Soft and Chewy Pistachio Cookies | Also The Crumbs Please (2024)

These soft and chewy Pistachio Chocolate Cookies are easy to make, and you need just a few ingredients. They are loaded with chocolate chunks and chopped pistachios for extra flavor.

The taste and color are all-natural from ground pistachio. Without artificial colors and no pudding mix, these cookies are a showstopper and crowd feeder. Be prepared to get asked for the recipe all the time. By the way, have you tried my pistachio biscotti?

Also, don’t forget to learn everything you need to know about making cookies in my Chocolate Chip Cookies post!

Video Tutorial

Why You’ll Fall in Love With These Cookies

• They’re refreshing yet comforting. Are you tired of the same ‘ol flavors you’ve been having with your cookies? If you’re looking for something nutty and refreshing, but still want that taste of comfort in the form of chocolate, you’ll definitely fall in love with these cookies.
• They’re lovely. Hunting for Instagrammable cookies? Your search is over. I think the pictures in my blog are more than enough proof of how gorgeous these cookies are. They look even better in real life!
• They’re all-natural. As I have mentioned in the introduction, I didn’t use artificial colors and pudding mix in this recipe. That’s the secret that makes these cookies taste like home.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

Baking Soda

These cookies are thin and soft with crispy edges and a chewy texture throughout. If you want your cookies to be a bit thicker, substitute the baking soda with baking powder. You will how they spread less this way. You can learn more about ingredient substitutions here.

Sugars

I use ¾ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of light brown sugar. I found this to be the best ratio. Every change of ratio will eventually change the texture and thickness of the cookies.

However, you can use ½ cup of both sugars if you prefer cookies that are a bit thicker and spread less.

All-Purpose Flour

You can make them gluten-free as well. I recommend Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour.

Butter and Eggs

If you practice a vegan diet, please use my recommended butter and egg replacements for vegan cookies but follow this pistachio cookies recipe as directed.

Green-Peeled Pistachio Kernels

You can use any type of pistachio for the dough you have available. I grind them on my own with a food processor.

If you prefer to use already ground pistachio or pistachio flour, that is perfectly fine as well.

If you would like to try this recipe with other nuts, then research the fat content of the nuts you want to use and compare it to pistachios. They would need to have almost the same fat content.

If you use fatter nuts, like walnuts, for example, the cookies will be very greasy. I imagine that cashews would work fine but I have not tested it yet.

Don’t worry, I’m going to talk more about pistachios in a bit.

Add-Ins

I love to add dark chocolate chunks and salted roasted pistachios to the cookies. But you can add any add-ins you love or skip them altogether. I don't recommend adding more than 1 cup in total. By the way, have you seen my handy list of chocolate chip cookie recipes?

Please refer to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Looking for more substitutions for your cookie recipe? We got you covered. Here are articles on butter substitute for cookies, substitute for shortening in baking, brown sugar substitute for cookies and egg substitute for cookies.

Different Kinds of Pistachios

The color appearance and taste of these pistachio chocolate chip cookies will depend greatly on the type of pistachio you use. Pistachios can vary in taste, color, and size. The majority of produced pistachios come from Iran and the US.

Depending on where you live, you will have just a few different types of pistachios available, or maybe only one. I'm currently living in Europe and have pistachios available from Iran and the US.

I use two types of pistachios for this pistachio cookie recipe, but just because I have them available.

It will work with any pistachios, but keep in mind that the color of the cookies will vary greatly depending on the type of pistachios you use, and your cookies may not turn out as green as mine. Here are the two different types I use:

I used the pistachios on the left side to chop up and mix into the cookie dough as an add-in. These are Californian roasted, salted, in-shell pistachios.

Meanwhile, I used the pistachios on the right for grinding and as part of the pistachio cookie dough. These are green peeled pistachio kernels grade A from Iran. They have a dark green color because they are harvested before they are fully ripened and, therefore don't turn yellow.

If I used the Californian pistachios for the cookie dough, the cookies would be less green or not green at all but yellowish. I ground and tried the recipe with both, and both worked great and tasted delicious.

So please don't worry too much about the pistachios and their color and use whatever you have available. However, raw-shelled pistachios are preferred. The whole point in showing and telling you about the differences is that you understand why your cookies might not turn out as green as mine.

Please Note: Even though I edited all of my photos, I did not enhance the green or alter the color of the cookies. In the video, you see footage that isn't color-graded. Differences between the appearance in the video and the photos are because of different lighting situations.

Prepare Your Ground Pistachios

Slowly grind the pistachios in a food processor by only pulsing once, then pause, pulsing once, pause, and so on. If processed too fast, the nuts get too warm and become a paste.

You need ½ cup (65g) of ground pistachio for the dough in total. You can also buy ground pistachios or pistachio flour and use them instead.

How to Make Pistachio Chocolate Cookies

Learn how to bake Pistachio Chocolate Cookies with these simple instructions!

1. Combine dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup ground pistachio, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

2. Prepare the cookie dough.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until creamy, 2-3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Then add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed just until combined or about 30-60 seconds.

3. Add flavors and chill.

Add the chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks, if used, and mix just until well distributed. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.

4. Prepare baking implements.

Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175°C).

5. Bake your cookies.

Scoop 16 equal-sized balls of cookie dough (2 tablespoons or 45g each cookie), roll them into balls, and place them 4 inches (10cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake one sheet at a time for 10-11 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and set and the centers look underbaked, pale, and puffy.

6. Let your cookies cool to serve.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. They continue baking on the baking sheets. Once they are firm enough to move, transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

They stay fresh and soft for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

You can prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Before you bake it, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes until it is a soft and spoonable dough.

If you wish to freeze the dough, prepare, chill, scoop, and roll the dough as directed and place the dough balls in freezer bags. Let thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before baking or in the fridge overnight.

Pistachio Chocolate Cookies FAQs

I wrote a thorough guide on how to make cookies where questions like why cookies turn out flat, don't spread, turn out hard, or how chilling affects the taste and texture are answered.

I also share mistakes to avoid and tips for success.

So whatever your question, check out my chocolate chip cookies recipe and find the answer. If your question is still not answered, simply leave a comment below.

More Cookie Recipes

Did you enjoy making these Pistachio Chocolate Cookies? Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy my other recipes. Here are just some of my favorites, which are loved by family, friends, and readers around the world!

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Brownie Crinkle Cookies
• Brown Butter Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Chocolate Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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