These Pistachio Cookies are the Perfect Spring Recipe

Honestly, there’s no such thing as the “perfect” cookie. There are too many personal preferences that dictate to different people what, in fact, is considered perfect for them. My brother disdains a thick, Levain-style cookie while I LOVE their thick and chewy texture. My dad craves a classic soft chocolate chip cookie, but I prefer them thinner and chewier. And when it comes to flavors, many people prefer the simple and classic, while I love finding ways to have fun with surprising flavors. So, I’ll start with this. These pistachio cookies are the perfect cookie (to me), and I hope they bring the same joy to you.

Pistachio-flavored everything is certainly having a moment thanks to treats like the Dubai chocolate bar. Its mild, yet earthy flavor makes it perfect for pairing with different ingredients, and its muted green color is also fantastic. But I wanted a cookie that screamed pistachio in every way possible. These cookies celebrate pistachio but also elevate it with a few ingredient additions. Chewy in texture, perfectly sweet, and bright in flavor, these are the ultimate.

Ingredients You’ll Need for These Pistachio Cookies

The ingredient list for these cookies is pretty short, though you’ll need a couple extras to take them over the top.

Sugar. We’re using both granulated and brown sugar here.

Olive oil. I love the flavor of olive oil in these cookies. Use a good one, its savory flavor will really compliment the pistachios.

Orange. I did test these cookies without orange zest, and found that the slight brightness that a bit of zest added was non-negotiable for me. It adds the perfect flavor without going overboard.

Cardamom. A little goes a long way, and I really think a little cardamom complements and uplifts the pistachio flavor in the best way. Use the fresh stuff, I promise it’s better!

Salt. Do not skip the salt in any baked good, but especially in these.

Vanilla. Optional, but I like a little bit of vanilla in these. Powdered vanilla powder is a new favorite of mine, and a little goes a long way.

Egg. Just one for this recipe.

All purpose flour. The base of our cookies!

Pistachios. But also, we’re supplementing a portion of flour in these cookies with ground pistachios. This ensures that you get little bites of pistachio in the cookies without huge chunks, and it adds to the flavor.

Baking powder and soda. To help our cookies rise.

Pistachio butter. It’s very easy to make your own, though you can also use store-bought.

A Few Tips for Cookie Success:

I tested these cookies four different ways. Yes, that’s a lot of cookies. But there were different variations and methods I wanted to try to ensure the most optimal cookie.

1. Combine the orange zest into the sugars before adding the olive oil and eggs. By rubbing the zest into the dry sugars until it feels like wet sand, you’ll release some of its natural oils and flavors.
2. Chill the cookie dough. I often skip this step when I make cookies because the difference feels nominal at best to me most of the time. But for these cookies, it really makes a difference, especially because we’re using olive oil instead of butter. Chilling the dough helped the flavor, texture, and rise so much more than when I tested not chilling the dough, so please don’t skip! Yes, you’ll still get a good cookie if you don’t chill it, but think about how much better it could be!
3. For even more pistachio flavor, I like to add ribbons of pistachio butter to the finished dough. Instead of mixing it thoroughly into the cookie dough, just swirl it in with a spatula so you can still see the butter.
4. In addition, I like to make a little topping mix with ground pistachios, demerera sugar, zest, and salt. This also helps the cookies look even prettier with the ingredients that are inside of the cookie visible on the outside. This step is optional, but I think it’s fun!
5. Tap your baking sheet in the oven and on the counter when removing them from the oven. I love the pan-banging cookie trend from Sarah Kieffer. It gives your cookies these lovely ripples and chewy texture while rising that I think is so perfect. Tap the baking sheet on the rack while in the oven twice, and then when you remove them from the oven, gently on the counter.
6. If you want to keep your cookies round in shape, use a cookie cutter or glass to shape the cookies while hot out of the oven. Yes it’s optional, but if you care about the ~aesthetic~ it’s a simple way to do this!

How to Store These Pistachio Cookies:

Once the cookies have cooled, I like to store these in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature. If I’m going to keep them around longer, I would just freeze the dough in scoops and store them until ready to bake.

To freeze cookie dough, I like to scoop dough out onto a lined baking sheet and let chill in the fridge. Then, move the baking sheet to the freezer until frozen solid. From there, remove the scoops from the sheet and store in an airtight container or Ziploc for easy single-serve cookies at a moment’s notice. You may need to bake these a few minutes longer when baking from frozen, but just keep an eye on them.

Keep reading for the recipe, and let me know if you give these a try!

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