Home > Desserts > Pistachio Cookies Pistachio Cookies July 16, 2019 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Chewy Pistachio Cookies have a soft and chewy center, crisp edges and an incredible flavor. They’re packed with white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped pistachios and a hint of honey flavor. These classy cookies are the perfect treat to bring to a party! Other popular cookie recipes to try are these snickerdoodles, chewy chocolate chip cookies, or toffee chocolate chip cookies. My father-in-law and husband both have the same favorite type of cookie: white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. And while I’ll admit they’re one of my favorite cookie flavors as well, macadamia nuts aren’t my first pick of nuts. But pistachios– well pistachios are hands down my favorite nut. So why I haven’t put pistachios into cookies until now, I’m not sure, but I promise I’m never looking back. These sweet, soft and chewy cookies, with a hint of honey flavor and a whole lot of pistachios, are perfection. Or as my sister phrased them “a total game changer!” Pistachio Cookie tips Let the melted butter cool: Once the butter melts, it needs to cool back to room temperature. This is VERY important. If the butter is hot, it will melt the sugars, causing greasy cookies that spread. Chill the dough: Since we melted the butter, the dough needs time to chill so the butter can re-solidify. Otherwise, these cookies spread into a pancake! The chilling time also gives a chance for the flavors and textures to meld and intensify. Coarsely chop the pistachios: Hand chop the pistachios coarsely to get good variation in the nut chunks throughout the cookies. Use toasted pistachios for extra flavor! If your pistachios are salted, make sure to reduce the salt added to the rest of the recipe. Pistachio Cookie tips, continued Use the right temperature of ingredients: When at room temperature, eggs and butter form an emulsion that traps air. While baking in the oven, that trapped air expands and produces fluffy baked goods. If possible, use room-temperature eggs for this recipe. Soaking refrigerated eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for about 5-10 minutes is a quick way to get eggs to room temperature. Measure carefully: The most important measurement is the flour. If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you are likely packing in way too much flour, which will yield cakey and less-flavorful cookies. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level the top with the back of a table knife. I’ve also included gram measurements with this recipe if you prefer to measure using a scale. Bake on a Silpat liner or parchment paper. This helps bake foods evenly without burning and allows the cookies to release from the pan and clean up effortlessly. How to make the cookies chewy The more moisture in cookies, the chewier they will be. Ingredients, baking time, and baking temperature all come into play as we work to retain moisture in the dough. The size or mass of the cookies also contributes to their chewiness. Big cookie dough balls make softer and chewier cookies than smaller ones. The number-one way to get chewy Pistachio Cookies? Don’t bake them too long! Remove the cookies as soon as the edges turn light brown and the top center is pale. The cooked centers will remain soft, but as they firm up, they’ll be perfectly chewy. Pistachio Cookie variations Healthier Pistachio Cookies: These particular cookies aren’t healthy, but try these breakfast cookies and add chopped pistachios to them! Chocolate Pistachio Cookies: If you aren’t a fan of white chocolate, add dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips to this recipe (whichever is your favorite). Leave out the white chocolate chips entirely and replace them with dried cranberries. Or use half the white chocolate chips measurement and replace the other half with dried cranberries. Or leave out the white chocolate chips and make these Pistachio Cookies with icing. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons milk (stir until desired consistency is reached). Drizzle over baked and cooled cookies. Pistachio wedding cookies: Give this recipe a try! Salty: Love salt? Add a hit of sea salt flakes to the tops of these cookies! Freezing cookies To freeze baked cookies: Place completely cooled cookies on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then place the cookies in freezer bags or plastic containers, layering parchment paper between each row of cookies. Freeze for up to 3 months. Note there is a slight loss of texture with freezing baked cookies. I recommend freezing dough balls instead: Drop the cookie dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into an airtight container/bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: You can bake dough straight from the freezer; just add 1-3 minutes onto the cooking time. (or thaw the dough in the fridge and bake according to directions). More cookie recipes Thumbprint Cookies raspberry-almond flavored Lemon Cookies with a lemon glaze Edible Cookie Dough reader favorite! Caramel Oatmeal Cookies Rolo® stuffed oatmeal cookies Flourless Monster Cookies peanut butter oat cookies FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Pistachio Cookies 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe Chewy Pistachio Cookies have a soft and chewy center, crisp edges, and an incredible flavor. They're packed with white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped pistachios and a hint of honey flavor. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Pistachio Cookies 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chewy Pistachio Cookies have a soft and chewy center, crisp edges, and an incredible flavor. They're packed with white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped pistachios and a hint of honey flavor. Course Dessert, Snack Cuisine American Keyword pistachio cookies Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 9 minutes Chilling Time 1 hour Total Time 1 hour 29 minutes Servings 16 cookies Calories 316kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.81 Ingredients▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar▢ 1/2 cup white sugar▢ 2 tablespoons honey▢ 1 large egg▢ 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder▢ 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt▢ 1 and 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour▢ 3/4 cup white chocolate chips▢ 1/2 cup roasted pistachiosUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsMelt the butter in a very large, microwave-safe bowl. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. It's important the butter isn't hot when you add in the sugars or it will melt the sugar and make the cookies greasy.Once butter has cooled to room temperature, stir in the light brown sugar, white sugar, and honey until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir again.Add in the cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until smooth. Add in the correctly measured (See Note 1) flour and mix until JUST combined. Don't over mix.Gently fold in white chocolate chips and coarsely chopped pistachios.Cover the bowl tightly and chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with a Silpat liner or parchment paper and set aside. Roll balls of dough into tall cylindrical balls (see picture above for shape and size). Place 6-8 cookie balls on a sheet to give the cookies plenty of room to spread. Dough balls should be about 1.7 ounces (49g).Bake for 8-12 minutes, erring on the side of under-baking to keep them soft and chewy (we like ours right at 9 minutes). Remember, the cookies will bake a little more out of the oven, so take them out as soon as the edges start to lightly brown.Remove from the oven (If desired, press a few extra chocolate chips or pistachios into the tops of the cookies to ensure even placement of chocolate and to make them look pretty!). Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. STORAGE: We like these cookies best on days 1 and 2 of being made. They do last up to a week, but they begin to lose texture and flavor. To store: Place in an airtight container and keep at room temperature. Wait until cookies are completely cooled before adding to the container. Recipe NotesNote 1: The most important measurement is the flour. If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you are likely packing in way too much flour, which will yield cakey and less-flavorful cookies. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level the top with the back of a table knife. I've also included gram measurements with this recipe if you prefer to measure using a scale. Nutrition FactsCalories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! 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I can’t wait for Fall, so that I can bake again – first up will be these cookies! Thanks, Chelsea! Reply
