These Cherry Chocolate Brownies are an easy one-bowl recipe—rich, moist, and ultra chocolatey with a fudgy texture and plenty of fresh cherries. They have that perfect shiny, crackly top, and with a dollop of whipped cream, they taste just like a Black Forest brownie.
If you love the combination of chocolate and cherries, then you have to try my chocolate cherry overnight oats or the cherry smoothie next!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Cherry Brownies Recipe
🕒 Ready In: ~45 minutes
👪 Serves: 9 servings
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Fresh cherries, cocoa powder, oil, flour, eggs and sugar
📌 Difficulty: Easy one-bowl recipe
Why you’ll love this chocolate cherry brownies recipe?
This recipe is one of my personal favorites because it brings my love for Black Forest cake into a rich, fudgy brownie. It has that classic shiny, crackly top that’s synonymous with a great brownie, plus an outrageously fudgy texture. I like making it in a skillet instead of a traditional baking pan so I can pack in even more fresh cherries. Top it with some freshly whipped cream and it transforms into a black forest brownie heaven!
- maria doss
Jump to:
Although brownies are usually baked in a 9x13 rectangle or 8x8 square baking pan and then cut into squares, as in almond flour brownies, they can also be made in a cast iron skillet. Skillet brownies have a gooey, fudgy center and a crispy edge, thanks to the cast iron skillet's ability to distribute heat evenly.
Skillet brownies are best served warm with a scoop of ice cream, letting it melt into the brownie for the ultimate indulgent treat. This works especially well with fresh cherries mixed in, since they can make it harder to cut clean, neat squares.
This cherry chocolate brownie recipe is a slight modification of the brownie recipe found on loveandlemons.com, which itself originates from the Weeknight Baking cookbook.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Cherries - Use sweet, ripe fresh in-season cherries as in black forest mug cake. Fresh cherries are sweeter and flavorful than frozen cherries.
- All purpose flour - Flour is essential in every baking recipe! It provides the needed structure. Remember to fluff up your flour before measuring to make sure you're adding the correct amount and not too much.
- Cocoa powder - I use Hersheys natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Powdered sugar – It contains cornstarch, which thickens the cherry chocolate brownies batter, giving it a fudgy texture rather than cake-like.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips - Although you can make cherry chocolate brownies without chocolate chips, the addition of melty bits of chocolate makes them even more chocolatey and decadent.
- Oil - While many recipes for brownies use unsalted butter, oil makes it moist and fudgy.
- Sugar - While one and a quarter cups of sugar may seem like a lot, it's essential for providing the necessary sweetness and balancing the deep, dark cocoa powder.
- Eggs - Essential for helping the brownies puff up in the oven, like the Nutella brownies, because there is no leavening used in the cherry chocolate brownies recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
- Not cherry season? Skip the cherries
- Use almond extract or cherry liquor to give a black forest cake vibe.
- Skip the chocolate chips or use dark or white chocolate chips.
Tips for Success
- Skillet -I prefer using a cast iron skillet for baking because it's oven-safe. If you're using a different type of skillet, ensure that it doesn't have any rubber handles and that it's completely oven-safe.
- Don't overbake - Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs attached, for the fudgy texture.
More Summer Desserts
Cherry Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped fresh cherries without pits (about 8 ounces whole cherries)
- 2 large eggs large
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. If you are using a 8x8 square baking pan, I recommend greasing and lining it with parchment paper. It makes it so much easier to remove it from the pan.
- Prep cherries. Remove the pits and cut each cherry into 4 to 6 pieces, depending on their size. Measure 1 cup.
- Mix wet ingredients. Add eggs, oil and vanilla into a large bowl and whisk together. Add the sugar and whisk until very smooth. 2 eggs, ½ cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 ¼ cups sugar
- Finish batter. Place a sieve over the bowl and add the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt. Gently tap or shake the sieve to sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon if needed.¾ cup flour, ⅔ cup cocoa powder, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon saltUsing a spatula, fold in the chopped cherries and chocolate chips until evenly combined. Then transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.1 cup chopped cherries, ½ cup chocolate chips
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with crumbs attached. It's better to remove the brownies from the oven a bit early than to leave them in too long.
- Serve. They are outrageously delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream or cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Tip: Skip the skillet and use a 8x8 inch square baking pan instead. Also, you can halve the recipe to bake in a 6-inch skillet or double the recipe to bake in a 9x13 inch pan.
Step 7 - Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
Pro tip: It's better to remove the cherry brownies from the oven a bit early than to overbake them. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a crumbs attached.
To serve - If you prefer serving it directly from the cast iron skillet, enjoy them warm, topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If you plan to slice them into wedges, allow them to cool completely to reduce the likelihood of crumbles while slicing.
Storage instructions
- Room temperature: Store any leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
- Fridge: Refrigerate the cooled brownies in an airtight container for up to a week. Allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.
- Freezer: They can also be frozen for up to a month.
Tip: Make sure to transfer the fresh cherry brownies from the skillet to an airtight container before refrigerating or freezing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes—chocolate and cherries are a classic pairing, and for good reason. The rich, slightly bitter flavor of chocolate balances perfectly with the sweet-tart fruitiness of cherries. That contrast keeps desserts from feeling too heavy and adds more depth to every bite.
It’s the same reason desserts like Black Forest cake are so popular!
Yes, you can absolutely use frozen cherries—they’re a convenient option year-round, so you don’t have to wait for cherry season. That said, nothing quite beats fresh, in-season cherries for their sweetness and flavor.
If using frozen cherries, be sure to thaw them first and drain well, as they release a lot of juice. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture and keep your brownies from turning soggy.
Yes, cherries can make brownies soggy because they release moisture as they bake. Here’s how to prevent it:
1. Use fresh cherries instead of frozen when possible.
2. Make skillet brownies instead of using a baking pan. Skillets work better for fruit brownies because they’re shallower, which keeps the cherries suspended evenly instead of sinking. Plus, the height and heat distribution in a cast-iron skillet allow moisture to evaporate more effectively than in a traditional pan.
I don’t recommend it. Cherry pie filling is much sweeter, syrupy, and sometimes has an artificial taste. It’s already soft and cooked, which adds too much moisture and can make your brownies soggy.
If you want a fresh, natural cherry flavor, stick with fresh cherries instead.
More easy desserts
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Maggie
This looks amazing, can we use frozen cherries?
Donna Skaggs
I made these with fresh cherries & they turned out perfectly.
Maria Doss
Love to hear that - Maria ❤️