Chewy Pistachio Cookies

Five pistachio cookies stacked on each other.

These pistachio cookies are ultra chewy and have an almost fudge-like texture. They’re made with just a few simple ingredients and come together in the food processor after you grind the pistachios.

For an ultra-green color, use Sicilian pistachios, and don't toast the nuts. However, toasted nuts will taste amazing and give extra nuttiness to the cookies,

Flourless, gluten-free, and addictively delicious! They are also quite sweet and rich.

4.83 from 17 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: cookies

Calories: 143kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

2 cups raw or toasted pistachios (280 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
¾ cup powdered sugar (75 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Fit a food processor with a blade attachment.
Place the pistachios, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, salt, and cardamom in the food processor. Process until the pistachios look like sand. You may need to stop the processor and scrape the corners a couple of times. Don’t process the mixture too long or it will turn into sweet nut butter.
Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to the food processor and pulse until well combined. Scrape the sides and pulse a few more times. The mixture should look like a thick, sticky dough.
Use a 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop and scoop balls of cookie dough. Place the cookie dough on the baking sheets, spacing them 3-inches apart.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until they get slightly puffy and start to crack on the tops. Don’t over bake the cookies. They will appear slightly soft in the center and they should not get too browned.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets

Notes

Toasting the pistachios will give the cookies more depth of flavor but they will have a brighter green color if you use raw pistachios.
If you want to toast the pistachios first, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6 to 10 minutes. Let them cool before adding them to the food processor.
You can make the cookie dough 3 to 5 days in advance and store in the fridge. The cold dough will be more difficult to scoop so let it come to room temperature before scooping it.
We used Sicilian pistachios (Bronte pistachios) from Bronte, Sicily for the cookies in the photos. The Bronte pistachios have a deeper green color and a richer flavor than pistachios grown in any other country. This recipe works well with any type of pistachio.
Powdered sugar is also called confectioners sugar.

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