Pistachio Cookies

These cookies are so soft, moist and delicious cookies! They are my most popular cookie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies, cream cheese cookies, pistachio cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings cookies

Calories 143kcal

Author Elaine Benoit

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks, softened and cut into pats)
8 ounce package cream cheese
.75 cups white sugar
1 egg
1.5 teaspoons vanilla
2.25 cups flour (all purpose white flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
.50 teaspoon salt
3.4 ounce package pistachio pudding mix (regular, but if you can't find regular, it's okay to use instant)
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Optional

.50 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get cookie or baking sheets.
Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a mixer until combined.
1 cup butter, 8 ounce package cream cheese, .75 cups white sugar
Add egg and vanilla and beat until mixed.
1 egg, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla
Add flour, baking powder, pistachio pudding mix, and salt and mix until combined.
2.25 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3.4 ounce package pistachio pudding mix, .50 teaspoon salt
Stir in pistachios - the batter will be hard to stir.
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Use a medium cookie scoop and place dough balls on the cookie sheets - 16 per sheet.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 min; check after 12 minutes - as we all have different ovens. They should be slightly soft to the touch and lightly browned on the edges. Let them rest on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to the wire rack.
Optional: If dipping some of the cookies in chocolate, melt chocolate in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds. My chocolate took 1 minute 30 seconds to melt.
.50 cup chocolate chips
Eat, smile, and enjoy.

Notes

Update: The last few times I've bought pistachio pudding mix, I've had to buy instant. There isn't any noticeable difference to the taste of these delicious cookies, so feel free to use instant in these wonderful pistachio cookies.

Helpful tips

If you can't find regular pistachio pudding mix, you may use instant. Of course, I prefer the regular kind.

Take the butter out for at least an hour before making the cookies. You want it to be soft and at room temperature. I usually take the butter out the night before (unless it's summertime).

There is no need to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator prior to making the cookies as it is soft already.

After placing the butter into the mixing bowl, cut into pats with a butter knife for easier mixing. I do use salted butter, but you can substitute it with unsalted butter.

Do not overmix the dough.

Use raw, unsalted pistachios as you don't want a salty cookie. If you can't find unsalted, one of my readers, Dawn, told me she rinsed the salt off the pistachios and let them dry out overnight! Thanks for the tip, Dawn.

These pistachio cookies take longer to bake than the average cookie, so be patient as the outside will be a little crispy with a soft inside.

I like to dip some of these cookies in melted chocolate. People like them both ways, but I always like giving them a choice.

These cookies freeze well and can be eaten within a few minutes of being removed from the freezer.

I don't use green food coloring in these cookies as the pistachio pudding mix has some in there, but use a few drops if you want them to be really green.

Nutrition