Coconut Almond Cherry Shortbread Cookies are tender, buttery cookies with a bright cherry note. This almond shortbread cookie recipe combines juicy maraschino cherries, sweetened coconut flakes and sliced almonds for a delicate, flavorful cookie.
These cherry shortbread cookies are soft and buttery, with cherry pieces that contrast nicely with chewy coconut and crunchy almonds. They slice and bake easily and make a lovely addition to cookie trays, holiday exchanges or an everyday treat.
CHERRY ALMOND COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES
This isn’t the kind of cookie you’ll find premade on store shelves, but it’s simple to make at home. With a jar of maraschino cherries, a touch of almond extract and sweetened coconut flakes, you can prepare a dough, chill it briefly and then slice and bake. The dough does need time to chill, but that short wait improves texture and flavor. The combination of cherries, coconut and almonds yields a cookie with balanced sweetness, pleasing texture and memorable flavor.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
A few reasons to give these shortbread cookies a try:
- Easy to prepare. The steps are straightforward and the cookies come together quickly despite their elegant appearance.
- Delicious flavor blend. Tart-sweet cherry morsels, toasty sliced almonds and chewy coconut create a delightful contrast in every bite.
- Pantry-friendly ingredients. Most items—flour, sugar, butter and baking powder—are common staples, so you can probably bake them today.
INGREDIENTS
Butter: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened. If you use salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt in the recipe.
Sugar: 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the dough, plus optional turbinado sugar for sprinkling.
Maraschino cherries: 1/4 cup, chopped, to add bursts of cherry flavor throughout the cookie.
Almond extract: 1 teaspoon for a rounded almond note.
Cherry extract (optional): 1/2 teaspoon to enhance the cherry flavor if desired.
Flour: 2 cups all-purpose flour to form the dough.
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon to give a light lift.
Salt: 1/4 teaspoon to balance sweetness (omit if using salted butter).
Coconut flakes: 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes for texture and sweetness.
Sliced almonds: 1 cup for topping and crunch.
HOW TO MAKE CHERRY ALMOND COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Cookie dough
Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the almond extract and cherry extract if using. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, stirring until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and coconut flakes until evenly distributed.
Chill dough
Divide the dough in half and place each portion on a piece of wax paper. Shape each portion into an 8-inch log, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Chilling firms the dough and makes it easier to slice thinly.
Bake
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Unwrap the chilled logs and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Arrange the slices on parchment-lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar if desired and press a few sliced almonds onto each cookie.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cookies are a pale golden color. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy.
COCONUT ALMOND CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIE
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, softened
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Maraschino cherries, chopped
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- ½ tsp Cherry extract (optional)
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Coconut flakes
- 1 cup Sliced almonds
Instructions
- Cookie dough: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond and cherry extract if using. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until a soft dough forms. Fold in chopped cherries and coconut flakes.
- Chill dough: Divide dough in half and shape each portion into an 8-inch log on wax paper. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 300°F. Slice chilled logs into ¼-inch rounds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and top with sliced almonds if desired. Bake 25–30 minutes until pale golden. Cool on the baking sheet briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
STORAGE
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days.
FREEZING
You can freeze the shaped dough logs wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Bake slices directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes if needed. Baked cookies also freeze well after cooling.
MAKE AHEAD
The dough can be prepared up to a week in advance and refrigerated, which allows the flavors to develop and makes baking on a busy day quick and convenient.
These cookies are a warm, family-friendly treat—great to bake and share with loved ones.
MORE HOLIDAY RECIPES
- DOUBLE CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
- CHRISTMAS GINGERBREAD COOKIE BITES
- GRINCH THUMBPRINT COOKIES
- CHRISTMAS JELLO SUGAR COOKIE
- CARAMEL THUMBPRINT COOKIES
- CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIE BARS
- HOLIDAY SPICED SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES
- PUMPKIN GINGERSNAP COOKIES
Coconut Almond Cherry Shortbread Cookies offer a soft, tender bite with bright cherry flavor, sweet coconut and crunchy almonds—an excellent choice for festive baking or everyday enjoyment.
