherry pie filling into the remaining space on top of the buttercream. The vibrant red of the cherries will contrast beautifully with the chocolate and white frosting.
11. Garnish and Serve: Finish your Black Forest cookies by sprinkling a generous amount of chocolate shreds over the cherry filling. Now they are ready to be admired and enjoyed!

Creative Variations and Customizations

While the classic chocolate cherry combination is undeniably delicious, these cookies are incredibly versatile! Feel free to experiment with these variations to suit your taste or occasion, transforming them into new and exciting treats.

• Maraschino Cherry Twist: For a different kind of cherry flavor and a brighter color, swap the cherry pie filling for maraschino cherry frosting in the center. Top each cookie with a whole maraschino cherry for a fun, retro look.
• Add Oatmeal for Chewiness: If you enjoy a chewier cookie texture, simply stir in ⅓ cup of quick or rolled oats into the cookie dough mixture. This adds a hearty element and a delightful bite.
• White Chocolate Delight: Introduce a sweet contrast by folding ½ cup of mini white chocolate chips into the cookie dough. This adds pockets of creamy sweetness that melt beautifully during baking.
• Intensify with Dark Chocolate: For true dark chocolate lovers, replace regular chocolate shreds with dark chocolate shreds. You can also stir in ½ cup of dark chocolate chips into the cookie dough for an even more profound cocoa experience.
• Chocolate-Covered Indulgence: Take these cookies to the next level by dipping them in melted chocolate! After the cookies have cooled, dip each one halfway or fully into melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate, then add your toppings (cherry filling, more chocolate shreds) while the chocolate is still wet.
• Quick Chocolate Kiss Cookies: For a delightful and easy variation, bake the cookies as per the instructions. Immediately after re-indenting, press a chocolate Kiss candy into the warm center of each cookie. The residual heat will slightly soften the chocolate, making it gooey and delicious.
• Dried Cherry Boost: Stir ⅓ cup of finely chopped dried cherries into the cookie dough. This adds a concentrated burst of cherry flavor and a delightful chewy texture throughout the cookie, even before filling.
• Whipped Cream Dream: For a lighter and airier filling, use homemade stabilized whipped cream instead of American buttercream icing. It provides a delicate balance to the rich chocolate. Learn how to make it perfectly with this guide on How to Make Homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream.
• Explore Other Fruit Fillings: Don’t limit yourself to cherries! Experiment with other fruit pie fillings and complementary frostings. Try Raspberry Pie Filling with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, or Strawberry Pie Filling with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Blackberry lovers might enjoy Blackberry Buttercream Frosting topped with fresh blackberries.
• Enhanced Cherry Flavor: If you want an even more pronounced cherry flavor in every component, replace the vanilla American buttercream with my vibrant Maraschino Cherry Frosting.

Tips and Techniques for Perfect Black Forest Cookies

Achieving perfectly delicious and beautiful Black Forest cookies is all about understanding a few key tips and techniques. Pay attention to these details, and your cookies will turn out flawlessly every time!

• Always Use Oil, Not Butter: For these specific cookies, oil is superior to butter. Oil yields a much softer, more tender, and consistently moist crumb, which is desirable for cake mix cookies. Butter can sometimes make the cookies spread too much or become too crisp. Stick to neutral-tasting oils like vegetable, canola, light olive oil, or corn oil.
• Homemade vs. Store-Bought Fillings: Both cherry pie filling and buttercream frosting can be either homemade or store-bought. For ultimate convenience, use good quality store-bought options. If you have extra time and prefer a customized flavor, making them from scratch is always a fantastic option. Just ensure homemade versions are cooled completely before assembly.
• Don’t Skip the Granulated Sugar Roll: I cannot stress this enough! Rolling the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before baking is crucial. It creates a beautiful, sparkly, slightly crispy crust on the outside of the cookies, adding a wonderful textural contrast to the soft interior. It’s a signature element of these cookies.
• Mind the Shelf Life of Filled Cookies: Once you’ve filled your cookies with cherry pie filling and buttercream, their shelf life is limited. The moisture from the cherry pie filling can gradually make the cookies soggy over time. For the best texture and freshness, I recommend consuming these cookies within 1-2 days if filled.
• Choosing Your Cake Mix: My personal preference for these cookies is Devil’s Food cake mix, as it delivers a rich, intense chocolate flavor that truly stands out. However, a standard chocolate cake mix will also work wonderfully. I’ve tested this recipe with various brands, and the results were consistently excellent, so feel free to use your favorite brand.
• Indent the Cookies Twice: This is a game-changer! When you initially make the indentation before baking, the dough will naturally rise and expand during baking, causing the indentations to become shallower. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot and soft, immediately re-press the center with the back of a wooden spoon or the round bottom of a measuring spoon. This creates a deeper, perfectly shaped well for your delicious fillings. Speed is key here before they cool and set.
• Prevent Flat or Spreading Cookies: If your cookies are coming out flat or spreading excessively, it often indicates an imbalance in ingredients. While using cake mix simplifies measuring, ensure you’re accurate with the eggs, oil, and any additional dry ingredients if you’re adding variations. Over-mixing the dough can also contribute to flat cookies, as it develops the gluten too much.
• Cool Completely Before Filling: Patience is a virtue, especially in baking! It is absolutely essential to allow your cookies to cool down completely on a wire rack before you add any frosting or pie filling. Attempting to fill warm cookies will cause your buttercream to melt and slide right off, resulting in a messy and unappealing cookie.
• Avoid Over-mixing the Dough: Just like with many cookie recipes, over-mixing the dough can activate too much gluten, which can lead to tough, chewy cookies instead of the desired tender texture. Mix until the ingredients are just combined and no dry streaks remain.

Storage Guidelines for Freshness

Proper storage is key to enjoying your chocolate cherry cookies at their best. Here’s how to store them, whether baked, unbaked, or filled:

• Refrigerate Filled Cookies: If your cookies have already been filled with buttercream and cherry pie filling, they should be stored in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator. Due to the moist fillings, they are best enjoyed within 1-2 days to prevent the cookies from becoming soggy.
• Freeze Raw Cookie Dough Balls: For a convenient make-ahead option, you can freeze the raw cookie dough balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe sealed container or bag for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls in granulated sugar, make the indentations, and bake them directly from frozen. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
• Freeze Baked, Unfilled Cookies: You can also bake the cookies ahead of time (without filling them), let them cool completely, and then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature, then fill and decorate as instructed when you’re ready to serve.
• Room Temperature: Storing filled cookies at room temperature is generally not recommended for more than 3-5 hours, especially if your frosting contains dairy or if your kitchen is warm. The fillings can spoil or cause the cookies to become excessively moist.
• Make Ahead: These cookies are excellent for making 1-2 days in advance. Simply follow the recipe through to filling and decorating, then store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

More Cherry Desserts to Love

If you’re a fan of cherry desserts, you’re in for a treat! Explore these other delightful cherry-infused recipes from our collection:

• Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
• Easy Cherry Cake (Cake Mix)
• Easy Cherry Turnovers (With Puff Pastry)
• Easy Cherry Pie
• Gooey Brownies (Chocolate Cherry Brownies)