These Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares feature Maraschino cherries and mini marshmallows held together with fudgy dark chocolate.
I've mentioned this in some other recipes, but sometimes the idea to make a particular recipe just randomly comes to me, versus seeing a recipe somewhere, or trying a particular food and recreating my own version of it.
Sometimes I find that the recipe that came to me already exists, and sometimes it doesn't. These Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares fell into the latter category.
I got the idea to make these after considering the recipe for Peanut Butter Butterscotch Confetti Squares, and wanting to replicate the flavors of my childhood favorite ice cream, Black Forest. This ice cream had a dark chocolate base with chopped Maraschino Cherries and a marshmallow ribbon running throughout. I loved it, and it's very difficult to find anything like it now.
How to make Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares
When I first decided to make these rich, chocolate cherry squares, I had to decide what to add to the chocolate to keep the chocolate soft and fudgy since it wouldn't have the addition of peanut butter like the Peanut Butter Butterscotch Squares. I quickly decided that sweetened condensed milk would be the answer.
But that introduced the problem of making sure the chocolate didn't become too sweet. This led me to use mostly unsweetened baking chocolate, with just a little bit of semi-sweet or dark chocolate. I think the combination turned out great. The chocolate tastes dark and rich, and not too sweet when paired with the marshmallows and Maraschino cherries.
But perhaps best of all, these squares are incredibly easy to make - no baking required!
Start by prepping the Maraschino cherries. Remove the cherries from the syrup (making sure you save the syrup - you'll need some of it later) and pat them dry. Cut the cherries into quarters using a paring knife.
Chop your chocolate (both types, if needed) using a large chef's knife.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and continue heating until the milk is hot and steaming, but don't let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Maraschino cherry syrup. If the chocolate is quite hot, let it cool slightly before mixing with the marshmallows.
In a large bowl, toss together the cherry pieces and mini marshmallows. Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir until all of the marshmallows are evenly coated.
Pour the mixture into a 9x13" pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Spread it evenly into the corners, and gently press the mixture to make sure there are no air bubbles. Cover the pan and place in the fridge to set for about an hour. Use a large chef's knife to cut into small squares.
Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares
Store your squares in an airtight container or zipper bag in the fridge or freezer. They can be eaten cold, or you can let them come to room temperature before serving.
Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares Ingredients
The ingredient list to make these decadent Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares is short and easily accessible - only 6 ingredients are required (since Maraschino cherries and their syrup come from the same jar, I'm only counting it as one ingredient):
- Unsalted butter
- Sweetened condensed milk see note
- Unsweetened baking chocolate - find this in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. It usually comes in bar or square form, which you'll need to chop with a large chef's knife for easier melting.
- Dark or semi-sweet chocolate - you can either chop chocolate that is in bar or square form, or you can use chocolate chips (you'll need about a heaping ½ cup)
- Maraschino cherry syrup
- Mini marshmallows - I used a whole 14-ounce bag of marshmallows, which was just the right amount. But be sure to check the size of the bag. The same brand of marshmallows used to come in 1-pound (16oz) bags, and different brands may be different sizes.
- Maraschino cherries - you'll need a jar that's at least 250mL or 8oz. Buy a bigger jar (or two jars) if you'd like to have some cherries left over.
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Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares Nutrition Notes
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one small square (I cut my batch into 48 pieces). If your pieces are larger or smaller than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
These Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares are gluten-free as written.
Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Squares
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13" baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Cut a piece of parchment paper about 4 inches larger than the bottom of the pan. Trace around the bottom of the pan with a pencil, and make creases where the lines are. Cut slits in each of the 4 corners, so that the paper folds around the edges nicely.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 14 ounces (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Continue heating, stirring very often, until the sweetened condensed milk is heated through, but not boiling. Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the chopped unsweetened chocolate and the chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate. Continue stirring constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and no lumps remain. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir un 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) Maraschino cherry syrup until it's completely incorporated. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, toss 14 ounces (400 g) mini marshmallows and 1 cup quartered maraschino cherries together in a large bowl. Once the chocolate is slightly cooled, (it's ok if it's still warm, but shouldn't be hot) pour the chocolate over the marshmallow mixture. Stir with a spatula until all of the marshmallows are evenly coated with chocolate.
- Pour the chocolate marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press the mixture into all the corners, and smooth the tops as much as possible. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to set, about 1-2 hours. Remove the squares from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Cut into squares using a large, sharp knife. Serve immediately, and/or store any leftovers in an airtight container or zipper bag in the fridge or freezer.
Nutrition
Notes
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