Pistachio Butter Cookies are filled with bits of white and dark chocolate and they're inherently gluten-free. They are super interesting, incredibly delicious, and the perfect bite for the holiday season. 
These are not your average Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies -- they do not simply have a handful of pistachio nuts thrown in the dough. Pistachio nuts are the dough!
When I made Pistachio Butter (below) recently, it occurred to me that I could use it the same way I do peanut butter in these delicious cookies.
It worked beautifully!
I love unique cookies and this recipe is exactly that. They're unexpected and fun.
If you like pistachios you will LOVE these cookies!
That's a promise.
Ingredients for Pistachio Butter Cookies
These gluten-free pistachio cookies have just a small handful of ingredients that come together easily.
- pistachio butter -- While it's easy and fun to make your own, you can also purchase it here.
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- semisweet chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
How to Make Them
- Add the pistachio butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend the ingredients together until smooth, about 30 seconds. Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips.
- Use a 1¼-inch cookie scoop or your hands to form balls of dough (about one generous tablespoon each). Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet as you go.
- Bake in a preheated 325°F oven just until they're set, about 9 minutes. If they still look a bit doughy, that's okay -- they'll firm up a bit more outside of the oven.
Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Then you can move them to a baking rack to cool more quickly.
How to Store Them
- Pistachio Butter Cookies should be stored in an air-tight container. If you don’t plan to serve them within the first two days after baking them, you should freeze them.
- They can be kept frozen in an air-tight container for up to a month. (Longer is okay, but the longer they’re frozen, the more moisture they’ll lose.)
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- I use both white chocolate and dark cohocokte chips in this recipe. Feel free to use one or the other if you prefer.
- Pistachios, like most nuts, have a lot of natural oils in them -- therefore this cookie dough doesn't have any added butter or oil. Sometimes when shaping the cookies, the chocolate chips will separate a bit from the dough because of the oil content. Just use your fingers to gently push them back in and hold the dough together.
- Baking times might vary slightly, depending on the consistency of your pistachio butter.
Why aren't these pistachio butter cookies green?
Would you have expected them to be green?
I would have, but what I learned when I made pistachio butter is that if you don't peel the entire outer layer of the thin, papery skin off each pistachio, it won't be bright green.
The outer skin, beneath the shell, is typically purplish-brown, so it creates a color somewhere between brown and green.
Enjoy every last crumb of these gluten-free Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies!
More recipes for fun, interesting cookies:
- Chocolate Chai Cookies
- Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mexican Chocolate Spice Cookies
- Pecan Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pistachio Butter Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups pistachio butter (click here for How to Make Pistachio Butter) * -see notes
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Set oven and prep baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 325°F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the batter. Add the pistachio butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to blend the ingredients together until smooth, about 30 seconds. Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips
- Shape. Use a 1¼-inch cookie scoop or your hands to form balls of dough (about 1 generous tablespoon each). Place them on the parchment-covered baking sheet as you go. They'll spread just the tiniest bit, so it's okay if they're close together.
- Bake. Bake in the preheated 325°F oven just until they're set, about 9 minutes. If they still look a bit doughy, that's okay -- they'll firm up a bit more outside of the oven, and slightly under is better than slightly over!
- Cool. Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
Notes
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Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
They are so delicious!
valentina
Thank you Cathy. XO
Faye Levy
They look great, and no, I wouldn't have expected them to be green because I saw your post on making the pistachio butter.
I wonder how they'd taste with some whole pistachios baked into the cookie - maybe instead of the white chocolate.
valentina
Oooh, I LOVE that idea, Faye! I will be trying that next time, for sure! Happy holidays! XOXO
Faye Levy
Thanks, Valentina. If you do, I'd love to hear about it! Happy holidays to you!
Christine@24 Carrot Kitchen
Baking gluten free can be challenging, but you have done a great job with these cookies. 🙂
valentina
Thanks so much, Christine! I hope you try them! 🙂
Derek @ Dad With A Pan
Mmmmm pistachios, I'd probably end up eating all of them before I could get them in the cookie! lol
valentina
I so get that! Enjoy -- either way! 😉
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
These cookies look so scrumptious! So thick, and chewy! Yum!!
valentina
Thank you Marsha! That they are. 🙂
David
I have only one word for you. Yum!
Hauke Fox
Oh wow!! These cookies look absolutely delicious! Also I think pistachios are wayy underrated! Great to see them in this recipe 🙂
valentina
Thanks so much! Hope you try and love them! 🙂
Kiki Johnson
OHHHH my goodness! I Freaking LOVE pistachios and these look absolutely AMAZING! I have been meaning to make some pistachio butter at home as I recently moved to Mexico where they are actually affordable haha! Cannot wait to try!
Caroline
I've made cookies with pistachio before and I love the flavor they give. With the chocolate chips in there as well they look so decadent and tasty!
Marlynn | Urban Bliss Life
I'm super fascinated by the pistachio butter! What a brilliant idea. I bet these taste so good!
Anita
Oh man, I love pistachios! If I am baking this, I am definitely going to need two batches, at least. I'll need to hide one batch just for myself. 😀
Toni
These are really amazing! My kids devoured a whole batch in minutes!
Jeff the Chef
I learned that same lesson about pistachio butter color! A little green food coloring will move it to the green side, but there's no substitute for getting those skins off.
valentina
True! And they are such a pretty green beneath that thin skin layer. Enjoy and thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kim Lange
Pistachio butter sounds so amazing to use in cookies. I bet these are amazing, and they look like it too! Pinning! xo
valentina
Thank you, Kim! And for the pin, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I can't believe these only have 4 simple ingredients! These cookies look amazing and I can't wait to see how they taste. So great that they are gluten free too - I have a lot of friends that will be hounding me for these!
valentina
Yay! Thanks, Kathy. I hope everyone loves them! 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs
Like the idea of this -- we have friends who can't tolerate gluten, and this is such a great way to make chocolate chip cookies for them. Great tip about needing to peel the pistachios completely, too. Thanks!
valentina
Thanks, John. I do love inherently gluten-free recipes for those who have to do without it. Hope they go over well! 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
Interesting point about the color of the pistachio butter. It's always strange when you head into the kitchen with one thing in mind but it doesn't quite turn out like that. (Related fun fact, did you know that raspberries can interact with the aluminum in some baking powders to create blue streaks. That was a surprise to me!) Anyways, I love the flavors you've got going on with these cookies! I'm thinking these would be a fun addition to a holiday cookie tray. 🙂
valentina
Ha! I know what you mean about kitchen expectations. I've had some doozies. Cool about the raspberries! 🙂 ~Valentina
Michael Simmons
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Valentina! These cookies look absolutely delicious! I love pistachios and can only imagine them in a chocolate chip cookie!
valentina
Thanks, Michael! Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kelly | Foodtasia
Valentina, we love pistachios and these pistachio chocolate chip cookies look incredible! So awesome you've made them with pistachio butter! I have to try that too!
Sachelle
I can't find the words to describe how delicious these cookies are. I have Nickel allergies and can't eat regular cookies. I added cinnamon to mine and I am hooked.
valentina
Hi! Thanks so much for writing in -- you've made my day! I'm so happy you like these cookies, and that they fit your dietary needs. The addition of the cinnamon is lovely. I will try that next time I make them. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina