Fresh Bing cherries are the perfect addition to these soft gluten free cookies. These are easy to make, and a good way to use up summer cherries! A white chocolate drizzle is the perfect finishing touch.
It’s cherry season! I love it when cherries are plentiful – they’re a great addition to everything from cherry mango smoothies to chocolate overnight oats, to these soft cookies.
These cookies have a soft texture, and the Bing cherries throughout give them a pretty pink color and a great cherry flavor. I added a drizzle of dairy free white chocolate to make these extra special.
This was a fun new way for us to eat cherries. We love them in many desserts, like cherry hand pies and cherry crumble bars, but these cookies were a nice change!
Ingredient Notes
- Cherries – I used Bing cherries – this variety is dark red and very sweet. You could use a different type of cherry if you like. I recommend fresh cherries, but if you they aren’t in season, you can use frozen pitted cherries instead.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I used Namaste Perfect Flour Blend and it worked well for these cookies.
- Vegan Buttery Spread – We like Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Buttery Spread for baking. If you have a different brand that works for you, that should work just fine.
- Dairy Free White Chocolate – Both Enjoy Life and PASCHA make dairy free, allergy friendly white chocolate chips. Either brand works well in this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
- Place the vegan buttery spread and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the applesauce and the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add the gluten free flour blend, salt, and baking powder, and mix on low speed.
- Make sure your cherries are pitted and cut into quarters.
- Add the cherries to the bowl and mix on low to combine.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Scoop the chilled dough onto a cookie sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Leave about an inch and a half between the cookies.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 18-20 minutes.
- Melt the dairy free white chocolate chips in the microwave. Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag or ziploc bag, and pipe it onto the cooled cookies. Allow the cookies to sit for about 15 minutes so that the chocolate firms up before moving them. Enjoy!
Variations
- You can use dark chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips if you prefer.
- You could make these with blueberries instead of cherries.
- If you aren’t dairy free, these cookies can be made with regular butter and white chocolate chips.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for about two days. If you want to keep them for longer, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator.
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Recipe
Fresh Cherry Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan buttery spread
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh cherries pitted, then cut into quarters
- ¾ cup dairy free white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the vegan buttery spread and organic cane sugar in a mixing bowl, and mix on medium speed until fluffy.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixing bowl, and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the pitted cherries and mix on low speed. Don't overmix.
- Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. I used a 2 Tablespoon cookie dough scoop. Leave about an inch and a half between cookies.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 18-20 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets before moving them.
- Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 45 seconds, then stir until smooth and melted.
- Let the melted white chocolate cool slightly, then spoon into a ziploc bag or piping bag, and cut off the corner. Pipe some white chocolate over each cookie. Allow the cookies to sit for a few minutes so that the white chocolate firms up. Enjoy!
D
These were delicious! Like little bites of cherry crumble.