Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies are a fun and delicious new take on the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. Add some variety to your dessert game with this easy recipe!

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Why you should make these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baking with pistachios and pistachio butter has been a new adventure for me this year. They were never part of my repertoire but now I’m obsessed whenever I use them in recipes. 

I love a classic chocolate chip cookie but it’s fun to mix it up and add different levels of texture and flavour. When I saw the pistachios in my pantry, I knew they would be the perfect fit.

Originally, I wanted to incorporate some pistachio butter either on top or in the centre of the cookies. But when I searched for pistachio butter at 5 different grocery stores and came out empty handed, I didn’t think it would be a super practical ingredient for most people. So we’re sticking with good ole’ pistachios. However, if you have some available and want to add a drizzle of pistachio butter on top, be my guest!

For this recipe, I use the same base ingredients that I use in my Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies (if you haven’t already tried them, add this to your baking list), which never fails me! There’s no refrigeration or freezing of the dough needed! Just whip it all up in one bowl, add in the pistachios and white chocolate chips and pop them in the oven!

Yes, white chocolate chips are used here. I honestly love the colour combination as well as the balance of sweet and savoury between the pistachios and white chocolate. That being said, if you prefer milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate, you can definitely swap to one of these.

Trust me, once you give these a try, it’ll be hard to go back to regular cookies again. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Ingredients needed

This recipe calls for all the typical ingredients that you would need for classic chocolate chip cookies, with one special addition. All you need is:

• All purpose flour
  • Suggestions on making this recipe gluten-free can be found below.
• Butter
  • I love to bake with salted butter to enhance all the flavours, however, unsalted butter will also work fine.
• Light brown sugar
  • Any kind of brown sugar will work in this recipe.
• White sugar (granulated sugar)
• Egg
  • I typically bake with large eggs.
• Vanilla extract, baking soda, salt
• White chocolate chips
  • Feel free to use regular-sized or mini chocolate chips.
• Unsalted raw pistachios

Substitutions and add-ins

If you don’t have some of the suggested ingredients or you would like to make some adjustments, here are a few of my recommended substitutions:

• Gluten free flour
  • To make these cookies gluten free, I suggest using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour instead of regular all purpose flour.
• Milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • I love the colour and flavour combination of pistachios with white chocolate but if you prefer milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, please use these instead!
• Chocolate chunks
  • For more texture and larger pieces of chocolate, opt for a chocolate chunk instead of chocolate chips.
• Salted pistachios
  • I like to use unsalted, raw pistachios in this recipe but if you prefer salted pistachios they will work too. You may want to reduce the added salt to ¼ tsp, especially if you are using salted butter as well. 

 

How to make Pistachio White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Putting the cookie dough together doesn’t take very much time or effort. Here is how to make these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• Prepare the oven
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a medium or large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You could also grease it with butter or cooking spray.
• Mix the batter
  • In a large bowl, add the softened butter and brown sugar. Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together for about 30-60 seconds, or until they are combined and lightly fluffy. Next, add the white sugar and mix again until combined. Time for the wet ingredients. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix again. Finally, add in the dry ingredients (all purpose flour, salt and baking soda). Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the rest of the cookie batter until it’s just incorporated.
• Add the extras
  • To the prepared batter, pour in the white chocolate chips and chopped pistachios. Using a spatula, gently incorporate these into the batter, making sure not to overmix. 
• Distribute the batter
  • With a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop up about 1-2 tbsp of the cookie batter and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this with the rest of the batter, making sure to space the cookie dough balls evenly apart on the tray.
• Bake the cookies
  • Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should look a little undercooked when the time is up and this is what we’re aiming for! Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for the cookies to cool down. You will notice they continue to bake slightly while they’re cooling. Under-baking the cookies is the best way to achieve a soft and chewy final texture!
• Drizzle with chocolate and dig in
  • Let the cookies cool for at least 5-10 minutes. If you want to add an extra visual and edible element, drizzle some melted white chocolate on top! Then you can dive right in and enjoy!

Make these cookies gluten free

If you want these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies to be gluten free, there is just one main substitution to make to the ingredient list. Instead of all purpose flour, opt for a gluten free flour. My favourite gluten free flour to use in baking is the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour. There’s no need to adjust the amount, just use it in the way you would use regular flour!

Gluten plays a role in binding the cookie dough together, so you may notice a slight change in texture if you use gluten free flour.

 

Storing and freezing

The storing method of these pistachio cookies depends on when you want to enjoy them.

If you plan on eating them within a week, I would suggest leaving them at room temperature for 2-3 days. In my opinion, the texture and flavours are the best when they are at room temperature. After this, pop them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge until they’re gone!

Alternatively, you can freeze them. If you ever plan on baking ahead of a big holiday or event and want to store the cookies until the celebrations, you absolutely can! Or perhaps you just want to have one every once in a while but keep the rest of the batch fresh.

Here’s how to do that: once the cookies have baked and cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container. This could be a glass or plastic container or even a freezer bag! Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, either take them out 1-2 hours in advance or microwave them for 15-20 seconds, or until they reach your preferred temperature and texture. Enjoy!

Dietary considerations

As a dietitian, I try to create recipes that can be made in multiple ways to suit various dietary restrictions. 

• To make these cookies gluten free, see my suggestion above.
• Dairy free: opt for dairy free butter and chocolate chips.
• Nut free: omit the pistachios and either keep it as a classic chocolate chip cookie or add your choice of crunchy element (ex. Pretzels, pumpkin seeds, M&Ms, etc.)

 

FAQ

• Can I use salted pistachios in these cookies?
  • Yes you can. I personally prefer using unsalted, raw pistachios in this recipe but if you prefer salted pistachios they will work too. You may want to reduce the added salt to ¼ tsp, especially if you are using salted butter as well.
• What makes cookies soft instead of crunchy?
  • One of my favourite ways to make these cookies soft and chewy instead of crunchy is by slightly undercooking them. If you’ve never tried this before you may be a bit apprehensive taking them out of the oven when they still look borderline raw in the middle, but trust me! It results in the absolute best texture that will have you coming back for more!
• Why did my cookies flatten out in the oven?
  • There are a few baking mistakes that could make your chocolate chip cookies spread too much and end up flat. The most common is that there is too much fat in the dough. The fat element in baked goods is typically butter or oil. Make sure you follow the recommended ratio of butter to dry ingredients.
  • Another reason why the cookies could spread is because there isn’t enough flour or there is too much liquid. Melting the butter could cause the batter to be liquidy, which we want to avoid. Use room temperature butter and add the suggested amount of flour. As long as you follow the instructions step by step, these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies should come out of the oven perfectly fluffy and chewy!
• How do I make a small batch of cookies?
  • Sometimes you just want a few cookies at a time! In this case, make the recipe as is but instead of baking all of the batter at once, bake however many you need and then place the remaining cookie dough balls in a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re planning to make another batch, either thaw the cookie dough out in the fridge overnight or bake the dough from frozen.
  • If baking from frozen, take out the cookie dough balls and thaw them on the counter top while the oven is preheating. You will need to add a few extra minutes of baking time and the overall texture may be slightly different but they’ll still be delicious!

More cookie recipes!

I hope you love these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies as a twist on a classic dessert. Don’t forget to check out some of these other desserts for inspiration:

• Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Pistachio Cookies
• Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
• Papa’s Classic Oatmeal Cookies

 

If you make these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creation of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!