You know I love a salty-sweet moment, and these salty Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies are bringing major flavor. Buttery, nutty, perfectly crispy on the edges, and gooey in the center—these are straight-up bakery-level cookies that you’ll be making on repeat. While these Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies are a few months late to the year of the cookie on WGC... better late than never!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Okay, let’s talk about why these Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies are next-level. First off, we’re making our own pistachio paste, which gives them this rich, nutty depth that you just don’t get from store-bought nut butters. And then we’re folding in a mix of dark and semi-sweet chocolate chunks (because more chocolate = better, always). The finishing touch? A little sprinkle of ground pistachios on top, adding the perfect crunch and just enough salt to make these totally addictive. Trust me, once you try these, you’ll wonder why pistachios haven’t always been in your cookie lineup.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Shelled salted pistachios
- Pistachio oil
- Salted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Dark chocolate
- Semi-sweet chocolate
How to Make
Place the toasted pistachios in a food processor or blender and pulse until very finely ground. Add the Pistachio oil and process until the mixture forms a thick, coarse paste.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Mix in the pistachio paste.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped dark and semi-sweet chocolate until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1.5-ounce cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to portion out dough onto the prepared baking sheets, 8 cookies per sheet. Sprinkle the tops with ground pistachios.
Bake the Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Toast your pistachios! It takes just a few minutes, but it brings out all that nutty goodness.
- Chop your own chocolate. Those big, melty pools of chocolate don’t come from chips—hand-chopping a bar is the way to go.
- Don’t skip the chill time. I know waiting two hours to make Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies is annoying, but it’s worth it. Chilling = thick, chewy cookies with better flavor. Plus the cookies won't spread as much.
- Sprinkle with extra pistachios. Not just for looks—this adds an extra salty crunch that makes these cookies perfect.
- Slightly underbake. Take the Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies out when the edges are golden but the centers look a little soft—they’ll firm up as they cool.
FAQ's
Yes, but you might want to add an extra pinch of salt to balance everything out.
Do you HAVE to... no. But, it gives these cookies their signature pistachio flavor which is more flavorful than that which you can buy from the store.
Absolutely! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add an extra 2-3 minutes.
You can, but dark chocolate keeps the sweetness balanced. If you prefer milk chocolate, I’d mix it 50/50 with dark.
Similar Recipes
Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted pistachios shelled and toasted
- 1 tablespoons pistachio oil
- 7 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup dark chocolate chopped into chunks
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped into chunks
- 2 tablespoons ground pistachios for topping
Instructions
- Place the toasted pistachios in a food processor or blender and pulse until very finely ground. Add the Pistachio oil and process until the mixture forms a thick, coarse paste.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Mix in the pistachio paste.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped dark and semi-sweet chocolate until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1.5-ounce cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) to portion out dough onto the prepared baking sheets, 8 cookies per sheet. Sprinkle the tops with ground pistachios.
- Bake the Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I live super rural and don’t have pistachio oil on hand, what can I substitute?