Pistachio – Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Calling all pistachio lovers! These pistachio-chocolate chunk cookies taste like heaven. The combination of chocolate and pistachio is one of my favorite flavor pairings. These cookies come out soft and chewy; I guarantee you’ll love them!
Ever since the Dubai chocolate went viral, I’ve been obsessed with the combination of chocolate and pistachios. Surprisingly, I didn’t even like pistachios before. Something about their flavor didn’t appeal to me. But once I tried them paired with chocolate, everything changed.
These cookies are hands down one of my best recipes. They bake up soft and chewy. This is a small-batch recipe, which I find perfect for those moments when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want dozens of cookies hanging around. You can use regular chocolate chips in these cookies, but I highly recommend going the extra step and chopping up a good-quality chocolate bar into chunks. The larger pieces melt beautifully.
If you’ve never tried chocolate and pistachios together, these cookies are the perfect introduction. They’re simple to make, absolutely delicious, and might just change the way you feel about pistachios, too. Give them a try, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this combo as much as I did!
Tips and tricks
Chill the dough: If your dough feels too soft or sticky, chill it for 20–30 minutes before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Warm up the cookies - Leftover cookies are just as delicious! Pop them in the microwave for about 20 seconds before serving, I promise they will taste just like freshly baked cookies.
Freeze for later: Freeze the cookie dough balls, and bake them straight from frozen whenever the craving hits, just add an extra minute or two to the bake time!
Use chocolate chunks over chips: Chop up a good-quality chocolate bar for larger, uneven pieces that melt into gooey pockets. This gives your cookies a more indulgent texture and look.
Mix chocolates: Combine dark and milk chocolate chunks for a balance of richness and sweetness.
Don’t overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix until just combined to keep your cookies soft and tender.
Watch the bake time: Bake until the edges are just set and the centers look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool, staying soft and chewy.
Store at room temperature: Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness. Soften the butter at room temperature before mixing to ensure even incorporation. You can also just pop the cold butter in the microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften it.
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a slight crispness on the edges of the cookies.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture, and chewiness to the cookies.
Eggs: The whole egg provides structure and moisture, while the additional yolk adds richness and chewiness.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
All-purpose flour: Provides the base and holds everything together.
Baking powder: This leavening agent helps the cookies rise slightly and stay soft.
Chopped pistachios: Adds texture, crunch, and nutty flavor to the cookies.
Dark chocolate chunks: Brings rich, slightly bitter notes that complement the sweetness of the cookies
Milk chocolate chunks: Adds creaminess and sweetness, balancing the darker, richer chocolate.
Pistachio spread: Freeze the spread in a silicone mold before baking to create a gooey center. Use a small silicone mold or teaspoon-sized dollops on parchment paper to freeze the filling.
Step by step directions with pictures
1. Spoon the pistachio spread into an ice cube tray or silicone mold (11 small portions) and place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
2. For the dough mix the butter with the sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs along with the vanilla and mix.
3. Add the flour, salt and baking soda, mixing until just combined. No need to overmix.
4. Lastly fold in the chocolate chunks and the pistachios.
5. Once ready, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Once the 30 minutes are up, take the cookie dough out of the fridge and start portioning them into 70g balls each.
7. Flatten each portion into a disc and place the frozen pistachio filling in the middle. Wrap the dough around the filling and gently roll it into a ball.
8. Optionally, and for a chunky cookie, I recommend chilling them for another 30 minutes before baking.
9. Before the 30 minutes is up, you can start preheating the oven to 180C (fan).
10. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, leaving some space between them.
11. Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 10 minutes.
12. Once ready, let them cool on a wire rack. Top with more pistachio spread and enjoy!
Pistachio – Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 120g unsalted butter, softened
- 80g brown sugar
- 80g granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 220g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (4g) baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 70g dark chocolate chunks (50%)
- 70g milk chocolate chunks
- 25g chopped pistachios
- Pistachio spread (for the filling, 11 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Spoon the pistachio spread into an ice cube tray or silicone mold (11 small portions) and place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
- For the dough mix the butter with the sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs along with the vanilla and mix.
- Add the flour, salt and baking soda, mixing until just combined. No need to overmix.
- Lastly fold in the chocolate chunks and the pistachios.
- Once ready, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, take the cookie dough out of the fridge and start portioning them into 70g balls each.
- Flatten each portion into a disc and place the frozen pistachio filling in the middle. Wrap the dough around the filling and gently roll it into a ball.
- Optionally, and for a chunky cookie, I recommend chilling them for another 30 minutes before baking.
- Before the 30 minutes is up, you can start preheating the oven to 180C (fan).
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, leaving some space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 10 minutes.
- Once ready, let them cool on a wire rack. Top with more pistachio spread and enjoy!
Notes
Chill the dough: If your dough feels too soft or sticky, chill it for 20–30 minutes before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Warm up the cookies - Leftover cookies are just as delicious! Pop them in the microwave for about 20 seconds before serving, I promise they will taste just like freshly baked cookies.
