Pistachio Pudding Cookies are a surprisingly impressive cookie made with instant pistachio pudding mix. They are dyed a lovely green for an eye-catching presentation, making them ideal to share with friends and family. Whether it's a party or a small potluck, everyone will be lining up to get the recipe for these sweet yet salty cookies!
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 9 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 16
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Soft, chewy cookies with a sweet, nutty pistachio flavor and subtle vanilla notes.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Perfect alongside a cold glass of milk, hot coffee, or as part of a dessert platter.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, dough can be chilled or frozen ahead, and baked cookies keep well for several days.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I've made these chewy pistachio cookies for several occasions, and they're always a hit. They're soft and chewy without feeling cakey with crunchy bits of pistachio in every bite. It's the perfect harmony of salty and sweet! If you want an easy shareable cookie recipe, I can't praise this one enough.
If you like the ease of pudding cookies, then you need to make these banana pudding cookies and chocolate chip pudding cookies too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's quick and easy: Not only is the prep for these green pistachio cookies fast, but the baking time is too. This recipe takes just 15 minutes from start to finish!
- It's a great addition to a cookie platter: These pistachio cookies work wonderfully as a standalone dessert or as part of a dessert party platter.
- It's budget-friendly: The ingredients used for these pistachio pudding cookies are affordable even on a tight budget, so you can make them whenever you want.
Ingredients
Here are the most important ingredients you'll need for this pistachio pudding cookie recipe. These will be key to achieving the best flavor and texture possible.
- Sugar: The combination of white and brown sugar provides the perfect amount of chew without the cookie being too soft, like cake, but not too crispy.
- Egg yolk: I add egg and egg yolk to this pistachio cookie dough. The extra yolk adds richness and moisture. I use an additional egg yolk in these snickerdoodle bars as well.
- Pistachio pudding mix: This also adds moisture and subtle pistachio flavor that's further enhanced by the chopped pistachios. Ensure that you grab instant and not cook and serve for the best result.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- White chocolate: Fold in ½ cup of white chocolate chips for extra richness.
- Cranberry: Add about ⅓ cup of dried cranberries for pops of red color and tartness.
- Chocolate chip: Stir in a ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for a classic cookie twist that balances the nutty pistachio flavor with rich, melty chocolate.
- Coconut: Fold in a ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut to add a soft, chewy texture and a subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with pistachio.
If you enjoy recipes like this that use pistachio as the star of the show, you just have to check out this pistachio tiramisu. You won't be disappointed.
How to Make Pistachio Pudding Cookies
To get started on this pistachio cookie recipe with pudding mix, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, you can work on your cookie dough! Remember that these are pistachio drop cookies, and the dough will be a little sticky.
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, and then add the remaining wet ingredients. Now you can add the dry ingredients and mix gently until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Add pistachios. Fold in the chopped pistachios.
Step 3: Form the cookies. Scoop and drop 3 tablespoons of cookie dough for each pistachio cookie, leaving space between them.
Step 4: Bake and cool. Stick the pan in the oven and bake the cookies for about 9 minutes. Allow them to sit for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy a cookie with this sweet and creamy Oreo dip!
Expert Tips
- Chill sticky dough: If the butter gets too warm or if you're working in a warmer than average kitchen, this can make your cookie dough sticky and difficult to work with. If this happens to your pistachio cookie dough, stick it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Avoid overbaking the cookies: Overbaked pistachio pudding cookies are hard and dry. Ensure that you don't bake them longer than they need so that they remain chewy and soft in the middle.
- Storage directions: Store extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. Refrigeration isn't recommended because it dries them out faster. You may freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Another tasty dessert that uses pistachio pudding mix is this pistachio fluff.
Serving Suggestions
- A scoop of tasty homemade ice cream would be an amazing pairing with a pistachio pudding cookie. Some flavors I recommend are Almond Joy ice cream and chocolate crunch ice cream.
- Enjoy a creamy adult beverage like a strawberries and cream martini or an alcohol-free one like this Dalgona coffee, as both have flavors that complement the pistachio.
- Make a unique cookie sandwich with some raspberry jalapeno jam. It's sweet, a little spicy, and the raspberry pistachio combo is divine!
Recipe FAQs
The edges of the cookies will set and start to brown while the centers remain soft. It's normal for the cookies to appear underbaked because they will set as they cool.
Yes! Scoop the dough into balls on a parchment lined bakng sheet and freeze. Once frozen, place them in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake them straight from frozen and add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Warm cookie dough spreads a lot more than chilled or room temperature dough. Just like mentioned above, ensure that your butter is softened but not warm or melted.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Do you like cookie recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoon butter unsalted and softened
- 100 grams granulated white sugar about ½ cup
- 50 grams light brown sugar about ¼ cup packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2-3 drops green food coloring optional
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3-ounce box pistachio instant pudding mix
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces pistachios salted, shelled and roughly chopped (about ⅔ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the base of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) cream together the butter and sugars for about 2 minutes on medium-low speed, with the paddle attachment.
- Add the egg, yolk and food coloring and run on low until combined.
- Then repeat with the all-purpose flour, instant pudding mix, baking powder and sea salt. Add chopped pistachios and mix to combine (I do this with the mixer, but you can do it with a spatula).
- Drop or roll 3 tablespoon scoops onto prepared baking sheet and leave some room for spreading.
- Bake for 9 mins just before they start to get golden brown, then allow them to cool for before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Avoid overbaking the pistachio pudding cookies because they will become hard and dry.
- You may freeze the cookie dough to bake at a later time. The cookies bake great straight from the freezer, too.
- If the softened butter is too warm, it can also make the pistachio cookie dough too warm. This causes the cookies to spread significantly in the oven, resulting in a flat shape.
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