One of my favorite summertime drinks is a cherry limeade from Sonic! The flavors of cherry and lime pair beautifully together and it's bright, tart, fruity, and fresh! So, I decided to translate my warm-weather, thirst-quencher into dessert form!

These cherry limeade cookies are a fun summer twist on a soft and chewy cookie! They feature a sweet lime and cherry dough mixed with chopped cherries and white chocolate chips. The perfect sweet treat for your next summer brunch or backyard BBQ!

Then, you can add a cherry-lime drizzle for even more flavor, but they are delish with or without the drizzle!

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Finding the Right Cherries

Now, it can be a bit challenging to find maraschino cherries without red dye or corn syrup, but it is possible! At Whole Foods, I found Tillen Farms maraschino cherries. Whole Foods also sells their own brand of maraschino cherries, which uses sugar, lemon juice, and natural coloring.

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Ingredients in Gluten Free Cherry Limeade Cookies

• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Sugar
• Limes
• Maraschino Cherries (+ Juice)
• Eggs
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Oat Flour
• Gluten Free Flour Blend
• White Chocolate Chips

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How to Make Cherry Limeade Cookies

1. First, mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, cherry juice, and eggs. Then, beat in the baking soda, salt, oat flour, and gluten free flour blend. Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips and chopped cherries.
2. Next, cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the dry ingredients to absorb moisture from the wet ingredients. It also allows the butter to re-solidify, which keeps the cookies from spreading in the oven.
3. Then, scoop and roll the cookies. Spoon cookie dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. For uniformity, use a cookie scoop and roll the dough into balls. Then, bake at 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
4. Finally, make a cherry-lime drizzle. In a small bowl, melt the butter. Then, whisk in the lime juice, cherry juice, and powdered sugar. Add a little more liquid or sugar until a thick glaze is formed. Use a spoon to drizzle over the cooled cookies. If desired, garnish with lime zest.

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Cherry Lime Glaze

• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp. cherry juice
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2/3 c. powdered sugar

In a small bowl, melt the butter. Then, whisk in the cherry juice, lime juice, and powdered sugar. Add a little more liquid or sugar until a thick glaze is formed. Drizzle over the cookies with a spoon or dunk the top or side of each cookie. May need to double the recipe for dunking.

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What is a maraschino cherry?

A maraschino cherry is a sweetened, preserved cherry. It is often soaked in red food dye and a sugar syrup. Frequently, these cherries are used in cocktails and to adorn ice cream sundaes and milkshakes.

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Do maraschino cherries have Red 40 dye?

Yes, most brands use Red 40 dye to deepen and brighten the red color of the fruit. There are a few brands that steer clear of Red 40 dye and corn syrup- Whole Foods 365 and Tillen Farms. Be sure to check the food label when purchasing.

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Craving more???

Gluten Free Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Cannoli Cookies

Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake