These dark chocolate sour cherry brownies are chewy, just a little bit tart, and supremely rich. They’re an easy recipe that packs lots of of big flavor!
Of all the many, many versions of brownies I’ve made in my baking life—from dark cocoa powder brownies to peanut butter chip brownies and even zucchini brownies—I very rarely have used a chocolate-fruit combination. Somehow peanut butter, nuts, and caramel have always seemed like a better fit. Well, that was until these dark chocolate sour cherry brownies!
Why You’ll Love These Cherry Brownies
- Something a little different. Because you don’t often find fruit in brownie recipes, these cherry brownies are unique and a little bit unexpected.
- The perfect balance of sweet and tart. The sweetness in this recipe is balanced by the tartness of the cherries and bitterness of the chocolate, creating a delicious flavor.
- Easy to make. These cherry brownies are simple to mix up, with a relatively short list of ingredients and easy steps.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Dried sour cherries – You can usually find these with other dried fruits and sometimes in the bulk section at high-end or natural grocers.
- All-purpose flour – Here’s how to measure flour.
- Salt
- Good quality bittersweet chocolate – Learn more: Types of Chocolate: A Home Baker’s Guide
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor. Here’s the difference between salted and unsalted butter.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract in these cherry brownies.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Sour Cherry Brownies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a baking pan or line it with parchment and then grease it. Toss the cherries in a tablespoon of flour.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk 1 cup flour and the salt in another bowl.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. Microwave the chocolate and butter in 30-second intervals, until the butter melts and the chocolate melts when stirred. Cool slightly.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate and butter.
- Finish the batter. Slowly stir in the flour mixture and fold in the cherries.
- Bake. Spread the brownie batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool the cherry brownies completely, then cut.
Tips and Variations
- Chop the cherries. I recommend chopping the cherries into smaller pieces for more even distribution. Their stickiness can make that challenging, but you can try freezing them for about 10 minutes or dusting them with a small amount of flour to make chopping easier.
- Don’t over-mix. When adding the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mix just until combined. Over-mixing can lead to tough brownies.
- Make them nutty. Add a handful of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, to the batter of these cherry brownies for added crunch and flavor.
- Know the basics. Read my baking tips for beginners and tips for baking brownies from scratch.
How to Store
Store dark chocolate sour cherry brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to stack them in the container, I recommend placing parchment paper between the layers.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, for longer storage, you can freeze these cherry brownies. Wrap each brownie individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep well for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, let them thaw at room temperature or heat them up slightly in the microwave for warm treat.
More Brownie Recipes
- Oreo Brownies
- Strawberry Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Meringue Brownies
- Pecan Lovers’ Brownies
- Cookie Butter Cheesecake Brownies
Dark Chocolate-Sour Cherry Brownies
These dark chocolate sour cherry brownies are chewy, just a little bit tart, and supremely rich. They're easy to make and hard to resist!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped dried sour cherries
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (120g + 7.5g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (170g) good quality bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. If you like, line the pan with parchment paper before greasing.
- Toss the chopped cherries in 1 tablespoon flour.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour and salt. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave at 30-second intervals until the butter is melted and the chocolate melts when stirred. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture, and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the cherries.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
Store dark chocolate sour cherry brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to stack them in the container, I recommend placing parchment paper between the layers.
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16 Comments on “Dark Chocolate Sour Cherry Brownies”
These look amazing! Love the idea of tart, chewy cherries in dark chocolate brownies – so delicious! 🙂
Irresistible brownies! I love the taste of cherries and chocolates… combined…must be awesomely delicious =)
Chocolate + Cherry = Heaven! These brownies sure looks delicious – we can totally eat ’em all in one sitting. That’s how good it looks.
This sounds really great, I’m sure the cherries help to make the texture really moist and chewy inside!
Reminds me of German chocolate cake in brownie form 🙂
Yum!!!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’m all about facing combos that I didn’t like as a kid since they suddenly become divine as an adult! Chocolate and cherries is one of those. Can’t wait to try!
i’m not a brownie fan generally but these are brownies I can get behind!
Yum. Do you deliver, I would like some right now.
I have some fresh sour cherries I bought from the farmer’s market. Think they will hold up in place of the dried ones? I feel like they will and will just be more moist than chewy which in my mind is a good thing.
Amanda, I think they’ll be just fine!
I think these brownies were the best brownies I have had. The texture was perfect. I used ghirardelli dark chocolate with cherries bars. Perfect!!
That’s great, Jill! Thanks for letting me know you liked them!
This is one of the very best brownie recipes I have every made and tasted. A perfect combination of sweet and tart and with a great texture. My sister keeps talking about them so I will be making them again soon!
I’m so glad to hear that, Diane! Enjoy!
I just made these now after looking up a recipe to use the extra sour cherries I have. I had to make a few substitutions for what I had on hand–I used a cup of dark chocolate chips instead of the baking chocolate, and I used fresh sour cherries that I squeezed as much juice out of as possible. Even with my substitutions, they turned out phenomenal! Thank you for the recipe!
The only suggestion I’d add is for people who use fresh cherries like me: you might need to add extra cherries! I love these brownies but wish there were more cherries in them.