These Fireball Cherry Bombs are the kind of recipe that look impressive but are incredibly easy to make. The trick is in the details — how long you soak the cherries, how dry they are before dipping, and how thinly you coat them in chocolate. Each one gives you a smooth pop of cinnamon whiskey inside a crisp white chocolate shell with a sweet, candy-like finish.
Once you’ve made them once, you’ll find yourself looking for excuses to make them again. They’re easy, flashy, and — let’s be honest — dangerously fun.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Assembly Tips
After plenty of testing (and a few cherry casualties), I’ve learned the details below are what separate “cute idea” from “actually gorgeous and delicious” Fireball Cherry Bombs:
Use the right cherries.
Choose stemmed maraschino cherries that are plump and uniform in size. The stem acts as the perfect handle for dipping and gives that fun, candy-shop look.
The soak time matters for flavor.
Even one hour in Fireball gives a noticeable cinnamon warmth. Letting them soak overnight deepens the flavor and potency — ideal if you want that unmistakable Fireball finish. Just know that the longer they soak, the softer the cherries become, so it’s a balance between strength and firmness.
Even a drop of moisture in your chocolate bowl can ruin the batch.
Moisture is the #1 reason chocolate won’t stick. After draining the cherries, line them up on paper towels and gently blot each one — especially around the stem. If even a little juice gets into your melted chocolate, it can cause it to seize (turn grainy and stiff).
Thin chocolate coating = better texture and look.
Too much coating can make them clumpy and mask the sparkle of the sanding sugar. Dip quickly, let the excess drip off, then roll in sugar while the chocolate is still glossy.
Serving and Storage
Serve these Fireball Cherry Bombs chilled — that’s when the chocolate has the best snap and the whiskey flavor pops. They hold beautifully at room temperature for up to six hours, so they’re perfect for parties where guests graze over time.
Store leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any) in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for a few days.
Fireball Cherry Bombs
Ingredients
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries with stems
- ¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whiskey
- 5 ounces white chocolate melting wafers, from a 10-ounce Ghiradhelli package
- ¼ cup colored sanding sugar sprinkles
Instructions
- Drain off ¼ cup of the juice from the jar of maraschino cherries. Be sure to save the lid.
- Replace the drained juices with the Fireball cinnamon whiskey. Add the lid back to the jar and close tightly. Gently shake the jar to ensure the whiskey is evenly distributed. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight. The longer they soak in the Fireball, the stronger the flavor will be.
- Line a large plate with a paper towel. Drain the liquids from the jar of cherries then place the cherries to drain, with the stem side up, onto the prepared plate. Pat dry as much of the excess liquid from the outsides of each of the cherries as possible prior to dipping in the white chocolate and sprinkles.
- To a small microwave safe bowl add the white chocolate wafers. Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments, being sure to stir between each heating, until fully melted. Stir until smooth. For best results, follow the instructions from the packaging of your brand’s wafers.
- Holding a maraschino cherry by its stem, dip into the white chocolate until almost fully covered then gently shake off any excess chocolate.
- Dip the white chocolate coated cherry into the bowl of colored sanding sugar and gently roll to evenly coat all the chocolate with the sprinkles. Place onto a clean plate lined with parchment paper to allow the white chocolate to firm up. Repeat until all the cherries have been coated in the chocolate, and sprinkles.
- Transfer the plate of Fireball cherry bombs to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate coating to firm up prior to serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use a good quality brand of stemmed maraschino cherries to ensure they are plump and uniformly sized with fully intact stems.
- It is important that your cherries are patted dry very well before dipping into the melted white chocolate as any excess liquid that gets into the melted chocolate can cause the chocolate in the bowl to seize and not adhere to the cherries.
- Vanilla almond bark makes a wonderful alternative to the white chocolate melting discs. Be sure to follow package directions for melting instructions.
- You can change the color of sanding sugar sprinkles used to match a theme for your gathering such as sports, birthdays or your holiday celebration.
Nutrition
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