If you want a new must-try cookie recipe this holiday season, these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies might just be exactly what you’re looking for. Their rich, chewy and packed with pistachio flavor. Oh, and a little chocolate never hurts either.
about these INCREDIBLE Pistachio Cookies
This is now my FOURTH cookie week as a blogger, and every year I enjoy it a little more because I am forced to get a little more creative. If you’re a fan of the classic Christmas Cookies, I encourage you to try out these Frosted Shortbread Cut Out Cookies or these Monster Cookies, but if you want something a little different from the classics these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies might just be for you.
The base of the cookie is similar to that of a classic chocolate chip cookie, but we’re adding chopped pistachios and the nutty aroma creates some of the best cookies you’ll find yourself reaching for again and again.I highly recommend adding some flaky sea salt to the top of the cookies as it truly elevates the recipe to the next level giving the perfect balance sweet and salty.
Expertise
Now I’m not saying I’ve perfected the cookie base, but I do like to believe I make a mean sweet treat. These Kitchen Sink Christmas Cookies are the first cookie I feel like I really got it RIGHT and I continue to adapt the recipe for fun holiday variations.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: We want it COLD so our cookies don’t spread too much.
- Sugar: This recipe uses both brown and white sugar.
- Cornstarch: Don’t underestimate cornstarch’s power. It creates a thicker and chewier cookie.
- Flour: I’ve only tested all purpose, so substitute with caution.
- Chocolate: Use a high quality chocolate bar, chopped into pieces. The variety of sizes distribute the chocolate perfectly.
- Pistachios: This is what elevates the seemingly simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. The texture and nutty aroma is EVERYTHING.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a stand mixer and with a paddle attachment and cream together butter and sugars on low speed until light and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix until smooth; making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour in with the wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
3. On a cutting board, finely chop the pistachios and chocolate chunks. Then, use a rubber spatula to fold in the mix-ins.
4. Using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop (medium sized), and portion the cookie dough balls onto your baking sheet into ~12 even cookies.
Bake cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and middles have begun to set. Note: middles may look slightly underdone. They will continue to bake as they cool.
Add a pinch of flaky salt to the top of each cookie and let cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Fun Idea
These chewy cookies aren’t just for Christmas time! The green tint makes them perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, too!
Cookie Storage and Freezing 🍪
These can be stored in an airtight container either on the counter or the refrigerator if you like a chewy, chilled cookie. In your storage container, add a piece of bread (I like to use the end piece of a loaf). The cookies will draw out the moisture from the bread and keep your cookies soft.
You can also freeze these cookies baked or unbaked.
- To freeze unbaked dough, scoop, roll in the sugar and place on a cookie sheet as if you’re going to bake them. Place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for 3-4 hours until each dough ball is frozen (this’ll prevent them from sticking together). Then, place in a Ziplock or airtight container until ready to bake. You can bake the dough balls from frozen for 2-3 extra minutes.
- To freeze baked cookies, allow them to cool completely before adding to a freezer bag or airtight container. I recommend layering parchment paper between each cookie stack. This will prevent the cookies from freezing altogether.
Recipe FAQs
I buy the salted and roasted pistachios as they bring a greater depth of flavor as opposed to raw. I also prefer to use shelled for convenience in this pistachio cookie recipe.
I did not for the original recipe; however, chilling the dough causes it to spread less during baking because the butter is firm. I already recommend using COLD butter for this purpose, but chilling the batter results in an even thicker, chewier cookies instead of thin, flat ones. Chilled dough will also results in more evenly shaped cookies as it is easier to roll or scoop into neat portions when the dough is firm.
I like a large dark chocolate bar for these chocolate pistachio cookies for a couple of reasons.
1. You can usually get higher quality chocolate when you buy a bar as opposed to chocolate chips providing a richer flavor.
2. A chopped chocolate bar provides a variety of chunk sizes, from big melty pockets of dark chocolate chunks to small flecks of chocolate making really gorgeous cookies.
3. Creates ribbons of chocolate throughout the cookie as it melts unevenly, whereas chocolate chips typically hold their shape.
Feel free to use milk chocolate or even white chocolate if you’d prefer.
These chocolate chip pistachio cookies are finished baking just when you start to see crisp edges. For perfect cookies, the center should still be looking a little gooey as they will continue to bake when you take them out. You’ll want to move each freshly baked cookie to a wire cooling rack within a few minutes of removing them from the oven so you can keep chewy centers.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- stand mixer
- 1.5 tbsp Cookie scoop
- baking cheet
- parchment paper
- knife & cutting board
- Rubber Spatula
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup pistachios, chopped
- 6 oz chocolate, chopped ~1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a stand mixer and with a paddle attachment and cream together butter and sugars on low speed until light and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch. Mix until smooth; making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour in with the wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
- On a cutting board, finely chop the pistachios and chocolate chunks. Then, use a rubber spatula to fold in the mix-ins.
- Using a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop (medium sized), and portion the cookie dough balls onto your baking sheet into ~12 even cookies.
- Bake cookies 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and middles have begun to set. Note: middles may look slightly underdone. They will continue to bake as they cool.
- Add a pinch of flaky salt to the top of each cookie and let cool for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
more of our favorite Cookie Recipes…
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies
- Lucky Charms Cookies
- Halloween Candy Cookies
- Kit Kat Cookies
- No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie
- Funfetti Cookie Recipe
- Easy Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
- Avalanche Cookies (No Bake)
- Christmas Shortbread Cookie
- Pretzel Cookies
- Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
This pistachio chocolate chip cookie is like a hug from your taste buds—a little nutty, a lot sweet, and totally irresistible
these deserve to be in my kitchen year-round. the salty, sweet, nutty combo is wonderful.
I’ve made these 4 times now, they’re amazing
I LOVE TO HEAR THIS!!!