Chocolate Chip and Pistachio Cookies
Pistachio lovers, this cookie is for you! These chocolate chip and pistachio cookies are absolutely packed with salty, crunchy pistachios which lend an overall subtle roasted flavor to classic chocolate chip cookies. Top these chocolate chip pistachio cookies with a bit of flaky salt for even more sweet and salty goodness.
For more cookies with nuts, check out my White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies and Walnut Brownie Cookies. For more baked goods with nutty flavor, check out my Greek Baklava, Pecan Sticky Buns, Carrot Cake Coffee Cake, and Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy cookies. These cookies bake up nice and soft with just a little lift from the baking powder. No need to chill the dough!
- Perfect balance of salty & sweet. Pistachio and chocolate are a match made in heaven! But these aren’t just chocolate chip cookies with pistachios. Since we’ve added salted pistachios to the dough, I’ve reduced the amount of salt added to the cookie dough. We’re also using dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar for extra caramelized flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch: I love to add cornstarch to cookies because it helps them stay soft with a chewy texture.
- Baking powder: These cookies aren’t super thick, but they do have a little lift. For flatter cookies, you can reduce the baking powder by half.
- Salt: Just half a teaspoon of salt is enough for these cookies.
- Unsalted butter: Butter adds richness and helps bind together our cookie ingredients. Using unsalted butter also helps to control the saltiness in these cookies.
- Dark brown sugar: Dark brown sugar contains even more molasses than light brown sugar, for richer caramelized flavor.
- Vanilla extract: The best way to complement any cookie flavors!
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These are my choice of chocolate for chocolate and pistachio cookies. For something a little sweeter, you could switch them out with white chocolate for white chocolate and pistachio cookies. Milk chocolate could also be tasty.
- Salted, roasted pistachios: You can’t have pistachio chocolate chip cookies without pistachios! I prefer the taste of roasted pistachios, and I love the saltiness they add as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Cream butter and sugars. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together ¾ cup room temperature butter with ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar and ½ cup of granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add egg and vanilla. To the creamed butter and sugar, add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, mixing on medium speed for 30-60 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Then add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and ½ cup of chopped salted roasted pistachios. Stir until chocolate and pistachios are combined with the dough.
- Portion dough into balls. Use a 2T cookie scoop to portion dough into balls. If you don’t have a 2T cookie scoop, use a regular tablespoon measure to measure out 2 tablespoons worth of dough for each ball.
- Roll dough in chopped pistachios. Place ¼ cup of chopped pistachios in a small bowl. Before putting cookie dough balls on your prepared cookie sheet, dip them into the chopped pistachios, pressing gently so the chopped pistachios stick to the top of the dough ball. Place the dough ball chopped pistachio side up on the cookie sheet and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the cookies if desired. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie dough ball on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are slightly golden brown. Do not overbake, as that will result in dry cookies.
- Cool and enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
For cookies with perfect edges, use a large circular cookie cutter or biscuit cutter immediately after removing the cookies from the oven to even out the edges. You do this by placing the cutter around the cookie and swirling the cutter and the cookie to help tuck in the edges—making a hula hoop motion, basically.
You can pair your favorite chocolate with pistachios for this cookie. White chocolate and pistachio cookies are a popular variation!
If you prefer flatter cookies, reduce the amount of baking powder to ½ teaspoon.
You can use unsalted pistachios, but you’ll need to add an additional ½ teaspoon of salt to the dough.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: These cookies will stay good for up to a week, so you can make them several days in advance!
Storing: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Freezing: To freeze chocolate chip pistachio cookies, let the cookies cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them thaw on the countertop.
Recipe FAQs
I certainly think so! Chocolate and pistachio are delicious together, so it makes sense to put them in the same cookie! This cookie reduces the amount of salt added to the dough because we use salted pistachios. Pistachios also add a lovely texture and flavor to chocolate chip cookies.
Absolutely! White chocolate and pistachio cookies or milk chocolate and pistachio cookies would both be super yummy. Or maybe even a combination of different kinds of chocolate!
If you can’t find pistachios, you can substitute another kind of salted nut in these cookies. Cashews would be a yummy option.
More Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipes with a Twist
- Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Heath Bar Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - spooned and leveled (don't want to over measure the flour otherwise the cookies will be more crumbly)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar - packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup salted roasted pistachios - chopped
Topping
- Maldon flaky salt
- 1/4 cup salted roasted pistachios - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed (with paddle attachment) for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped pistachios.
- Using a 2 T cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the remaining ¼ cup of chopped pistachios in a small bowl. Before putting the dough balls on the baking sheet, dip the dough ball into the chopped pistachios, pushing down gently so that there are some pistachios pressed into the top of the ball. Place the dough ball on the baking sheet (pistachio side up) and then sprinkle flaky sea salt overtop. Continue until you’ve filled the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each dough ball.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The tops will be lightly golden and the edges set. Don’t overbake as this will result in dry cookies.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven; some cookies may have uneven edges. To fix this, use a very large round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter and immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, gently use the cutter in a circular motion around the cookies to tuck in the edges (think hula hoop motion). We don’t want to cut the cookie. We just want to make the cookies uniformly circle before they set. Allow the cookies to sit on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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