Description
These Red, White, and Blue Drunken Cherries are the ultimate summer treat! Made with just four simple ingredients, they’re incredibly easy to prepare—no baking required. Most of the “work” is letting the cherries soak up the vodka, making them a fun, boozy snack perfect for cookouts, pool parties, or patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
Ingredients
- 2 Jars Maraschino Cherries with Stems (10 ounces each)
- 12 Ounces Whipped Cream Vodka
- 1/3 Cup White Chocolate Chips
- 2 Ounces Red White and Blue Nonpareils
Instructions
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Pour both jars of cherries into a bowl and sort through them. Toss any cherries without stems or that are too soft or halved — you want only the prettiest, stem-on cherries.
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Place the good cherries into a mason jar and pour cherry vodka over the top until they’re completely covered. Seal the jar and stick it in the fridge overnight to let them soak.
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The next day, drain the cherries and lay them out on paper towels. Gently dab them dry so the chocolate will stick properly.
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Add white chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 1½ minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir (even if it looks like nothing’s happening yet). Keep going until the chocolate is smooth and lump-free.
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Pour sprinkles into a small bowl (pinch bowls are perfect!) and line a plate or small baking sheet with parchment paper.
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One by one, grab each cherry by the stem and dip the bottom half into the melted white chocolate. Lightly scrape the bottom on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.
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Immediately dip the chocolate-covered part into the sprinkles, then place the cherry on the parchment paper.
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Keep going until all the cherries are dipped and decorated. Chill if needed, or serve right away for a fun, boozy treat!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- You can make these ahead and just leave them in the vodka until you’re ready to dip and serve. These are truly best when eaten not long after dipping because the cherries don’t last long when stored outside of liquid.
- You can use other types of sprinkles, if desired, but I found the nonpareils to be the best suited for this recipe.
- Be careful eating these right out of the freezer as the sprinkles can be hard on the teeth.
- You can use other flavors of alcohol, if desired, OR skip the alcohol altogether and make these cherries for all ages!
- It’s important you get the outside of the cherries dry or the chocolate won’t stick to them.
- Store spiked cherries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- These can be made ahead and kept in the vodka until you’re ready to dip and serve.
- For best results, enjoy them soon after dipping — they don’t keep well once removed from the liquid.
- Dry the cherries thoroughly before dipping; chocolate won’t stick to wet cherries.
- Work in small batches when dipping. If cherry juice gets into your melted chocolate, it can cause it to seize.
- No mason jar? No problem — you can reuse the jar the cherries came in.
- You can skip the chocolate and simply enjoy vodka-infused cherries on their own or use them as cocktail garnishes.
- Try different alcohols or skip the booze entirely for a kid-friendly version.
- Nonpareils work best for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with other sprinkles.
- Be careful eating these straight from the freezer — the sprinkles can be hard on your teeth.
- Don’t toss the cherry juice — it’s perfect for making Shirley Temples!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1.5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
