Pistachio Cookies (Easy, Gluten-Free, Chocolate Chip)
These easy pistachio cookies deliver soft, chewy texture with rich nutty flavor, chocolate chips, and a beautiful green hue. Made with almond flour and gluten-free friendly, they have incredible flavor without artificially sweetened and flavored pudding mix.
These pistachio cookies with chocolate chips deliver incredible nutty flavor without breaking the bank on pounds of pistachios or expensive pistachio butter. What sets them apart is how the almond flour and pistachio combo creates this amazing depth of flavor without relying on artificial pudding mix full of unnecessary sugar and fake ingredients. They’re soft, chewy, and packed with real pistachio taste in every bite.
My family requests these weekly because they stay perfectly soft for days (though they rarely last that long!). The best part? You can make them with either gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour, so they’re perfect for mixed gatherings where some people need gluten-free options and others don’t.
Why You’ll Love This Pistachio Cookie Recipe
- Perfectly soft and chewy: These pistachio chocolate chip cookies maintain their tender texture for days after baking.
- Easy to customize: Works beautifully with either gluten-free flour blend or regular all-purpose flour.
- Rich pistachio flavor: The combination of real pistachios and almond flour creates an incredible depth of flavor.
- No artificial ingredients: The natural green color comes from the pistachios, with options to enhance it naturally if desired.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to make gluten-free pistachio cookies:
Butter: Creates that perfect tender cookie texture. I’ve used dairy-free butter sticks with great results for my lactose-intolerant nephew.
Cane Sugar: Just sweet enough without overpowering the pistachios. Coconut sugar works too, but darkens the color slightly.
Egg: Gives these cookies their chewy texture. A flax egg works surprisingly well for a vegan version.
Vanilla Extract: Rounds out all the flavors. I use pure vanilla for the best taste.
Almond Extract: My secret weapon! Just a drop makes the pistachio flavor pop like crazy.
Almond Flour: Boosts the nutty flavor and creates amazing texture. See additional flour options below.
Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Provides structure. Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly if you’re not gluten-sensitive. See additional flour options below…
| Additional Flour Measurements |
|---|
| 1-1/4 cup (140g) almond flour + 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour |
| 1-1/4 cup (150g) all-purpose flour |
| 1-1/4 cup (140g) almond flour + 2/3 cup (80g) oat flour |
| 1-1/2 cup gluten-free flour (240g) |
Baking Soda: The magic that gives these cookies their perfect rise.
Salt: Enhances all the flavors, especially the pistachios and chocolate.
Chocolate Chips: Perfect sweet contrast to the nutty cookies. My kids prefer milk chocolate, but I love dark for less sweetness.
Pistachios: The star! I buy them already shelled (life’s too short to shell pistachios for cookies!). Roasted, unsalted ones give the best flavor.
Easily Adapt This Recipe for Any Diet
This recipe is naturally easy to tweak! Follow these simple swaps to make it gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan while keeping the same great texture and flavor.
Gluten-Free: The recipe is naturally gluten-free as written with the gluten-free flour blend option.
Dairy-Free: Swap the butter for your favorite plant-based butter stick (not spread). Make sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free as well.
Vegan: Use plant-based butter, replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2.5 tablespoons water), and confirm your chocolate chips are vegan.
💡 Pro Tip: If you try a substitution, let us know how it worked in the comments!
How to Make My Pistachio Cookie Recipe
Here are easy, detailed, step-by-step instructions that are also repeated in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough Base
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add 1/3 cup room temperature butter and 3/4 cup cane sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, then mix until well combined.
If you’d like to enhance the natural green color of the cookies, you can add a small amount of natural coloring at this stage. Add either 1/4 teaspoon spirulina powder or 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a few drops of natural food coloring.
Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients
Add the 1-1/4 cups almond flour, 2/3 cup gluten-free flour blend (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour if not making gluten-free), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined into a fluffy cookie dough.
Finely chop 1/2 cup pistachios and fold them into the dough along with 1 cup chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Step 3: Scoop and Bake
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will solidify as they cool, creating that perfect soft and chewy texture.
My Expert Recipe Tips
Room temperature ingredients: Make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature for the fluffiest cookie dough.
Don’t overmix the dough: Once you add the flour mixture, mix just until combined to keep the cookies tender and soft.
Chill the dough if needed: If your dough feels too soft to scoop, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes before baking.
Watch the baking time carefully: These cookies are best when slightly underbaked (9-10 minutes) as they continue cooking on the hot cookie sheet after removal from the oven.
Enhance the pistachio flavor: Toast the chopped pistachios for 5 minutes at 350°F before adding to the dough for an even more pronounced nutty flavor.
Delicious Serving Suggestions
- Ice cream sandwich: I like to use two cooled cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in between. You’ll love it because the slightly salty, nutty cookies contrast perfectly with the sweet, creamy ice cream.
- Milk dipping: Serve these with a glass of cold milk (or dairy-free alternative). The milk balances the rich nuttiness of the pistachios and sweetness of the chocolate.
- Holiday cookie platters: Add these to your cookie exchanges for a unique color and flavor among traditional cookies. The natural green color makes them perfect for holiday gatherings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you love chocolate and pistachios? Check out more of my easy pistachio recipes:
- Dubai Pistachio Brownies (Easy, Gluten-Free Chex)
- Pistachio Muffins (Protein, Almond Flour, Chocolate Chips)
- Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bars with Chex (No-Bake, Easy)
- Pistachio Chocolate Protein Smoothie with Cottage Cheese
- Pistachio Chocolate Ice Cream (High-Protein, No Churn)
Pistachio Cookies (Easy, Gluten-Free, Chocolate Chip)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cane sugar (160g)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-1/4 cup almond flour (140g)
- 2/3 cup gluten-free flour (100g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add 1/3 cup room temperature butter and 3/4 cup cane sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, then mix until well combined.
- If you'd like to enhance the natural green color of the cookies, you can add a small amount of natural coloring at this stage. Add either 1/4 teaspoon spirulina powder or 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a few drops of natural food coloring.
- Add the 1-1/4 cups almond flour, 2/3 cup gluten-free flour blend (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour if not making gluten-free), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined into a fluffy cookie dough.Finely chop 1/2 cup pistachios and fold them into the dough along with 1 cup chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They will solidify as they cool, creating that perfect soft and chewy texture.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been reviewed by a healthcare professional for its nutritional balance and alignment with healthy eating principles.
I made these with white chocolate chips since I had some in the cupboard and they were delish!
That’s awesome, Diana! 🙂
My daughter loves pistachios!! I made these for her and they were a hit!
Hi Stan, you’re such an awesome Dad to make these for her 🙂
These have just enough pistachio flavor and the texture is spot on! This is the recipe I was looking for.
Thank you, Terry! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
I can’t wait for you to try these delicious cookies! The dough is easy to make and the flavor is amazing 🙂