This easy Pistachio Cookie Recipe uses real pistachios and pistachio pudding mix to make soft, chewy cookies with incredible flavor that are a hit any time of year.
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These easy, nutty cookies are the best combination of crunchy pistachios and sweet, buttery goodness.
They may be the perfect cookie to celebrate the holiday season, St. Patrick’s Day, a baby shower, or any other special occasion.
Or to just eat because you love pistachios and should treat yourself. 🙂
For more simple cookie recipes, check out:
- Almond Joy Cookies
- Fruity Pebbles Cookies
- Instant Coffee Cookies
What kind of pistachios should I use?
The easiest way to make these chewy pistachio cookies is with shelled, unsalted pistachios.
Side note: Shelled = no shell. The shells have been removed. Unshelled = shell. The shells are still on the pistachios. (For some reason, this lingo confuses me so I wanted to clarify it for us all.😆)
Last year, I doubled this recipe and bought unshelled pistachios to use in it.
Oh my. The tips of my fingers HURT from opening each and every pistachio shell.
It also took FOREVER.
I decided that, next time, I would spend the extra money and buy pistachio kernels. No shells. This saved so much time and energy that the slight increase in price was worth it.
Now, I use Wegmans Dry Roasted Unsalted Pistachio Kernels or these 365 by Whole Foods Market Dry Roasted Pistachio Kernels - Unsalted in this pistachio cookie recipe.
If you can only find raw pistachios, that’s okay. They work in this recipe too.
The most important thing is that the pistachios are unsalted.
Otherwise, your delicious cookies may end up too salty.
Unsalted pistachios allow us to control the amount of salt for the best cookies with incredible flavor.
For raw, shell-less pistachios, I recommend these Oh! Nuts Raw Whole Pistachios - No Shell and these Setton Farms Naturally Raw Shelled Pistachios.
Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
This is a pistachio pudding cookies recipe, which means it calls for one 3.4 oz box of instant pistachio pudding mix.
There is no need to prepare the pudding. We’re just using the powder, straight from the box.
In my experience, this JELL-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling - Pistachio tastes the best and brings the most pistachio flavor.
I swear it even helps to create soft cookies.
I have used store-brand pistachio instant pudding mix in this pistachio cookies recipe. It works and it’s cheap. BUT, the pistachio flavor tends to be more subtle.
My favorite cookies are made with the JELL-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling - Pistachio.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a food processor to chop the pistachios. Be careful not to completely pulverize them though. We don’t want to create ground pistachio flour.
The goal is chopped or crushed pistachios with some bigger chunks.
If you don’t have a food processor, another trick is to put the pistachios in a zippered bag and gently crush them with a rolling pin.
- Allow all ingredients to become room temperature before baking. A cold egg will solidify the butter and completely change the texture of the batter and the baked cookie.
- Use a cookie scoop to roll the dough into balls for baking.
I like to use the small scoop in this Cookie Scoop Set. It scoops about 1 ½ Tablespoons of dough into a ball for baking.
This creates a consistent size for all the cookies. My hands stay clean. And it’s just easy.
Holiday Cookies
These pistachio cookies are a great way to celebrate multiple holidays throughout the year.
Their green color is fun for St. Patrick’s Day, Earth Day, Easter, and Christmas cookie trays.
For a deeper, more vibrant green cookie, add green food coloring to the batter before baking (mix well).
Looking for more fun, party treats? You may like these Fruity Pebbles Cheesecake Bars, these super easy Funfetti Cookies from scratch, or these maraschino cherry cookies.
Can I freeze the cookie dough for later use?
Yes, of course.
I recommend still scooping the fresh dough into cookie dough balls and placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Then, put the entire sheet in the freezer (if you can!), freeze until firm, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
When you’re ready to bake the pistachio cookies, place the frozen cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the overall baking time for this pistachio cookie recipe.
How long will these pistachio cookies stay fresh?
For 4-5 days, when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
You can also freeze these cookies, in a freezer bag, for up to three months.
For the best taste and texture, please bring any frozen cookies to room temperature before serving and/or enjoying. It’s also better for your teeth.😉
Pistachio Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Flour all-purpose
- 1 (3.4 oz) package Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar light
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Pistachios shelled and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, instant pudding mix, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy*.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix completely.
- Add the dry ingredients (minus the pistachios) to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Stir in the chopped pistachios.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Bree says
every recipe i've ever tried here is golden!