Italian Pistachio Cookies are a delicate shortbread cookie with a creamy pistachio nut flavor. It is a wonderful addition to cookie platters or an elegant cookie for showers or parties.
These cookies are part of a wonderful dough that you can make three different cookies with. Talk about more bang for your buck and it offers a great variety for your cookie trays.
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More about these Pistachio Cookies
These pistachio cookies are great because you use a basic refrigerator cookie dough and change it up to make into this fabulous crunchy cookie. They are so full of flavor and are nutty, crispy and a breeze to make.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper
These cookies start with a base cookie dough that can turn into several types of cookies including sugar refrigerator cookies, peppermint cookies and toffee cookies. They are all different but so good it will be hard to pick a favorite.
- 10 Minute Prep: A quick cookie to make, especially when you can use the cookie dough to make so many different cookies like this favorite from Italy.
- Family Friendly: Fun for kids to eat, and also to help make. You will love this recipe to make and your family will love these cookies.
- Makes Great Gift Giving: A wonderful cookie for gift giving or for cookie trays.
If you’re looking for more tempting cookie recipes, try these Kolaczki {Polish Kolacky Cookies), Grinch Sugar Cookies and Italian Pizzelle Cookies.
With over 200 easy and delicious dinner ideas, you'll never have to worry about what to make for dinner again.
Can I use food coloring in these Cookies?
Of course, you can use a few drops of food coloring in this dough to make a beautiful green color for these cookies. Perfect for the holidays.
Ingredient Notes for Pistachio Flavor Cookies
These cookies are a twist on a shortbread cookie and a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Pistachios are finely ground and added into the batter for the best nutty pistachio flavor. These cookies are loaded with pistachio flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Make sure that you pack your light brown sugar for this quick cookie recipe.
- Butter: Always use room temperature butter. Unsalted butter is best and then you can add the amount of salt you prefer.
- Chopped Pistachios: You can buy then chopped or you can use a food processor for the pistachios for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions to Make this Recipe for Pistachio Cookies
While these cookies are sheer perfection, you can add some things to make the cookies uniquely yours. These cookies are super easy to make. You can even make by grinding your own nuts.
- Vanilla Extract – Replace the almond extract with vanilla extract. Pistachio extract is great too but do not use the artificial pistachio extract as it gives a fake taste to these chewy cookies.
- Pudding Mixes – For a cookie with more chewiness, add a box of instant pistachio pudding mix to the dry ingredients to make a pistachio pudding cookies.
- Chips: Chocolate chips, try white chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Special Equipment Needed for Pistachios Shortbread Cookies
- Cookie Scoop: You can cut the pistachio cookies or scoop them.
- Cooling Wire Rack: Wait until cookie are completely cool on the rack before storing.
How to Make Delicious and Easy Italian Pistachio Cookies
These crispy cookies are an easy to make recipe that your whole family will love. It is easy recipe just make, bake the pstiachio cookies and then let the cookies cool.
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These are the basic steps for making pistachios shortbread cookies. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
STEP 1: Prep and Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
First, with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer cream unsalted butter until light and fluffy and then add in brown sugar and white sugar and continue to mix until well incorporated and next add in egg and almond extract and continue mixing until wet ingredients are creamy.
STEP 2: Mix the dough for the Pistachio Cookies
Second, in a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt and then gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture mixing after each addition until all the flour is mixed . Gently mix in the pistachios and the food coloring.
STEP 3: Chill the Pistachio Cookie Dough and then Slice
Then lay out wax paper and dough roll into a long shape with a diameter of about 2 inches and then wrap the dough in the wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready, preheat the oven to 350, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and slice the cookie dough into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.
STEP 4: Bake the Cookies on Cookie Sheet and Allow the Cookies to Cool on the Baking Sheet
Then bake the cookies for 10-14 minutes or until they are a very lightly golden brown around the edge and appear dry in the center. Finally, allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing and allowing the baked cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. For a more chewy pistachio cookie, bake a little less cookies are soft and a little chewy.
Recipe FAQs about this Easy Cookie Recipe for Pistachio Cookies
Expert Tips to Make Pistachio Cookie Recipe
This easy to make delicious pistachio cookie recipe is perfect. Mix until just combined. You can make cookie dough balls instead of slices if you wish. They are great to freeze for later use.
- Toast: Toast the pistachio bits for even more flavor. It will enhance the pistachio goodness. Baking time will vary on your oven but when you can smell them they are good.
- Store these Pistachio Cookies: Store cookies in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Add Fruit: Dried cranberries, lemon zest, cherries, candied lemon peel etc can be added to the cookies with lots of pistachio flavor.
- Chocolate: Drizzle with chocolate or dip half the cookie in chocolate and decorate with more pistachios.
- White Chocolate: White chocolate chips and pistachio are great in these delicious cookies too .
- Gluten Free: You can use a gluten free flour or pistachio flour for the best pistachio cookies.
More Pistachio Recipes and Nut Desserts
Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Butter, softened
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 Cup Chopped Pistachios
- 3-4 drops of green food coloring
Instructions
- With the paddle attachment of a stand mixer cream butter until light and fluffy.
- Add in brown sugar and white sugar and continue to mix until well incorporated.
- Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well blended.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture mixing after each addition until all the flour is incorporated.
- Add in pistachios and food coloring, mix gently on low.
- Lay out a piece of wax paper on a flat surface. Scoop the dough into the center of the wax paper. Use the wax paper to help roll the dough into a long shape with a diameter of about 2 inches.
- Wrap the dough in the wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- To bake-
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the cookie dough into ¼- ½ inch slices.
- Place dough slices on prepared cookie sheet a couple of inches apart.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes or until they are a very lightly golden brown around the edge and appear dry in the center.
- Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Toast: Toast the pistachio bits for even more flavor. It will enhance the pistachio goodness. Baking time will vary on your oven but when you can smell them they are good.
- Store these Pistachio Cookies: Store cookies in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Add Fruit: Dried cranberries, lemon zest, cherries, candied lemon peel etc can be added to the cookies with lots of pistachio flavor.
- Chocolate: Drizzle with chocolate or dip half the cookie in chocolate and decorate with more pistachios. White Chocolate chips and pistachio are great in these delicious cookies too .
- Gluten Free: You can use a gluten free flour or pistachio flour for the best pistachio cookies.