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.
If you like pistachios (my homemade pistachio paste and marshmallows with pistachios are two more of my favorites), you’ll love these cookies!
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 free and gluten free! You can also check out my homemade pistachio paste for a deliciously nutty and sweet pistachio butter, or these orange blossom marshmallows with pistachios for more pistachio goodness!
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! 🙂 And if you’re making these for the holidays, check out my collection of candy recipes, cookie recipes, and Christmas recipes for more holiday favorites that everyone will love!
More holiday-worthy cookie recipes you’ll love
- Shortbread cookies
- Chocolate shortbread cookies
- Chocolate chip & cranberry shortbread cookies
- Thumbprint cookies
- Linzer cookies
- Soft ginger cookies
- Funfetti cookies
- Best chocolate chip cookies
- Double chocolate chip cookies
- Chocolate hazelnut cookies
- Thyme and cheddar cheese cookies (savory cookies)
- Savory thumbprint cookies
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Italian Pistachio Cookies
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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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!