If you’re obsessed with nutty, gooey, and chocolatey cookies, get ready to meet your newest craving: Pistachio Cream Cookies! These indulgent treats feature a luscious pistachio cream center hidden inside a chewy cookie, speckled with crunchy pistachios and melty pockets of chocolate. Each bite is pure bliss, and there’s no resisting their melt-in-your-mouth magic!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Gooey Pistachio Cream Center: Every Pistachio Cream Cookie hides a pocket of creamy pistachio filling that stays lush and dreamy, even after baking.
- Textures Galore: You’ll get it all—chewy edges, a tender center, crunchy pistachios, and melty chocolate in every blissful bite.
- Simple Ingredients, Showstopper Results: Pantry staples transform with pistachio spread into a bakery-quality cookie that looks and tastes ultra-impressive.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Perfect for prepping in advance—just bake or freeze whenever you’re ready for cookie happiness.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The secret to Pistachio Cream Cookies lies in just a handful of well-chosen ingredients. Each one plays its part—be it ensuring soft, tender cookies, layering in nutty richness, or delivering that melt-in-the-middle surprise!
- Pistachio cream spread: The heart of these cookies! Opt for a thick, sweetened spread that holds its shape when frozen for the best gooey filling.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cookies their structure; scoop and level for accurate measuring.
- Cornstarch: Adds extra tenderness and helps create a perfectly chewy texture.
- Baking powder & baking soda: A duo that lifts and puffs your cookies, keeping them soft inside with lightly crisped edges.
- Salt: Amplifies the pistachio flavor and balances out the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter, melted & cooled: Richness and flavor, with melt-and-cool ensuring the dough comes together smoothly.
- Brown sugar: Deepens flavor and helps with chewiness.
- Granulated sugar: Adds crispness to the edges and just the right amount of sweetness.
- Large egg (room temperature): Binds the dough together for the ideal cookie bite.
- Vanilla extract: The backdrop for all the nutty and chocolatey flavors.
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate, roughly chopped: Pockets of rich, melted chocolate take these cookies to new heights!
- Unsalted pistachios, shelled and chopped: For extra crunch and pure pistachio flavor in every bite.
- Flaky salt: Don’t skip this finishing touch—it wakes up all the flavors!
Variations
One of the joys of Pistachio Cream Cookies is how effortlessly you can make them your own! Check out these simple twists to suit your cravings, pantry, or dietary needs.
- Swap the chocolate: White chocolate and pistachio is a classic combo, or use all milk chocolate for a sweeter, creamier cookie.
- Gluten-free version: Substitute your favorite measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour—no one will ever know the difference.
- Nuts galore: Try adding chopped hazelnuts or almonds along with (or instead of) the pistachios for even more crunch.
- Flavor boost: Add a tiny splash of orange zest or chopped dried cherries for a fresh, zingy contrast to the rich filling.
How to Make Pistachio Cream Cookies
Step 1: Freeze the Pistachio Cream
Begin by lining a plate with parchment and scooping or spreading your pistachio cream spread into a thick sheet or small spoonfuls. Pop them into the freezer for at least an hour or, even better, overnight. Freezing ensures those dreamy pockets of creamy filling stay intact while baking, so you get that fabulous molten center!
Step 2: Prep and Mix the Dry Ingredients
While your pistachio cream is chilling, prep a cutting board with parchment for the cookie dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This simple step keeps your leaveners and flour perfectly blended, so every cookie bakes up just right.
Step 3: Make the Butter Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine your melted (and cooled) butter with both sugars. Whisk until the mixture is blended and creamy. Crack in the egg and pour in the vanilla, then whisk again until thick and velvety—this forms the rich, flavorful base for your Pistachio Cream Cookies.
Step 4: Bring the Dough Together & Add Mix-Ins
Stir your flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture just until a few flour streaks remain, then switch to a spatula. Fold in the chopped chocolate and pistachios gently. You want every scoop to have a little bit of everything, so don’t overmix—less is more here!
Step 5: Scoop, Chill, and Stuff with Pistachio Cream
Use a generous cookie scoop (about 4 tablespoons) to portion out dough balls onto your lined chilling surface. Chill these for at least an hour until firm. Once chilled, flatten a dough ball, nestle a frozen stack or dollop of pistachio cream in the center, and gently wrap the dough around to seal everything inside. That’s how you get those gorgeous molten-filled centers!
Step 6: Topping and Baking
Arrange your stuffed cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet, spacing them so they have room to spread. Press a few extra chocolate chunks, pistachios, or even a bit of frozen pistachio cream on top for bakery-worthy looks. Bake at 350°F for about 11–12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers look set yet soft. Sprinkle with flaky salt as soon as they come out!
Step 7: Cool & Enjoy
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about five minutes. This resting time keeps them gooey in the middle. Enjoy warm for the ultimate Pistachio Cream Cookie experience, or let them cool—the pistachio filling will set and become creamy-dreamy as the cookies cool down.
Pro Tips for Making Pistachio Cream Cookies
- Chill for Ultimate Texture: Don’t skip chilling the dough balls before baking—it helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the centers perfectly gooey.
- Use the Right Pistachio Cream: Seek out a pistachio spread that’s thick enough to freeze into chunks. Thin or runny spreads may disappear into the dough instead of creating that molten core.
- Mix-in Placement Matters: Save a few pieces of chopped chocolate and pistachios for topping each cookie—the result looks bakery-worthy and adds irresistible texture.
- Watch Bake Time Closely: Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers look just a tad underbaked—the residual heat will finish them perfectly as they cool.
How to Serve Pistachio Cream Cookies
Garnishes
To make your Pistachio Cream Cookies extra special, sprinkle them with flaky salt as soon as they come out of the oven. This simple garnish brings out all the nutty and chocolatey notes! You can also scatter a few extra chopped pistachios or drizzle with a bit of melted white chocolate for a bakery-style finish.
Side Dishes
Serve these cookies alongside a cup of strong coffee, espresso, or a frothy hot chocolate if you love a café treat. They also make an eye-catching addition to a holiday cookie platter or as a wow-factor dessert after a rich dinner—especially with a scoop of pistachio or vanilla ice cream!
Creative Ways to Present
For fun and flair, stack the cookies on a tiered stand and tuck in some fresh pistachio leaves or edible flowers. Or, package each one in a glassine bag tied with ribbon for a delightful edible gift. Arranged in a box, Pistachio Cream Cookies are showstoppers for birthdays, parties, or any occasion that calls for a little sweetness.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once the Pistachio Cream Cookies are cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you prefer your centers gooey, zap a cookie for a few seconds in the microwave to revive that molten magic!
Freezing
Unbaked, stuffed cookie dough freezes like a dream. Place shaped, unbaked cookies on a sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-friendly bag for up to three months. Bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time for fresh-from-the-oven Pistachio Cream Cookies anytime the craving strikes.
Reheating
To reheat, pop a baked cookie in the microwave for 10–12 seconds. The pistachio center will melt just enough to bring back that just-baked decadence, while the edges stay chewy and dreamy.
FAQs
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Can I use unsweetened pistachio butter instead of sweetened pistachio cream spread?
Yes, you can use unsweetened pistachio butter, but keep in mind the cookies will be less sweet and the center may be a bit firmer. If you want a sweeter, gooier filling, look for thick, sweetened pistachio spread or add a little powdered sugar to your pistachio butter before freezing.
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Why does the pistachio cream need to be frozen first?
Freezing the pistachio cream ensures it stays in a luscious, gooey pocket during baking, instead of melting into the surrounding dough. This creates that signature molten center when you bite into the Pistachio Cream Cookies.
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Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can chill the scooped dough in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or freeze the stuffed, unbaked cookie dough balls for up to three months. Just bake straight from the fridge or freezer whenever cookie cravings hit.
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How do I know when the cookies are done baking?
The edges of Pistachio Cream Cookies should look golden and set, while the centers will appear just a touch underbaked—this gives you that dreamy texture! They’ll finish cooking as they cool on the baking sheet.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never tried Pistachio Cream Cookies before, you are in for a real treat. They’re crowd-pleasing, crave-worthy, and just plain delightful—so don’t be surprised if they disappear in record time! I hope you fall in love with every bite and share them with your favorite people.
Print
Pistachio Cream Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 52 minutes
- Yield: 11 large cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious pistachio cream cookies with a gooey center of pistachio spread, studded with chocolate chunks and pistachios, and finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt. These cookies are a delightful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Pistachio Cream Filling:
- 150 g pistachio cream spread
Cookie Dough:
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 100 g brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 50 g unsalted pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
- Flaky salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Freeze pistachio spread: Line a plate with parchment paper. Spread pistachio spread into a sheet. Freeze until solid.
- Prep: Line a cutting board with parchment paper.
- Flour mixture: Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Butter mixture: Whisk melted butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine mixtures: Add flour mixture to butter mixture.
- Fold in chocolate and pistachios: Add chocolate and pistachios to dough.
- Scoop cookie dough: Chill dough in the fridge.
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet.
- Stuff cookie dough: Press dough flat, add pistachio cream, and seal.
- Add toppings: Place cookies on baking sheet, add toppings.
- Bake: Bake for 11-12 minutes, sprinkle with salt, and cool.
Notes
- Pistachio cream should be a thick spreadable consistency with thickeners to prevent absorption by the cookie.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
