BEST Blackberry Cookies with Almonds (Naturally Purple!)

Decadent, delicious blackberry cookies rolled in almonds and topped with cream cheese frosting! This fruit cookie recipe is unique and sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth cravings.

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I am a fruit lover. I adore fruit smoothies, fruit ice cream, and now…fruit cookies!

Fruit in cookies is an interesting thing. It is very difficult to add fruit to cookie dough without messing with the way the cookies turn out.

For my first attempt at blackberry cookies, I simply added blackberries to my base dough and baked…

Let’s just say, they spread out like crazy and did NOT look appetizing! This is because there is so much liquid in fruit.

For the next version of my blackberry cookie recipe, I had a better idea of what I wanted. I decided it would work much better to put the blackberries on AFTERWARD.

In my opinion, this is better anyway because fruit tastes much different after being cooked. This way, you get the delicious fresh blackberry flavor right on top. Not to mention, a very pretty and eye-catching cookie!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own batch of delicious blackberry cookies:

Blackberries – you will need fresh blackberries for this recipe! We will use them in the frosting and also top the cookies with them in various ways.

Butter – I always use salted but you can use whatever you have on hand.

White & Brown Sugar – we’ll use both types of sugar in this recipe! Just enough brown sugar to help the cookies stay chewy and turn a light brown.

Eggs – this recipe definitely needs the eggs. They will bind all the ingredients together and help them become puffy and fluffy!

Flour – I like to use bread flour in my cookies, but you can use regular all purpose flour as well. If you can, weigh your flour to get the most accurate results.

Baking soda & powder – we’ll use a half teaspoon of each to give our cookies a nice rise!

Salt – a pinch will always make cookies just that much better!

Vanilla – I’ve made these cookies with and without vanilla. If you don’t have any on hand the cookies will be just as good without it!

Cream cheese – we will top the cookies with a drool-worthy cream cheese blackberry frosting. Make sure your cream cheese is softened well before mixing it to form the frosting.

Powdered sugar – we’ll mix this along with some blackberry puree into the cream cheese!

Variations

If you want to create blackberry cookies with a different twist, I have a few ideas for you!

My favorite variation on these cookies is to add dash of cinnamon. These cookies are great both with cinnamon and without it. For the final recipe I chose to leave it out, but it can give a nice twist in flavor!

Another variation to try is adding chocolate chips. I think white chocolate would go well with the blackberries. I didn’t add them to the recipe because they would affect the look of the cookies. But if you are going for flavor more than looks, I think they’d make a great addition!

Step by Step Tutorial

These blackberry cookies are made in the traditional way that most cookies are made.

You’ll start by mixing all the dry ingredients together – the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Next, make your wet ingredient mixture. Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter and cream them all together.

Next, add the eggs and vanilla and beat well until the mixture is nice and smooth.

From here, simply add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two different sittings. Mix until all the flour is well combined. Your finished dough should be somewhat thick (see photo below on the top left).

(By the way, if you ever end up with cookie dough that is too thin, read about how to thicken dough here!)

After your dough is done, it is time to start rolling your cookies! Make a rolling mixture of chopped almonds and white sugar. Then, use a two table-spoon cookie scoop to make dough balls. Roll each ball in the sugar-almond mix, then set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper!

IMPORTANT NOTE:

After your cookies come OUT of the oven, you have 2 options for decoration. If you want to put whole blackberries in the center, make sure to do this while the cookies are still hot.

For the other decorating option, do not place blackberries in the center. Instead, let the cookies cool exactly how they are out of the oven. Then you can put frosting in the center and decorate with sliced blackberries (rather than whole).

Making the Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cookies are cooking and cooling, you can make the cream cheese frosting!

Simply start by mixing powdered sugar and cream cheese in a small bowl. The cream cheese should be softened well so it does not turn out lumpy. Make sure to mix until well combined!

Next, take a few extra blackberries (6-10 should do) and set up a station to strain out the seeds. I used a strainer with tiny holes, and a bowl underneath. Then, I used a wooden spoon to smash them.

The seeds will stay in the strainer, while a nice puree will come out into the bowl. Continue with this process until you have 1 tbsp of blackberry puree. You can then add this to the frosting mixture and beat it well until all the way combined.

Note: you can also use a food processor to make your puree, but you still have to go through the same process of straining out the seeds afterward. I found it was less work and less dishes to do it this way.

Once your frosting is done and your cookies are cooled, you are ready to start decorating! You can really decorate however you’d like—feel free to get creative!

Here is an up-close shot of both the designs I did with my cookies:

How to Serve

And you’re done! Now you can serve your cookies a variety of different ways…

My favorite way to serve these cookies is for a fancy occasion because they look so eye-catching. Here are just a few serving suggestions:

• Serve along with a glass of milk (almond milk compliments them well!)
• Have a cookie along with a bowl of yogurt in the morning
• Make as a pretty dessert for a bridal shower or baby shower
• Make up a plate and deliver them to your neighbors, or use in a cookie exchange

If I’m being real honest, I gotta say I don’t like sharing these cookies too much. Between the 5 other members of my family, we can eat up a batch pretty quickly!

How to make the best blackberry cookies

• Use parchment paper, and make sure to let your pan cool off before starting another batch! If it’s taking too long for me, I put it in the freezer for a few minutes and that does the trick.
• Use a cookie scoop! I just got one and it has worked wonders for me. With these cookies, it is especially pretty if all your cookies turn out the same size. I used a 2-tbsp cookie scoop.
• Watch the cookies carefully! Ovens cook differently, so you’ll want to see the best cooking time frame in your particular oven. You’ll know the cookies are done when they are puffy and lightly browned along the edges and bottom. The top shouldn’t be too brown—if it is, the cookies are probably over done.
• Make sure your cream cheese is softened well. You don’t want a lumpy frosting! If you’re impatient and forgot to get it out of the fridge, you can defrost it in the microwave. Just put the microwave on 50% power and heat in 5 minute increments until soft (turn it after each 5 seconds to soften all sides).
• Plan out how you are going to use your blackberries! You will need 1 for decoration on top each cookie, plus a 6-10 for the frosting. I recommend looking through them beforehand and choosing 6-10 of the ugliest ones for the frosting. That way you can save the pretty ones to be seen on top!

Dietary Information

These cookies are not the best for most restrictive diets (unless you’re on a see-food diet!) 😉 However, there are a few things you can do to make this recipe more allergy friendly:

• Swap out the butter with a different oil to make these cookies dairy free
• Use coconut sugar and organic white sugar to make them a little healthier
• To make them gluten free, use a flour blend that contains xanthan gum

FAQ

Can I make this recipe with frozen blackberries?

I don’t recommend it. You might be able to use frozen blackberries in the frosting, but not as decoration as they will “leak” juices everywhere as they defrost. To me, the best part about these cookies is the fresh blackberry flavor!

Are these photos edited to be a deeper purple?

Nope! The only way I edited these photos was to make them look as accurate to real life as possible. The blackberry puree turns the cream cheese frosting a lovely lilac color, and it is totally natural! I love it.

Can I puree the blackberries with the seeds?

I do recommend only using blackberry puree in the frosting that has been strained of seeds. If you skip this step, the frosting will look much different as it will have chunks in it!

Can I make a half batch of blackberry cookies?

Yep, definitely! I originally tested this recipe with a small batch. It works just as good as the full batch. So if you only need a little over a dozen cookies, a half batch might be perfect for you.

How long are these cookies good for?

These cookies are best eaten fresh, within 1-3 days. However, they can last longer in the fridge. Make sure to store them in an airtight container and don’t let them sit out on the counter or the cream cheese may spoil. Here are more details about how to store cookie dough & how to tell if it’s bad.

Conclusion

Blackberry cookies with cream cheese frosting are decadent and delicious! This recipe yields a large batch of chewy cookies with a perfect fresh-blackberry flavor. Serve these at a fancy party, or enjoy them at home when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth craving. I hope you love this recipe as much as I loved coming up with it!