How to Make Candied Cherries (Cherry Sauce)

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Candied Cherries are a great way to preserve the abundance of summer cherries! Super easy to make and great as a topping on ice cream, cakes, pies and even pancakes and waffles!

This post was originally published in August 2018. It has been revised for content and photos.

When cherries are on sale for $1.99 a pound, it’s time to buy ALL the cherries. But when you buy all the cherries, you have to use them all too.

Enter these super awesome candied cherries. I mean, these babies are good on everything….ice cream, cakes, pies, BROWNIES, pancakes, waffles….all the stuff! 

And as if the cherries aren’t amazing enough, the cherry syrup that results as part of the candying process is SO GOOD. Use it to flavor drinks, or again, just use it on any of the above. This stuff is like cherry colored gold.

These candied Cherries are amazing when used on top of this decadently delicious Almond Tart.

What is a Candied Cherry?

A candied cherry is a cherry simmered in sugar water/syrup until all the natural moisture in the cherry is replaced by the syrup. This results in a very sweet “candied” cherry.

Are Maraschino Cherries and Candied Cherries the Same Thing?

Yes and no. Maraschino cherries are a type of cherry from the Croatia region that are typically preserved in a liqueur made from the cherries. Candied cherries are cherries that have been simmered in syrup until all the natural moisture has been replaced by syrup. Maraschino cherries can be candied like any other cherry, and are called glace cherries when candied.

How to Make Candied Cherries

You won’t even believe how easy this is. You guys are going to be candying cherries for DAYS this is so easy!

This recipe calls for just 2 cups of fresh pitted cherries, which results in about 1 1/4 cups of candied cherries. This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled quadrupled…whatever your heart desires.

You want to start with pitted cherries. Forgot how? Check out this post on How to Pit Cherries from The Kitchn. Don’t worry, you don’t need a cherry pitter. But if you want one, BUY one here (affiliate link). 

Place your pitted cherries in a saucepan with the sugar, water, almond extract and lemon juice. Then bring it to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. A simmer is typically on low to medium low heat. 

Simmer on low/medium low for about 75 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Honestly, I usually set my timer to 15 minute increments just to remind me to stir. It’s more important to stir near the end when much of the liquid has absorbed. This is when burning is most possible.

Remove the cherries from the heat and let cool. Try to stop eating them. If you can stop, they should be stored in a sealable jar in the fridge for up to one year.

Expert Tips:

1. Be sure to stir the cherries every 15 minutes while simmering to ensure they don’t burn.
2. Store the cherries and the syrup separately if you’d like to use them for different purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Do candied cherries need to be refrigerated? Some say no, they can be stored on the shelf for up to a year. However, to be safe I always store mine in the fridge for up to one year. 
2. Can candied cherries be frozen? I don’t recommend freezing candied cherries. They last long enough in the fridge that you shouldn’t need to freeze them. Freezing them can cause the sugar to crystallize. 

How To Use Candied Cherries

• They can be eaten like candy, or used on ice cream, cakes, pies, waffles, pancakes, brownies, etc. Try them on this Cherry Ice Cream or this Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
• Use it on top of this Japanese Souffle Cheesecake.
• Try it on these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.
• Just eat it with a spoon. For real.

The syrup can also be used in place of other syrups, in drinks, or as a dessert topping.

More Candied Fruit Recipes and Treats!

• Chocolate covered Candied Orange Peels;
• Candied Pecans;
• Candied Ginger;
• Candied Lemon Slices.

Did you make this candied cherry recipe? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!

Candied Cherries

Make this super amazingly delicious and easy Candied Cherries Recipe with just a couple ingredients, and you'll have delicious sweetened cherries to last you all winter long.

4.34 from 6 votes

Print Rate

Course: Condiment, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 2 cups pitted cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

• Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter (affiliate link) or follow these instructions.
• Combine all the ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure they don't burn.
• Remove from heat and let cool. Store the cherries and the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one year.

Expert Tips:

1. Be sure to stir the cherries every 15 minutes while simmering to ensure they don't burn.
2. Store the cherries and the syrup separately if you'd like to use them for different purposes.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp. | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 102mg | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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