Name: Homemade Luxardo Cherry Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 2900 min
Ingredients: 1 pound cherries (pitted, divided); ⅛ cup white sugar; water (enough to make it .5 cup of liquid with the cherry juice); ½ cup raw sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 whole cloves; 1 whole star anise or all spice; 1 cup luxardo maraschino liqueur

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If you’re searching for the perfect Luxardo cherry recipe to elevate your favorite cocktail, this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for. This homemade version is a richer, more grown-up take on traditional maraschino cherries—sweet, juicy, and infused with warm spices like cinnamon, clove, and star anise. The flavor is deep and complex, with just enough brightness from the cherries and subtle herbal notes from the Luxardo maraschino liqueur. Spoon them into a Manhattan, a Whiskey Sour, or a Last Word cocktail. They’re the finishing touch that makes any drink feel special.

Easy Luxardo cherry recipe styled in a coupe glass with a bottle of Luxardo maraschino in the background on a woven placemat.

After a roadside stop at one of the best fruit stands earlier this summer, we came home with several flats of beautiful, fresh cherries. It was far more than we could possibly eat before they spoiled. That’s when I knew I needed a way to preserve them, and I started experimenting with my own version of the traditional maraschino cherry. This homemade Luxardo cherry recipe skips the cloying sweetness and bright red dye found in store-bought versions. Instead, it delivers cherries that are rich, gently spiced, and incredibly versatile. We always keep a jar in the fridge for cocktails, but they’re just as delicious spooned over ice cream or enjoyed straight from the jar.

If you’re looking for other unique garnishes to elevate your drinks, try our pink pickled cocktail onion recipe—it’s tangy, colorful, and full of flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Luxardo Cherry Recipe

Rich, complex flavor – The warming spices and Luxardo liqueur create a depth that store-bought cherries just can’t match.
No artificial dyes or cloying sweetness – Made with real cherries and natural ingredients, these feel fresh and authentic.
Versatile (and impressive) garnish – Perfect for classic cocktails like Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and Whiskey Sours—plus desserts and more.
Amazing gift – Jar them up for thoughtful, tasty presents during the holidays or special occasions.

Ingredients (and Easy Swaps)

To make this easy and flavorful Luxardo cherry recipe, you’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients that come together to create rich, spiced cherries you’ll love.

Ingredients for homemade Luxardo cherry recipe including fresh cherries, raw sugar, white sugar, whole spices, and Luxardo maraschino liqueur arranged on a wooden table

Cherries – Fresh, sweet cherries are the heart of this recipe. If you can make it during cherry season, when they are fresh, you will get the best results. Look for dark red varieties like Bing or Lapins at their peak. Ripe but not overly soft is best so they hold their shape. Sour cherries also work—they’ll give a more tangy, punchy result.
White Sugar – Used to help the mashed cherries release their juice. It dissolves quickly and blends in without altering the fresh cherry flavor.
Raw Sugar – Adds deeper flavor and a warm, caramel note to the syrup. You can swap in light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
Whole Spices – A cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and a single star anise create gentle, warming spice throughout the syrup. Don’t have star anise? Use one whole allspice berry instead. You could also try substituting nutmeg or cardamon if that is what you have in your spice cabinet.
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur – This Italian liqueur from the Italian province of Padua gives the cherries their signature flavor. Its flavor is herbal, slightly nutty, and just sweet enough. Other maraschino-style liqueurs or brandy can work in a pinch, but the final flavor will be different.

How to Make the Best Homemade Luxardo Cherries

Mashed cherries sprinkled with sugar in a bowl, releasing juice to start the homemade Luxardo cherry recipe.

Start by mashing the cherries. Take a small handful of your pitted cherries and mash them with a fork or potato masher. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar and let them sit for about 15 minutes to draw out the juices. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible. Add just enough water to bring the total liquid to about half a cup.

Raw sugar, cherry juice, and whole spices simmering in a saucepan to create a rich spiced syrup.

Simmer the syrup. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherry juice mixture with raw sugar and your whole spices—cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Bring to a low simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and stir until the sugar fully dissolves. Let it bubble gently for about 5 minutes, just until the syrup starts to thicken.

Fresh cherries stirred into spiced syrup with Luxardo maraschino liqueur

Add the liqueur and remaining cherries. Stir in the Luxardo maraschino liqueur, then add the rest of your pitted cherries. Make sure they’re fully coated in the syrup. Keep the mixture at a low simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how soft you like your cherries. Less time will result in a firmer cherry more time a softer one.

Cooked Luxardo cherries and syrup being ladled into a clean mason jar for cooling and storage.

Cool and store. Remove from heat and carefully pour everything into a clean mason jar. You can pull out the spices now or leave them in to infuse more flavor as the cherries rest. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

Close-up of homemade Luxardo cherry recipe served in a coupe glass, with Luxardo liqueur bottle in soft focus.

FAQs and Expert Tips for How to Make this Luxardo Cherry Recipe

What can I use Luxardo cherries for?

They’re a classic garnish for your favorite drinks like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, and Aviation cocktail. The cherry simple syrup also adds a dramatic touch to a Shark’s Tooth Cocktail or any tiki-style drink. But they’re just as good off the bar cart. Spoon them over an ice cream sundae, pair them with gourmet meats and cheese, or serve them alongside pork chops for a sweet-savory twist. They also make a great finishing touch for cakes, yogurt bowls, or straight-up snacking.

How long do these homemade Luxardo cherries last?

Stored in a clean jar in the fridge, they’ll keep for about a month, sometimes longer. Use a clean spoon and keep them chilled.

How to Pit Cherries (Without Losing Your Mind)

Pitting cherries isn’t hard, but it can be a little messy, especially when you’re prepping for this homemade Luxardo cherry recipe.

Use a cherry pitter. If you have one, now’s the time to pull it out. A handheld cherry pitter makes quick work of the job and keeps the fruit mostly intact. Line a bowl with a paper towel to catch juice splatter, and you’re good to go.
Honestly, buy the cherry pitter—it’s worth it if you love cherries. For years, we avoided buying cherries because pitting was such a pain. Now we eat cherries way more often, and we don’t dread the prep. Here is the cherry pitter that we trust.
No pitter? You can also use a metal straw or chopstick. Press through the stem end and pop the pit out the other side. It’s a little slower and messier, but it works surprisingly well.

How do I get the best flavor?

To get the best flavor in your Luxardo cherry recipe, use fresh cherries, simmer the syrup slowly, and don’t skip the spices. Ensuring the cherry syrup thickens before adding the luxardo liquor ensures a thicker syrup coating the cherries. Additionally, leaving the cinnamon, clove, and star anise in the jar lets the flavor deepen as they rest.