Crispy edges and a chewy, soft center brimming with toasted pistachios and chocolate chunks, these chocolate chip pistachio cookies are always a hit. Plus, there’s an optional secret ingredient that give these cookies a little kick!
Key Cookie Components
Chocolate
- I use a combination of semisweet and dark chocolate but feel free to use any chocolate of your choice (for example: milk chocolate, milk and dark, etc.)
- Opt for bars of chocolate instead of chips. While chocolate chips will still result in a great cookie, chopping up chocolate bars allows you to have a variety of larger and smaller chunks of melted chocolate. And make sure to include the chocolate crumbs or dust that results from chopping– it enhances the chocolate flavor and deepens the color of the cookie as well.
- Lastly, if possible, opt for good quality chocolate (Guittard, Ghirardelli, etc.)
Pistachios
- I use whole raw pistachios and toast them in the oven before chopping them and incorporating them in the cookie dough. Toasting them beforehand gives the cookies a nice nutty flavor.
- I like my pistachios finely chopped in cookies but you can easily opt for a chunkier texture.
Cayenne Pepper
- This might seem like a strange ingredient to include in chocolate chip cookies, but adding a little bit of heat nicely complements the toasted pistachios. I only add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way) to add a little bit of a kick to the cookies.
- Feel free to leave this out if spice isn’t your thing!
Shaping the Cookies
- Using a 2-inch cookie scoop is helpful for scooping the dough onto the baking sheets to freeze. If you just have a 1-inch scoop, then scoop two times per cookie and gently roll each one in between your hands to get a round shape.
- After baking, there is an optional but highly effective second step you can take to better shape the baked cookies. No matter how perfectly round cookies are going into the oven, there’s a high chance they will be slightly off in terms of their roundness. This is where having a large cookie cutter or a medium-sized Tupperware container is key to achieving a circular cookie shape. When the cookies are baked and removed from the oven, take a cookie cutter that’s larger than the baked cookie and place it around the cookie. Using a swirling motion, move the cookie around the cutter until a circular shape is achieved.
Time
- These chocolate chip pistachio cookies come together and bake quickly, but do make sure the cookie dough is chilled in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before baking. Keeping it in the fridge overnight will enhance the flavors even more, but if you need them the day of, chilling them for an hour will still result in a delicious cookie.
Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies
Crispy edges and a chewy, soft center brimming with toasted pistachios and chocolate chunks, these chocolate chip pistachio cookies are always a hit. Plus, there's an optional secret ingredient that give these cookies a little kick!
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pistachios (100g)
- 1 cup butter, room temp (226 g)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (160 g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (80 g)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2¼ cup +2 tbsp flour (300 g)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1¼ cup chocolate, chopped (320 g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the pistachios on it. Bake for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high with a handheld mixer until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
- To the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Roughly chop the cooled toasted pistachios. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix. Fold in the pistachios and chocolate chips.
- Using a two inch cookie scoop, place the cookies onto the parchment paper (leave about 3 inches in between them since they will spread). Take each cookie ball and using your hands, shape them into even balls. Place on baking sheet.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least an hour (ideally overnight).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if you didn't refrigerate the cookies on a baking sheet). Place cookie dough balls on baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes. (Aim for 13,14 minutes for a chewier, softer cookie and 15-16 for a crisper cookie).
- Remove from oven and use a larger cookie cutter to swirl each cookie into a perfect circle (this step is optional). Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then carefully place cookies on cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!