Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Ruby Port Ganache

These elegant but "easy-to-make" chocolate cherry brownies will have everyone asking you for the recipe. Plus, they are an excellent vehicle for satisfying your chocolate cravings. 

If you'd like to serve a dessert that jusr about anyone loves that has been zhuzhed up for your next dinner party, these brownies are the answer. They kind of look rustic too... but the flavor! It's such a surprise. 

Even your snobbiest friends or foodie-est of foodie friends will love them. You might catch them going through your kitchen looking for your recipe box... or checking to see if you left a slip of paper out that has the recipe. 

Serve these on your best china and fine silver to fancy them up even more. 

I actually had one of these brownies every day for about six days in a row (for science, right?) and they never lost their gooey texture and deep chocolatey flavor. 

Ingredients in These Brownies:

Unsalted butter: Any temperature because you will be melting it. 

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: I used King Arthur. 

Granulated Sugar: Even though these brownies call for two cups of sugar, the brownies are not overly sweet tasting. 

Eggs: Use room temperature large eggs. 

Vanilla Extract: You can also use vanilla bean paste. 

Cocoa: Use natural cocoa unsweetened powder.  

From the Pantry: Baking powder and fine salt. 

For the Cherries:

Port Wine: You can use either tawny port or ruby port. I used ruby port, mostly because I had it on hand. 

Dried Cherries: I had a small collection of dried cherries on hand from Melissa's Produce and chose to use dried bing cherries. You can use any dried cherry you prefer. You could also substitute dried cranberries. 

For the Ganache:

Port Wine: I used ruby port. 

Heavy Cream. 

Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Ideally chopped finely from a bar. I didn't have enough of the bar chocolate so I threw in some mini semi sweet chocolate chips and they didn't have an adverse effect on the smoothness of he ganache. 

To Make These Brownies:

First, make the port soaked cherries. Coarsely chop the cherries and briefly simmer them in the port wine. Remove them from the heat and let cool.

Next, make the brownies. Combine melted butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cherries and bake the brownies in a square pan for about 40 minutes. 

Finally, prepare the ganache: Reduce 1/2 cup of port to 2 tablespoons in a saucepan. Then, bring heavy cream to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the chocolate until it melts and then add the port. Stir everything until it's smooth. Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies in the pan and let it set. 

Cut the  brownies into 16 pieces. 

Recipe Variations:

You can omit the cherries if you don't like the texure in your brownies. You can also omit the port in the ganache, although the flavor it adds is pretty amazing. 

Make-Ahead:

These frosted brownies last for several days at room temperature in an airtight container. 

Prior to frosting them, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 30 days. Once defrosted, you can pour on the ganache and serve them for dinner. 

Serving Suggestion:

These are wonderful on their own. They are also delicious topped with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and either sprinkles or chocolate sauce and a marachino cherry. 

You May Also Enjoy These Brownies:

S'mores Brownies

Heart of Darkness Brownies

Peppermint Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

Sourdough Brownies

Plus several more... 

Easy Chocolate Dessert Recipes:

This week, the From Our Dinner Table Group is sharing Easy Chocolate Dessert Recipes!  

• Biscoff Chocolate Cheesecake from Creative Cynchronicity
• Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Ruby Port Ganache from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Crockpot Cake from Jen Around the World
• Chocolate Delight Dessert from Art of Natural Living
• Chocolate Hazlenut Truffles from That Recipe
• Copycat Wendy's Frosty from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

Chocolate Cherry Brownies with Ruby Port Ganache

Yield: 16 Servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 H & 30 M

Ingredients

For the Cherries

• 1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup ruby port

For the Brownies

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 3 ounces all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 ounces unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Port Ganache

• 1/2 cup ruby port
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

To Make the Port Soaked Cherries

1. In a small saucepan, bring the port and cherries to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To Make the Brownies

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. LIne a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with spray oil.
2. Melt the butter and remove it from the heat. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir, slowly at first, and then increase to a more vigorous stirring for about one minute. Stir in the cherries and their liquid.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes on the middle rack. Cool completely in the pan.

To Make the Ganache

1. Bring the port to a boil and let it reduce to 2 tablespoons, about 3 to 6 minutes. Pour the reduced port into a boil.
2. Bring the cream to a boil and then remove the pan from the heat. Sir in the chopped chocolate and port and stir until smooth and the chocolate has melted. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Pour the ganache over the brownies and spread. Let it set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
4. Slice into 16 squares and serve. Store the brownies, covered, at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

365

Fat (grams)

20 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

12 g

Carbs (grams)

42 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

39 g

Sugar (grams)

32 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Cholesterol (grams)

86 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2026/07/chocolate-cherry-brownies-with-ruby.html

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 Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking, Issue 79, July/August 2006.