Salted Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries, a simple chocolate-dipped cherries recipe made with fresh cherries, homemade vegan chocolate sauce, and flaked sea salt. Decadent and delicious!
Do you love chocolate-covered cherries? So do we! That’s why we set out to make our own cherry chocolates using fresh, seasonal cherries and a homemade dark chocolate sauce made with completely plant-based ingredients. Add a bit of flaky sea salt and it is a salty and sweet treat that will curb that chocolate craving — without the guilt.
👉 Here are three reasons why you should be making these dark chocolate covered cherries:
- It’s simple. This is a no-fuss recipe that comes together in a few easy steps, with ingredients that you may already have in your pantry or can easily find at any grocery store.
- They taste so good! You just can’t go wrong with a sweet and salty dessert. Between the cherries, dark chocolate, and flaky sea salt…these will be sure to please your taste buds!
- It’s vegan-friendly. We know it can be challenging to find sweet treats that are made with all plant-based ingredients.
Ready to learn how to make this easy 6-ingredient, 20-minute homemade chocolate dipped cherries recipe? Let’s do it!
🍒 Ingredients
Cherries and dark chocolate are the superstars of this recipe, but you’ll need a few other key ingredients to make this plant-based treat:
- Cherries: Any fresh cherries will do! We chose bing (or black) cherries as we first tried this recipe in the height of cherry season.
- Coconut oil: Used to make the homemade chocolate sauce.
- Unsweetened dark chocolate: you’ll need 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks. They’ll be melted into the sauce along with the coconut oil.
- Vanilla: just a little vanilla extract is all you need to enhance the flavor of the chocolate covered cherries.
- Maple syrup: For some added sweetness! If you used sweetened chocolate, you can leave the maple syrup out of the recipe to control the sugar content.
- Sea salt: We recommend using flaked sea salt, as it complements dark chocolate well and provides a bit of crunch to the cherries. Salt that is ground too small (like table salt) will not provide the same flavor and texture.
- Recommended tools: environmentally-friendly cookware, cookie sheet, parchment paper
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Prep the cherries
First, prep the cherries by washing and drying them completely so that the chocolate will easily coat the outside of the fruit. The chocolate sauce will not stick as well to dirty or wet cherries, so make sure to let the cherries dry completed after washing.
2️⃣ Step Two: Make the chocolate sauce
Next, it’s time to make the homemade vegan chocolate sauce.
Start by heating a small sauce pan over very low heat, then add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the pan and heat until oil is melted.
Then add unsweetened chocolate chips, a splash of vanilla, and a drizzle of maple syrup and stir well until the chocolate sauce is melted and smooth. Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl or plate that will be easy for dipping the cherries.
3️⃣ Step Three: Coat the cherries in chocolate + sea salt
Finally, dip each cherry into the chocolate sauce and, using the stem, twirl each cherry around until it is completely coated. Then, transfer the cherries to a baking sheet or large serving plate that is coated in parchment paper.
After all cherries have been coated in chocolate and placed on the wax-paper lined baking sheet, sprinkle them with flaked sea salt.
4️⃣ Step Four: Freeze the chocolate covered cherries
Finally, place the chocolate dipped cherries in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden the chocolate. Then remove and serve immediately for a delicious and decadent dessert!
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
Cherries and dark chocolate are both high in disease-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. When eaten in moderation, they can be a healthy dessert to include in your diet. However, it is a good idea to limit the amount that you eat since chocolate tends to be high in calories, fat, and sugar.
As long as they are stored in a sealed container in the fridge, these chocolate-covered cherries will keep their quality for up to 5 days.
You can use any type of chocolate to make chocolate-covered cherries — milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate will all work! We love making chocolate-covered cherries with dark chocolate because of its rich flavor, as well as for the health benefits that dark chocolate provides.
👉 How to serve
Dark chocolate covered cherries are delicious no matter how you serve them! Here are a couple of our favorite ways:
- Enjoy as a dessert. Of course the best way to serve chocolate dipped cherries is as dessert! Keep a batch on hand to enjoy all week, or make some to share at your next party or gathering.
- As a sweet snack. Who doesn’t love munching on a sweet snack every once in a while? Have a few chocolate covered cherries as an afternoon snack—pair with a handful of nuts or seeds to make it balanced!
🧊 How to store
We love making a batch of dark chocolate covered cherries and then storing them to enjoy all week long! Here’s how to store them for the best quality:
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftover cherries in an airtight glass storage container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Freezer storage: These chocolate-covered cherries can be frozen up to 2 months. To thaw, simply remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator or thaw until chilled but not warm or the chocolate will melt.
♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips
Take your green lifestyle to the next level! Here are some ways to make this chocolate covered cherry recipe as eco-friendly as possible:
Use fair-trade coffee and chocolate. We suggest using Fair Trade ingredients when possible to support ethically sourced chocolate and coffee growers. Learn more about food sustainability certifications like Fair Trade here.
Compost parchment paper. Who knew you could toss parchment paper in your compost bin? Just make sure to remove any remnants of food off the paper before composting it. Better yet, purchase unbleached parchment paper, which is better for the environment. Note that you can also reuse parchment paper if it’s not too messy!
🍫 More seasonal sweets recipes
Love these dark chocolate covered cherries? Check out my Dark Chocolate Tahini Cups, Vegan Chocolate Mousse, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates.
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Salted Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cherries, washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate, chips or chunks
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
Vegan Chocolate Sauce
- Melt chocolate sauce: To a small saucepan over very low heat add coconut oil and cook until melted, about 1 minute. Add chocolate, vanilla, and maple syrup and stir often until melted and smooth.
- Pour chocolate into a bowl: Remove from heat and place on a plate or shallow bowl
Salted Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Prep baking sheet: First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper and make sure cherries are clean and completed dried.
- Cover cherries in chocolate: Dip cherries in chocolate sauce to cover all sides, then transfer to parchment paper. Sprinkle cherries with flaked sea salt.
- Freeze and serve: Put baking sheet in freezer for 15 minutes to freeze chocolate, then remove and serve immediately for best presentation. Store leftover cherries in airtight glass storage container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Recipe Notes
- Recipe notes: Cherries are best when first removed from freezer as chocolate will have hardened, but they do hold up well at room temperature if placed on a serving plate. However, this is not a great recipe to serve at hot outdoor parties because the chocolate will melt. If using sweetened chocolate, skip the maple syrup or only add in slowly to desired sweetness once chocolate is melted.
- Tools needed: environmentally-friendly cookware, cookie sheet, parchment paper
- Prep ahead: This chocolate covered cherries recipe is best served immediately, but if you are prepping ahead for a party we suggest freezing cherries on the serving plate you plan to use so that transferring them from the baking sheet will not disturb the hardened chocolate.
- Leftovers + storage: Store leftover cherries in an airtight glass storage container in the refrigerator for up to five days. We do not recommend freezing as the chocolate will melt when thawed.
Nutrition Information
UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in August 2019 and updated for clarity in November 2021.
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