Simply by Maha
0
DessertChocolate Chip Cookies drizzled with pistachio cream
American · Dessert

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

A classic chocolate chip cookie, with the perfect addition... Pistachio!! These chocolate chip cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with a creamy pistachio center for the perfect surprise in every bite. Finished with a pistachio drizzle on top, they’re rich, gooey, and so good.

5.0 (4 reviews)
15m
Prep
15m
Cook
30m
Total
6
Serves
easy
Level
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Instructions

  1. Brown the butter
    In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking until it begins to foam and turns golden brown with a nutty smell. Remove it from the heat and let it cool in the saucepan for a few minutes.
  2. Make the pistachio filling
    Scoop out 1/2 tablespoon portions of pistachio spread onto a lined plate or tray. Place them in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients
    In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with a silicone spatula until combined. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla, then mix well.
  4. Add the dry ingredients
    Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips
    Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  6. Form and fill the cookies
    Scoop the cookie dough into equal portions. I like my cookies bigger so I keep them around 3 ounces. Flatten each portion slightly, place one frozen pistachio ball in the center, then wrap the dough around it and roll it into a ball, making sure the pistachio filling is fully sealed inside.
  7. Freeze the cookie dough balls
    Place the stuffed cookie dough balls onto a tray or plate lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least 1 hour.
  8. Preheat the oven
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  9. Bake
    Place the frozen cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up and lightly golden around the edges but still somewhat soft in the center.
  10. Cool and finish
    Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle pistachio spread over the tops of the cookies before serving.

About this recipe

These are my chocolate chip cookies with a generous handful of chopped pistachios folded through. The pistachios bring a soft crunch and a buttery, slightly savoury taste that plays really well against the sweet chocolate. They also turn the cookies a pretty pale green in spots, which I love.

The base is a classic chewy cookie, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle. I chop the pistachios fairly coarse so you get real bites of nut rather than dust, and I save a few to press on top before baking so they look the part. Use roasted pistachios if you can, the flavour is much deeper.

If you only ever make plain chocolate chip cookies, this is an easy way to make them feel a bit special without a lot of extra work. The hardest part is shelling the pistachios, and even that goes faster than you think.

Per serving
  • 220Calories
  • 4gProtein
  • 12gFat
  • 26gCarbs
estimated

Good to know

Why you'll love it

  • Buttery pistachios against sweet chocolate is a brilliant combo.
  • That gentle nutty crunch in a soft, chewy cookie.
  • The flecks of green make them look bakery-special with no effort.
  • One bowl and no mixer needed if your butter is soft.
  • Easy to make ahead and bake in batches.
  • A little flaky salt on top makes the pistachio flavour pop.

Ingredient notes

Pistachios: use shelled, roasted, unsalted ones and chop them coarse. Roasted have far more flavour than raw, and chopping coarse gives you real crunch in every bite.

Chocolate: chips or a chopped bar both work. I lean to a chopped bar so the melty pools sit nicely next to the green nuts.

Butter: softened unsalted butter creams better with the sugars. If it is too cold the dough will be stiff and the cookies will not spread right.

Sugars: a mix of brown and white keeps the centres chewy while the edges crisp.

Salt: a pinch in the dough plus flaky salt on top. Pistachios taste better with a touch of salt nearby.

Tips & tricks

Toast the chopped pistachios in a dry pan for a couple of minutes if they are not already roasted. It wakes up the flavour.

Hold back a small handful of pistachios and a few chocolate pieces to press on top before baking so they look intentional.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes so the cookies hold their shape and do not spread into thin discs.

Bake at 180C (350F) and pull them when the edges are golden but the centres still look soft. They set as they cool.

Chop the nuts by hand rather than in a food processor. The processor turns them to powder and you lose the crunch.

Storage & make-ahead

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freeze raw dough balls on a tray, then bag them, for up to 3 months and bake from frozen with a couple of extra minutes.

Warm leftover cookies in a 150C (300F) oven for 3 to 4 minutes to bring back the soft centre and melty chocolate.

Variations

Use white chocolate instead of dark for a sweeter cookie that really shows off the pistachio.

Add the finely grated zest of an orange to the dough. Pistachio and orange is a lovely pairing.

Swap a third of the pistachios for dried cranberries for a sweet-tart contrast.

Brown the butter first for a deeper, nuttier base that matches the pistachios.

Frequently asked questions

Roasted, unsalted pistachios give the best flavour. If you only have raw, toast the chopped nuts in a dry pan for a couple of minutes first. Avoid heavily salted ones or the cookies can come out too salty.
Pistachios fade a little when baked, which is normal. To keep more colour, chop them coarse, fold them in gently at the end, and press a few extra on top just before baking.
You can add a tablespoon of pistachio paste to the dough for a stronger flavour, but keep the chopped nuts too for texture. I would skip artificial pistachio extract, it tends to taste fake.
A 30 minute chill helps a lot. It firms the butter so the cookies hold their shape and do not spread thin. If you are short on time, even 15 minutes in the freezer helps.
Dark or milk both work. Dark balances the sweetness, milk leans cosy and sweet, and white chocolate makes the pistachio flavour stand out most. Use whatever you like best.
A good cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend works here. The dough may be a touch softer, so chill it a bit longer before baking so the cookies keep their shape.
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