The easiest and most delicious Italian Pistachio Cookies ever! Soft and a little fudgy in the center, with crunchy pistachios on the outside, these cookies are ready in under 30 minutes. Make sure to double the recipe because these babies disappear FAST!
Updated: December 2017
I haven’t always been a fan of pistachios. In fact you could say that I used to hate them, which would be much closer to the truth. But now? I can’t get enough of them. So what changed? One fine summer morning (summer in the southern hemisphere) six years ago (almost to the day), I was introduced to a little cookie that blew me away with first impressions. And changed my mind. The meeting was far too brief for my liking, and I never got its name, but the memory of it lingered. Eventually I will return to that meeting place and reacquaint myself with that cookie many times in the following years. And then I moved away and I never heard from it again. And that’s when I decided I will take matters into my own hands and clone it in my kitchen. So I did. The name had always eluded me but that doesn’t really matter. Lets just call these Italian Pistachio Cookies, because something this alluring has got to be European right? All kidding aside, they actually are Italian cookies, as you may find them named elsewhere on the Internet.
It was February 2009. My aunt wanted to show me Little Italy in Haberfield, Sydney, where she was going to get herself some Olives and few other deli items. So I went along. She took me to a little Italian bakery (the name of which I cannot remember unfortunately!) along Ramsay street, where I found all kinds of colourful and positively delicious looking Italian sweet treats. I just wanted to get a Rum Baba, but my aunt also got me some Pistachio cookies and Cannolis! And then we went to a place called Pasticceria Papa and got a big piece of their famous Ricotta cheesecake!
If those exotic sounding words haven’t already convinced you, let me say it again. Those were little pieces of heaven in my mouth. Those cannolis are still the best I’ve ever had, the Rum Baba tasted amazing, and the cheesecake was the creamiest Ricotta cheesecake I’ve had so far. But the star was undoubtedly (and surprisingly) those soft, slightly fudgy / chewy Italian Pistachio cookies! They had lovely, crunchy pistachios on the outside and a soft center. I could have eaten them all day.
As long as I was living in Sydney, I was able to catch a bus ride to Little Italy and get some of those cookies. But when I moved North along the coastline a couple of years later, I had to find a way to recreate them. I developed the recipe over several years and tried numerous batches before I got something that was very close to what I had first had in Sydney. And it’s so easy! You only need 4 ingredients: Pistachios, Almonds, Sugar and Egg whites (and no flour and no butter!). It takes less than 30 minutes from start to end. I hope you like it just as much as I do! 🙂
The trick to baking these perfect Italian Pistachio Cookies, is the baking time! You only want to bake these cookies until the bottom of the cookie is just lightly browned. You don’t want the top of the cookie to brown too much (only the edges!) because then these aren’t going to be too soft in the middle.
The baking time depends on the shape and size of the cookies. If you make cookies that are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, then they will need about 15 – 17 minutes in the oven. If you make cookies that are about 1 inch in diameter, they only require 10 – 12 minutes.
I like to make crescent shaped cookies as well! When I make these Italian Pistachio Cookies in a crescent shape, I first make a 1 1/2 inch cookie ball and then shape into a crescent shape. These will be ready after baking for about 12 minutes. Because of the shape of these cookies, they take a shorter time to bake than their “ball” counterpart. For this recipe, I made 1 inch round cookies and crescent cookies made with 1 1/2 inch rounds. So that the baking time is the same for both.
If you love Pistachios this is the cookie for you. However, even if you’r not a fan, you should still try them! 🙂 Because these cookies are what turned me to the green side! Besides they are so easy to make, why not give them a try? Soft in the center, a little fudgy, not too sweet and dairy- and gluten-free!
I always make a double batch, because trust me, they are not going to last very long! So my advice is, make a double batch secretly, and then pretend like you only made one. You won’t be sorry! 🙂 As long as no one discovers your secret stash at least. If they do, you don’t know me and you never read this.
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Ingredients:
- 8 oz / 226 g + another 1.7 oz / 75 g raw pistachios
- 4.8 oz / 135 g sugar
- 4.8 oz / 135 g blanched sliced almonds
- 2.6 oz / 74-75 g egg whites (about 2 egg whites, but measure out to make sure)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla optional
- Confectioner's sugar to dust on top optional
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 165°C / 325°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the first measure of pistachios, almonds and the sugar. Process until the nuts are ground (with no large chunks left). Transfer the ground nuts and sugar into a clean dry bowl.
- Mix in the measured egg whites (and vanilla if using, this is optional) with the ground nuts and sugar, and mix with a wooden spoon until you get a slightly sticky ball of dough. You will need to mix well to make sure the dough comes together. If needed, add extra egg whites (1 tsp at a time).
- Chop the extra 75 g of pistachios into smaller, coarse pieces and set aside.
- Round cookies - Using a cookie scoop or wet hands, portion out the cookie dough to make round cookies (with a diameter of about 1 inch), and roll each one in the coarsely chopped pistachio nuts. Place these cookies on a prepared cookie baking tray and flatten them slightly.
- Crescent cookies - Using a cookie scoop or wet hands, portion out the cookie dough (with a diameter of 1.5 inches) to make the crescent cookies. Roll this dough ball into slender cylindrical shape, and then shape it again into a crescent. Dip the top of the cookie in the coarsely chopped pistachio nuts. Place these cookies on a prepared cookie baking tray, nut side up.
- Bake them in the preheated oven for about 10 - 12 minutes, until they just start to turn brown at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool down completely. The cookies will be soft when warm, so they must be cooled down before being moved. Dust them with some icing sugar / confectioner's sugar (optional).
- This recipe makes 23 - 26 cookies, and you can keep them in an airtight container for a few days.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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Erin says
Can you freeze these and I made this recipe with walnuts instead of almonds so much better!
Dini says
Hi Erin
I’ve only stored them in an air tight container for a few days, since they finish very quickly.
You could store them in the freezer, as long as they are thawed out at room temperature.
Erin says
Hi so I’m making a lot for my mom so she can just pull them out and bake them so should I bake them first then freeze or make the dough balls then freeze? I’m asking because of the egg whites in the freezer
Gavin Hall says
To stop the ‘dough’ sticking to your hands when forming cookies, moisten your palms with orange-flower water or rosewater. It won’t fight with the other flavours, just provide a fugitive, intriguing scent . . . .
Dawn says
Could you use peanuts instead of pistachios
Dini says
Hi Dawn
Unfortunately I haven’t tried to make these peanuts. Peanuts have a higher oil content, that might interfere with the consistency, but it could be possible.
Hope that helps
Asma says
Can you add craisins to this recipe?
Dini says
Hi Asma
I haven’t added any to the cookies because the traditional version doesn’t have any other additions. But it could work!
Hope that helps
Amara says
Just made these using almond flour and roasted/salted pistachios and they’re incredible!! A little salty so I would probably use unsalted pistachios next time. I dipped the bottoms in dark chocolate for an extra kick.
Nicola Lagonigro says
Great very easy recipe. These are a huge hit!
Sakura says
Allergic to almonds- any ideas for a replacement, please, cuz they look great! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Sakura
You can replace the almonds with more pistachios! 🙂
Hope that helps!
Holly says
Could I use roasted pistachios? How would it affect the recipe?
Dini says
Hi Holly
I haven’t made this with roasted pistachios, so I can’t be certain of the final result. I expect that the pistachios will be more roasted / toasty after baking, but otherwise there shouldn’t be a huge difference in the final cookie.
Anna says
So easy and delicious! Not too sweet either.
Joseph Scarpelli says
When I was a kid in Brooklyn NY my grandma from Sciacca Sicily used to make us these for Thanksgiving. I made them again today using your recipe and it brought me back. Thank you. JOE S.
Kay says
Hi, is there a reason why the pistachio in my cookies turned soft when I bake them? They were crunchy when I mixed them in the dough and i left the dough to chill in the fridge for 2 days before baking
Dini says
Hi Kay
When you leave nuts soaking in a wet dough for a few days, they will absorb moisture and lose their crunch. I usually don’t leave the dough in the fridge for too long because it’s an easy dough to whip up whenever I want to make these.
Also, these cookies once baked will be a soft cookie inside as well.
I hope that helps!
Anitha says
Hi Dini,
Do we need to peel the skin of the blanched almonds and does it need to be dried before blending with pistachios? Pls clarify.
Thankyou.
Dini says
Hi Anitha
Blanched sliced almonds are already skinless and dried almonds that have been sliced, so they can be blended with the pistachios.
I hope that helps!
Anitha says
Thanks a ton, looks tempting but I have regular almonds only, so I will try with these and share the output.
Amy says
They were a hit. So good. We dipped 1/2 of each cookie In melted dark chocolate.
Julia says
I don’t have almonds to ground up but I have almond flour. Do you think it’s possible to substitute? Thank you
Dini says
Hi Julia
Yes you can use almond flour. I preferred grinding my own almonds to give the cookies that extra texture, but you can use almond flour instead.
I hope that helps!
Grace Lee says
I had quite a bit of pistachio and didn’t know what to do with it.. so i googled it and stumbled across your recipe. Made them today and posted it on my ig story but I forgot to tag you!
Just wanna say this is easy and it taste really good.. my second batch, i might have bake it too long but all is well. thank you for this recipe!
Ms. DVo says
WOW. I looked through 20 pistachio cookie recipes before trying yours, since it had the least amount of ingredients (plus NO butter or oils!) and seemed quickest to make. I’ve never even eaten pistachio cookies but I bought bags of pistachios to eat as snacks and thought there had to be an easy yummy recipe out there for pistachio cookies. Thanks again!
Neeraja Hariharan says
I loved them . Got complimented by my son who is always apprehensive about my baking skills
Soheila says
I love the recipe
Janet says
Fantastic recipe. I made these for Christmas and the family loved them and want the recipe. They are so easy to make and freeze well.
Samantha says
What is the conversion for U.S in cups?
Dini says
Hi Samantha
It is very difficult to give cup measurements for this recipe as the pistachios I use can be larger than some of the store bought pistachios. Because of the size variations, the amount of pistachios in 1 cup can vary greatly. The same goes for almonds.
As for the sugar, it’s just over 2/3 of a cup. However I do still recommend going by weight to make sure you get accurate, consistent results with this recipe.
According to this website, 1 cup of pistachios is 150g, and 1 cup of slivered almonds is 110g, but I can’t confirm its accuracy.
Liz says
I made this for a cookie exchange party at work and it was gone! I love that it’s gluten free. I used up the pistachio meal I had leftover after making pistachio macarons so nothing went to waste. This recipe yielded about 21 cookies. I think I could have made them smaller as they ended up looking like falafel balls!
Dini says
Thank you so much Liz, I’m so happy everyone liked the cookies! 🙂
Liz Toth-Nowak says
I used pasteurized egg whites from carton and had to increase to 85 gm, along with a few drops of almond extract. Thanks so much for a great recipe that I will add to my collection!
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Liz, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Tracy Gregory says
Hi, looking forward to trying these when I have collected the Said ingredients. One quick question, do you think I could freeze theses. As I would like to bake ahead for Christmas. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Tracy!
I haven’t tried to freeze them before unfortunately, so I can’t be sure. They should be OK frozen though. I’m sorry I can’t be more certain.
Tracy says
Hi, they turned out really well and they did not suffer from having been frozen.
Thank you loved them.
Lana says
These are simply fabulous! Reminds me of Italy with every bite. This is a do-again recipe. The center is chewy with a slightly crunchy exterior. I made it slightly brown on the bottom with a barely brown edge as suggested. It took 12min in my oven with a total of 26 cookies. I baked them one tray at a time.
Diane says
Hi! Wondering if you have ever frozen these?
Dini says
Hi Diane
I haven’t frozen these so I don’t know how well these would freeze. They should be ok, but I can’t be 100% sure.
Dennis says
Hi I have tried your recipe and the taste turns out great. I have one question about the texture of the cookies. It’s chewy when bite it. The surface of the cookies is chewy too. Isn’t the soft cookies suppose to be chewy in the middle and crispy skin?
Dini says
Hi Dennis!
I am sorry for the late reply! These are definitely soft cookies, so it is normal for the center to be soft, and fudgy rather than to be chewy. I would suggest baking them for a shorter time for next time, so that they are still fudgy in the center! Cheers 🙂
Wendi says
Dini, Thank You for sharing this recipe! My husband & I visited Rome, Italy in 2015 & every day I bought an Italian Pistachio Cookie at this quaint little bakery near our hotel. When we came home, I was so craving them & tried to find a recipe. I just found your site & used your recipe & it is PERFECT ! I am sipping on coffee & enjoying this delicious Pistachio cookie & reminiscing about my beautiful time in Italy. Thank you so much !
Dini says
Hi Wendi!
Thank you so much! Your comment made my day and it makes me so happy to know that you loved this cookie! It is one of my absolute favorite cookies ever! 🙂
Simon Vanbecelaere says
Almonds and pistachio! Two of my favorites for baking 🙂 These remind me of a cookie my grandfather made for us when we were younger! Looks superb! Thanks for sharing
Marie Sessa says
Cannot wait to try this recipe.
Natalya says
Made these and loved everything about them! Easy to make, few simple ingredients, small in size takes out the guilt factor and they contain just the right amount of sweetness! I cannot have dairy at this time, so finding dessert recipes that taste good is a challenge! Thank you!
Michèle says
So after having made a pistachio blanc manger I looked at the ground up pistachios and thought surely I can turn these into something as I cringe at waste. A simple google search later and I found your recipe. Full confession I had to take liberties with your recipe to make them because my goal was to use up the pistachios, not run to the store for other ingredients! So without question I will make these per your recipe but figured I might as well post my version too as they came out great. I did not have almonds, only amandes en poudre (I live in France so a staple here) but in short, that’s just ground almonds so figured it would work. I also didn’t have enough pistachios for rolling them in so I rolled them in the amandes en poudre. (It worked great but yours are much prettier rolled in the pistachios and almonds). I also added a micro-plane of lemon zest to the mix. But otherwise the base of the recipe was the same and they may just be my new favorite cookie. My husband and I just had our afternoon espresso and these were the perfect accompaniment. Thanks for sharing your wonderful memory and for traveling down the road of recreating them!
Dini says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Michèle! You made my day! I am so glad that you personalised it and made it your own and even more, that you liked it! These are by far one of my favourite cookies, and I would eat them everyday if I could. I am definitely going to add some lemon zest the next time I make them too! Thank you for that incredible tip! 🙂
deliciouslynell says
How gorgeous! I’m glad I came over to visit!
Sam says
Love pistachios, but Hubby is allergic to almonds, any suggestion for substitution? Would prefer to keep it gluten free if possible but not a must. Thanks
Dini says
Hi Sam! Thank you so much for visiting my blog.
You can definitely substitute all pistachios instead of Almonds if you prefer (and recommended over other substitutions), it will definitely have a stronger pistachio flavour. You could also use ground hazelnuts as well, but that will add the hazelnut flavour.
If you use the same weight of pistachios to almonds, and process it along with the pistachios called for in the recipe, it should still come out delicious! 🙂 I would love to know how it turned out for you! I hope you and your hubby love them 🙂
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
I love these pistachio cookies. And they are Passover-friendly and gluten-free – a triple threat for those of us observing Passover.
Dini says
I love these cookies too! I hope you do make them for Passover 🙂
Savanna @ Gluten Free Vegan Pantry says
Mmmmm I love all things pistachio and these cookies sound amazing!
Christine says
I adore Pistachios…I am getting the ingredients for this recipe tomorrow!! Thank you for sharing at the Friday Favorites Link Party. I hope to see you again this week!! Hugs – Christine
Justine says
What an awesome story! I love that you were able to recreate these at home and they sound amazing 🙂
Dini says
Thank you Justine! 🙂
Winnie says
These are looking wonderful, and as they contain no flour – they’d be wonderful for Passover (our coming holiday)
Pinning and saving the recipe!
Dini says
I’m really glad Winnie! 🙂 yo have to let me know what you think! Your cookies look far more impressive though…
skd says
The case of the disappearing cookie lol 🙂 When something looks so irresistible, can’t blame anyone. Your idea is excellent. making one secret batch. haha 🙂
Dini says
I do that more often than I care to admit! 😀 It works though!!
Prachi Garg says
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G ! i would be making it soon. Thanks for sharing on FF
Julie @ HostessAtHeart says
I love pistachios and these cookies look amazing!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I LOVE pistachios! When we were kids my parents used to buy us a treat once a week with the food shop, normally we picked something chocolatey but every now and then I’d get a bag of pistachios – that’s how much I love them, 10 year old me sometimes chose nuts over chocolate!
I definitely need to make these cookies asap!
Dini says
I have always loved cashews and almonds, but I’ve had to warm up to the other types of nuts! 🙂 Pistachios are almost like a precious thing to me because they are a little more expensive than the other nuts too! 🙂
Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says
These look tasty! I think it’s wonderful to find those little bakeries wherever you end up living. I know my cousin who moves around a lot has found various German bakeries near her multiple times. I lived in the same city once and had never even heard of the bakeries. It just takes a bit of searching! Hope you have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Dini says
I love the little bakeries too! I found the best chocolate croissant I’ve ever had in an obscure bakery in Sydney that noone knew about, plus all of it is over by 10am! They are the best bakeries! 🙂
Thank you Kaila! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend too!
Caroline says
Ooh, I could easily eat a few of these! I wasn’t a fan of pistachio as a child – I think it was pistachio ice cream put me off, but similarly love them now. And love that these are so easy! Will have to give them a try…Thanks for sharing, and happy FF!
Amanda says
Oooooooh!!! I love pistachios and anything pistachio flavored… so these are a must try for me 😀 Hearing your stories about the recipe made me smile. Thank you for linking up to Friday Favorites 😀 Enjoy your weekend!
Dini says
Thank you Amanda! I love Pistachios now too. These are the cookies that converted me 🙂 I hope you have an amazing Weekend too! 🙂
Diana Rambles says
Yum! I want these NOW!!!
Brittaney @ Sips and Snacks says
I love pistachios, and these look wonderful! I love recipes like this that only call for a couple ingredients, and how lucky is it that I already have all of them?! Can’t wait to try them!
Dini says
Thank you Brittaney! These are super easy to make too, so I hope you do give it a go! Please let me know what you think! 🙂
Lauren says
Hi, these sound great. How many eggs do you need for the egg whites?
Dini says
Hi Lauren!
1 egg white is about 40g. So for this you will need about 1 1/2 egg whites. I like measuring it because each egg white might weigh differently. Just add a little at a time to get the consistency of the dough right 🙂
Munni says
Hi there I’m a lover of nuts and this calls for the perfect recipe !!! I was just wondering if you just add the egg whites in or you wisk them into the ground nuts ?
Thank you ! Look forward to hearing from you soon
Dini says
Hi Munni!
I am really glad you love the recipe! 🙂 These cookies are so good! For this, you just have to add the egg whites to the nuts and mix it through. You do not have to whisk the egg whites before adding them 🙂
Hope that helps!
Reema Gurjar says
Hello there, I want to make these without egg. You think I could use milk bind the ingredients instead of egg whites? I’m ok to use dairy, but not egg.
Dini says
Hi Reema
Egg white is an important ingredient in this recipe as it’s the only ingredient that will provide structure to the cookie.
Milk will unfortunately not be a good substitute. Aquafaba might be, but because I haven’t tried it myself, I can’t be certain if it will work.
The best option is to follow a vegan pistachio cookie recipe that has been tested and egg free so you know you will get better results.