Dried tart cherries pair perfectly with dark chocolate and pistachios in these elegant cookies. There is a blend of salty, sweet and tart in these exquisite bites of deliciousness.

A closeup of pistachio cherry cookies that have dried cherries.

I put just enough dark chocolate in them to add some depth to the cookies without overwhelming the pistachio flavor. Pistachios are not only mixed into the dough but they are covering the top to show the star of this cookie.

If you love pistachios in your cookies as much as we do then you will also love these cranberry pistachio biscotti and these rose pistachio cookies.

Dipping cookie dough into chopped pistachios.

Ingredients for Pistachio Cherry Cookies

This recipe is easy to double and you just might want to do that. The list of ingredients includes some pretty standard pantry ingredients aside from the dried cherries and pistachios.

Sugar.
Brown sugar. Pack it down firmly when you measure it.
Butter. Let the butter come to room temperature.
Olive oil or canola oil. The oil helps the cookies keep their shape.
Eggs. Room temperature eggs will emulsify into the batter easily.
Vanilla extract. Use the real stuff for the best flavor.
Flour.
Baking soda.
Salt.
Dried cherries. We used Montmorency cherries. They added some tartness to the cookies.
Pistachios. We used unsalted pistachios to prevent too much salt.
Dark chocolate.

For really outstanding results, use a good bar of dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips would work but they don’t melt into the batter the same way as a chocolate bar does. It just takes one 3.5 ounce bar finely chopped to disperse into the cookie batter. These are definitely on my favorite list and always feel like a special treat.

A serving platter with pistachio cherry cookies and some pistachio nuts.

How to make pistachio cherry cookies.

Here is a brief summary of the recipe process but make sure you scroll all the way down to the printable recipe card for detailed instructions.

Cream the wet ingredients. Use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to get the butter and sugar well aerated.
Sift the dry ingredients over the batter. We used a sifter but you could combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and give them a good stir with a whisk to combine them well.
Stir in the cherries, pistachios, and chocolate. The dough is fairly stiff so use a strong wooden spoon.
Shape the dough into balls. We used a medium-sized cookie scoop. It looks like a mini ice cream scooper and makes it super easy to scoop cookie dough.
Press the cookie dough into some chopped pistachios. Make sure you reserve some pistachios for this step.
Bake the cookies. It is easy to over-bake cookies. Depending on the size of the cookies and your personal oven, the time may vary a bit so keep a close eye on them. After you bake the first batch you will have a good idea with the other batches.

A plate filled with 3 pistachio cherry cookies and a latte drink in the background.

SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:

This vanilla, rose, and pistachio cake is just as delicious as it looks. It is elegant enough for a special birthday or even a small wedding cake.

Thick, chocolatey and perfectly chewy, we’re all about this Coconut Chocolate Chunk Tahini cookie.

Our Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are so simple to whip up. Bake up a batch for an easy treat any time of year!

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Pistachio Cherry Cookies

A delicious combination of pistachios, tart dried cherries and dark chocolate come together for a memorable cookie.

4.82 from 27 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 22

Servings: to 5 dozen

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

1 cup sugar 200 grams
1/3 cup light brown sugar 70 grams
8 tablespoons butter softened
2 tablespoons light olive oil or canola oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour 280 grams
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried cherries
¾ cup pistachios roughly chopped
3-½ ounces dark chocolate 70% cocoa, finely chopped**

topping

1/3 cup pistachios finely chopped

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
Use an electric mixer to cream the sugar, brown sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined then stir in the vanilla.
Turn the mixer off and sift the flour, baking soda and salt on top of the batter. Stir the flour mixture into the batter to moisten the flour then turn the mixer on low. Iincrease the speed to medium until well combined.
Stir in the cherries, pistachios and chopped chocolate.
Place 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios in a shallow dish. Scoop the cookie batter into 1-1/2 tablespoon size mounds then press the top of the mounds into the chopped pistachios to coat the tops.
Arrange the cookie dough on baking sheets and press down slightly on the cookies. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

If using salted pistachios, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
You can substitute mini chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate.
The dough is pretty stiff when you stir in the pistachios, cherries, and chocolate. Use a sturdy wooden spoon.
If you use olive oil, use light olive oil that has a neutral flavor.