Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect mix of sweet and salty with a soft, chewy texture in every bite. Crunchy honey-roasted pistachios and rich dark chocolate chips come together in a bakery-style cookie that’s hard to resist. Whether you’re baking for a holiday cookie tray, sharing with friends, or simply treating yourself, these cookies are always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
For the Honey-Toasted Pistachios:
- 1 cup — raw shelled pistachios
- 1 tbsp — unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp — honey
- ¼ tsp — flaky sea salt
For the Cookie Dough:
- 2¼ cups — all-purpose flour — spooned and leveled or weighed
- 1 tsp — cornstarch
- 1 tsp — baking soda
- ½ tsp — sea salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks — unsalted butter — melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup — brown sugar — packed
- ½ cup — granulated sugar
- 2 large — eggs — room temperature
- 2 tsp — pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups — dark chocolate chips
For Finishing:
- flaky sea salt — for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Toast the Pistachios In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the raw shelled pistachios, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with sea salt. Stir frequently for 4–5 minutes until the pistachios are golden and fragrant. Spread onto a parchment-lined sheet and allow to cool completely.Chop the Pistachios Once cooled, pulse a few times in a food processor or place in a zip-lock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Aim for a mix of sizes — from coarse crumbs to small chunks — for maximum flavor in every bite.Mix the Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.Cream Butter and Sugars In a large mixing bowl, beat the melted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.Add Eggs and Vanilla Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is fully combined and glossy.Add the Dry Ingredients With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated — do not overmix.Fold in Mix-ins Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dark chocolate chips and the cooled chopped pistachios until evenly distributed throughout the dough.Chill the Dough Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally 1–2 hours. For longer chilling, scoop the dough into balls first, arrange on a lined tray, and refrigerate. Cold dough bakes up thicker and chewier.Preheat and Prep When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.Bake Bake for 9–12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. The centers will look slightly underdone — that's perfect. They will set as they cool.Cool and Finish Let cookies rest on the pan for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Optionally, use a round biscuit cutter to gently swirl each cookie into a perfect circle while still warm.
Notes
- Weigh your flour for the most consistent results. Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour and can lead to dry, dense cookies that don't spread properly.
- Don't skip chilling. This recipe uses melted butter, which means the dough needs time to firm up in the fridge. Skipping this step will cause the cookies to spread too thin.
- Underbake, don't overbake. Pull them when the edges look set and golden but the center still looks soft. Residual heat does the rest.
- Freeze the dough. Scoop into balls, freeze on a tray for 2 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add a slice of white bread to the container to maintain softness. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.