This is an irresistible chocolate cherry brownies recipe made from scratch with chocolate, cocoa, and fresh cherries - the perfect summer brownie recipe, a fantastic variation for all brownie lovers.

Gooey chocolate cherry brownies, rich and chocolaty, slightly uplifted by the tiny bits of juicy cherries, you will adore them! Using delicious cherries is a great idea for making seasonal, decadent brownies; this simple recipe is the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth in summer.
And if you like this sweet treat, check out the Tiramisu Brownies, Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies, the Brownie Blondies Recipe, or the Easter Mini Egg Brownies (which can be made with M&Mโs all year round).
Ingredients: 11
Prep time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
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Recipe ingredients
Cherries:ย You can make chocolate cherry brownies with fresh, sweet, or sour cherries. You can also use frozen (and defrosted) or canned (and drained) fruit. Try this Sour Cherry Cake, too.
Chocolate: I use dark chocolate (80% cocoa); it imparts the brownies a more intense flavor and is less sweet than semi-sweet chocolate.
Fat: Unsalted butter and neutral-tasting canola or vegetable oil. These wonderful Mandarin Muffins are also made with oil.
Sugar: Equal amounts of white granulated sugar and brown sugar. Using brown sugar makes the brownies extra chewy and moist; you should not leave it out.
Cocoa powder: Dutch-processed, unsweetened cocoa powder.
Other ingredients: Eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cherry brownies from scratch?
Preparations: Preheat the oven. Grease and line a square 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper with an overhang on two sides. This helps remove the brownies from the tin once they are baked and cooled.
Cherries: Pit the fresh fruit using a pitter (1). Halve the cherries and set them aside. If using frozen fruit, it must be defrosted and patted dry. If using canned fruit, drain it well and pat it dry with paper towels. Thorough draining and drying are necessary to remove the excess liquid that might make the brownies too wet.
Prepare water bath: Chop the chocolate and cut the butter into small cubes. Place them in a small heatproof bowl. Fill a pan with hot water, about a quarter full. Place the heatproof bowl on top, and make sure that its bottom doesnโt touch the water.
Melt the chocolate and the butter on very low heat, stirring, until the mixture is perfectly smooth (2). Alternatively, microwave on high on 30-second bursts, stirring in between. It will take 1 to 1 ยฝ minutes. Leave to cool slightly while you whisk the egg and sugar mixture.
Whisk the eggs and the white and brown sugar with a hand mixer until thicker and creamy (3).
Mix flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons of oil into the melted butter-chocolate mixture. Add the chocolate and the flour mixture to the beaten sugar and eggs. Mix in shortly on high speed. Fold in the cherries (4).
Bake: Pour batter into the prepared tin (5) and bake for 24-28 minutes, depending on how you like them (6).
Cool: Place the tin on a wire rack and let cool completely. Lift the chocolatey brownies out using the overhung parchment paper, cut them into squares, and serve.
Tips
Use a digital kitchen scale when baking; it guarantees for best results (Amazon affiliate link). Measuring by volume can produce different results, especially when it comes to flour and butter. And if you use those inaccurate amounts, youโre more likely to get inaccurate results.
Use a cherry pitter; itโs cheap and makes pitting easy (Amazon affiliate link).
Melt butter and chocolate in a water bath. Donโt let the water get too hot or come to a boil, or the chocolate might become grainy. If the water gets too hot, remove the pot from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate is melted.
If you make the brownies with frozen and defrosted or canned and drained cherries, you might need to bake them a few minutes longer, as they have more moisture than fresh cherries. Also, dry them thoroughly with paper towels before adding them to the batter.
How to tell if the brownies are done?
It depends very much on your oven and how juicy the fruit is.
Shake the tin gently; if the brownie batter still wobbles in the middle, itโs not entirely done yet. Bake for another 3-4 minutes and check again. The top should have a slightly papery crust.
If you bake the cherry brownies for about 24 minutes, they will be very moist and gooey, especially in the middle. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake will come out rather wet.
After about 25-26 minutes, they will be a bit more set/fudgier, so you can eat them without smearing your face and fingers too much. A toothpick inserted in the middle will have some smears on it.
More than that, they will be somewhat cakey but soft and delicious. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out relatively clean with a few moist crumbs.
How to store?
Refrigerateย in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Donโt leave them at room temperature for more than one or two days. I would typically not refrigerate brownies, but due to the cherries, they would spoil much faster if left outside the fridge, especially if the weather is hot.
Freezeย in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.
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๐ Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Brownies
Equipment
- Square baking tin 8 inch (20 cm)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherries pitted and halved, Note 2
- 2 oz dark chocolate Note 3
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter Note 4
- 2 tablespoons oil neutral-tasting, Note 5
- 3 eggs large
- โ cup white sugar
- โ cup brown sugar
- ยฝ cup all-purpose flour
- ยฝ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 50 g
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- โ cup dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC). Grease and line the baking pan with parchment paper with an overhang on two sides.
- Cherries: Pit and halve the cherries and set them aside.1 cup cherries
- Chocolate-butter mixture: Chop the chocolate and cut the butter into small cubes. Place them in a small heatproof bowl. Fill a pan with hot water, about a quarter full. Place the heatproof bowl on top, and make sure that its bottom doesnโt touch the water. Melt everything on very low heat, occasionally stirring (Note 6). Leave to cool slightly while you prepare the rest.2 oz dark chocolate + ยฝ cup unsalted butter
- Whisk the eggs and the white and brown sugar with a hand mixer until thicker and creamy.3 eggs + โ cup white sugar + โ cup brown sugar
- Mix flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.ยฝ cup all-purpose flour + ยฝ teaspoon baking powder + a pinch of salt + ยฝ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 50 g +
- Stir the oil into the melted butter-chocolate mixture.2 tablespoons oil
- Combine batter: Add the chocolate and the flour mixture to the beaten sugar and eggs. Mix in shortly on high speed.
- Fold in the cherries. If using chocolate chips, fold them in as well. You can scatter a few more on the batter (Note 7).โ cup dark chocolate chips
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 24-28 minutes, depending on how you like them and your oven (See blog post).
- Cool: Place the tin on a wire rack and let cool completely. Lift the chocolatey brownies out using the overhang parchment paper, cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
- Cherries: If using frozen fruit, it must be defrosted and patted dry. If using canned fruit, drain it well and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Dark chocolate chips can be used instead, but I always think a chocolate slab tastes better. I use 70-80% dark chocolate.
- European-style butter is best; it contains more fat (82-86%) and makes baked goods richer.
- Neutral-tasting vegetable, canola, or avocado oil.
- Melting: Alternatively, microwave on high on 30-second bursts, stirring in between. It will take 1 to 1 ยฝ minutes.
- If folding in some chocolate chips, you might need to increase the baking time slightly (1-2 minutes).
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