Roasted Cherry Brownies are oven-roasted cherries baked into a pan of fudgy brownies and then added to the tops of the brownies after they are baked! If you love chocolate-covered cherries, you will love these decadent brownies! If this is your kind of indulgence, you will also want to try my Chocolate Cherry Brownies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cherries: Look for sweet cherries like Bing cherries. You could try these with other varieties, too, like black cherries or Lapins cherries. Pit and half the cherries before sprinkling with sugar and roasting in the oven.
Chocolate Chips: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in these brownies. Some of them will be melted with vegetable oil before being mixed in with other ingredients. This trick makes the brownies more moist, flavorful, and yummy! You could also try using dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips if you like.
Sugar: Both granulated sugar and light brown sugar are added to the brownie batter.
Cocoa Powder: Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give you richer-tasting brownies and a darker color. If using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, it may affect the final taste and appearance of the brownies.
Can I Roast The Cherries Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can roast the cherries ahead of time so they are ready to go when you are craving the brownies! Once the cherries have been roasted and cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Can I Make The Brownies Without Roasting Cherries?
Although roasting the cherries enhances the flavor and sweetness of cherries, you could skip that step. However, adding the cherries to the brownies without roasting them may add more moisture to the batter. So, watch the brownies carefully when baking to ensure they reach your desired level of doneness.
Can I Use Frozen Or Canned Cherries?
You can use either frozen or canned cherries for this recipe. If you go with frozen cherries, just be careful because they might get too watery if you roast them. (If your frozen cherries have pits, let them thaw a bit before removing the pits to roast.) Or, just add the frozen cherries to the batter without roasting. But remember, you might need to change how long you bake the brownies because frozen cherries add extra moisture.
If you’re using canned cherries, like the ones in cherry pie filling, you can add them straight to the batter instead of roasting cherries. If you have maraschino cherries, you can add those right into the batter without doing anything extra. This way, you can pick the cherries that work best for you!
How To Store Roasted Cherry Brownies
To store roasted cherry brownies, first, let them cool completely. Next, store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If refrigerating brownies (not recommended), they may dry out faster. You can also freeze the brownies for up to 2-3 months. Be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing.
Roasted Cherry Brownies
Ingredients
Cherries
- 2 cups (276 g) sweet cherries, pitted, halved
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Brownies
- 1 ¼ cups (227.5 g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- ¾ cup (163.5 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (133 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (118 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Cherries
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread halved cherries over parchment paper, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside as you prepare the brownies.
Brownies
- Reduce heat to 350°F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine ½ cup chocolate chips and oil. Microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between, until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 5-6 minutes, or until it has lightened in color and doubled in size, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture, mixing until just combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the remaining ¾ cup of chocolate chips and half of the roasted cherries.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs but no wet batter.
- Top the brownies with the other half of the roasted cherries. Let brownies cool a bit before cutting.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Roasting the cherries adds a little something special to these brownies. Fudgy and gooey with pops of cherry in every bite! So good!
Elizabeth
Roasting the cherries adds even more cherry flavor to the brownies! If you love the combination of chocolate and cherries, make these brownies!
Rachael
These fudge brownies are so good and the roasted cherries just bring them to another level! Chocolate cherry lovers will love this!
Bella
This is a great brownie recipe if you're a lover of brownies and cherries! The brownies are so moist and fudgy! The cherries add another level of sweetness!
Annabelle
The roasted cherries in these brownies make them absolutely next-level! They're moist, tender, and delicious!
It’s winter in Ohio. Can frozen cherries be used?
Has anyone tried roasting frozen or canned cherries in this recipe? How did it turn out?
probably the best brownies I have ever made. Roasting the cherries is a game changer and the flavors complement each other so well. thanks for this amazing recipe
We doubled the recipe and tried baking in 9×13. 35 minutes was not long enough unless you like (which I do) SUPER gooey (like basically warm batter) and delicious brownies. Great recipe, I will be trying again soon!