Pistachio cookies are thick, soft and buttery drop cookies made with real pistachios. These pistachio drop cookies are coated in powdered sugar giving a fresh flavor twist to the classic snowball cookie. This recipe for pistachio cookies is quick and easy and makes the perfect festive cookie for any occasion.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
One of my favorite types of cookies to make are soft and buttery shortbread style cookies. My Cherry Cookies, Key Lime Cookies and Lavender Cookies are a few of my favorite drop cookie recipes on the blog. These buttery pistachio and almond filled cookies are another delicious addition I know you’ll because:
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is bring the butter to room temperature, mix everything up in one bowl, chill for 30 minutes while the oven preheats , scoop and bake!
- Layers of flavor and texture. From the soft, buttery and slightly crumbly almond scented and pistachio filled shortbread cookie, to the sweet powdered sugar coating, these classic pistachio Italian cookies are full of delicious flavors and textures.
Ingredients
This recipe for Italian pistachio cookies requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go!
Pistachio Cookies
- Dry ingredients: Gather raw or roasted shelled pistachios, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully buttery pistachio almond cookies:
- Pistachios: Feel free to use roasted or raw shelled pistachios. Either one will work well in this cookie recipe. If salted pistachios are the only ones you have, omit the added salt in these pistachio drop cookies.
- All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour or gluten free oat flour and measure by weight (270 g) rather than cups.
- Powdered Sugar: Using powdered sugar gives these pistachio wedding cookies an incredibly tender and flaky texture. If needed, replace the powdered sugar in the cookie dough with ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt.
- Lemon Zest: Lemon and pistachios are such a lovely combination of flavors. Feel free to omit if you don’t have lemon on hand.
- Vanilla Extract and Almond Extracts: Both vanilla and almond extract are wonderful flavor enhancers with pistachios. I highly recommend using both, but feel free to omit one or both if needed.
Variations
- Lemon Glaze: Top these buttery drop cookies with pistachio with a quick and easy lemon glaze. Mix 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) lemon juice with 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Drizzle over cooled cookies, set and enjoy.
- Pistachio Cookies with Chocolate: Add ½ cup (85 g) mini chocolate chips into the cookie dough right after mixing in the dry ingredients. Scoop and bake as written in the recipe.
- Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies: Follow the recipe for my brown butter Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, but replace the pecans with pistachios.
How To Make
Learn how to make pistachio cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
- Pour the pistachios into a food processor. Process the pistachio nuts until they resemble almond flour. This takes about 20-30 pulses. Set aside until it’s time to mix the pistachio flour into the butter.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the room temperature butter, powdered sugar and lemon zest until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed. Mix in the ground pistachios, vanilla extract and almond extracts until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a small cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies. Bake the pistachio cookies for 10 -12 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly warm.
- Pour the powdered sugar into a bowl. Gently toss the cookies into the sugar until the pistachio snowball cookie is fully coated in the powdered sugar. Place back onto the cooling rack. Repeat until all the cookies are coated in the powdered sugar. If you would like, toss them in the powdered sugar again for even an more pronounced powdered sugar coating.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freezes: Once the cookies are baked and have full cooled to room temperature, place the baked cookies into an airtight, freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: Transfer your desired amount of frozen cookies onto a plate to thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature (soft, but cool to the touch). This results in a soft, tender, delicious and slightly crumbly cookie.
- Mix the flour until just combined. I like to mix the flour into the sweetened butter just there are a few stray pieces of flour coated butter. Then I mix the rest by hand or with a flexible spatula.
- Chill the cookie dough. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Green food coloring gel. This pistachio recipe has a slight green hue from the pistachios. For more green color, use 1 -2 drops of green gel food coloring.
- Fully preheat the oven. Use an oven thermometer to double check the temperature.
- Use a cookie scoop to get perfectly round cookies.
- Wait to coat the cookies in powdered sugar. The powdered sugar will become gummy if the cookies are too hot when tossed in the sugar. Wait at least 10 - 15 minutes before coating the cookies in powdered sugar.
FAQs
What do pistachios taste like?
Pistachios have a savory, nutty and slightly sweet taste. They are similar to cashews in taste and texture.
How can I enhance pistachio flavor?
Adding a combination of vanilla extract and almond extracts will enhance the pistachio flavor in any pistachio dessert recipe.
What goes with pistachio?
So many flavors pair well with pistachios. Milk, dark and white chocolate, any type of citrus, as well as orange blossom and rose water.
Other Pistachio Recipes To Try
If you try this Pistachio Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Pistachio Cookies Recipe
Pistachio cookies are thick, soft and buttery drop cookies made with real pistachios. These pistachio drop cookies are coated in powdered sugar giving a fresh flavor twist to the classic snowball cookie. This recipe for pistachio cookies is quick and easy and makes the perfect festive cookie.
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 zester
- 1 small cookie scoop (1 tbsp, 15 ml)
- 2 baking sheets
- 2 parchment papers
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) raw or roasted pistachios
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, divided
- 1 zested lemon
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Set aside.2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the pistachios into a food processor. Process the pistachio nuts until they resemble almond flour. This takes about 20-30 pulses. Set aside until it’s time to mix the pistachio flour into the butter.1 cup (120 g) raw or roasted pistachios
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the room temperature butter, ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar and lemon zest until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, divided, 1 zested lemon , 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract , ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Mix in the ground pistachios, vanilla extract and almond extracts until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cookie doughonto the prepared baking sheet. I like to use a small cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies.
- Bake the pistachio cookies for 10 -12 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly warm.
- Pour the remaining powdered sugar (¾ cup, 90 g) into a bowl. Gently toss the cookies into the sugar until the pistachio snowball cookie is fully coated in the powdered sugar. Place back onto the cooling rack. Repeat until all the cookies are coated in the powdered sugar. If you would like, toss them in the powdered sugar again for even an more pronounced powdered sugar coating.
Notes
Store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
See Variations section on the blog to make these pistachio cookies with lemon glaze or with chocolate chips.
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