Italian Pistachio Cookies (Easy Authentic Recipe!)

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Italian Pistachio Cookies are a classic Italian cookie with chopped pistachios that are so simple to make! You’re going to love the subtle pistachio flavor of these soft cookies that are ready in 20 minutes!

REVIEW: Holy moly this recipe is good! I love the simplicity of it – had all the ingredients on hand and was able to measure, mix, bake, and clean all within an hour!

Italian Pistachio Cookies stacked on each other on a countertop.

If you love pistachios, these cookies are for you! They are soft and mildly pistachio-flavored with a sweet and melt-in-your mouth bite!

If you love Italian cookies, be sure to try these super soft Almond Ricotta Cookies or these Italian Almond Chocolate Cookies. For a delicious nutty cake, be sure to check out this recipe for Almond Ricotta Cake. If you love fall flavors, be sure to try these Apple Spice Cookies!

Table of Contents

You’ll Love Italian Pistachio Cookies!

This recipe has been tested and perfected! And, I can tell you they the best Italian Pistachio Cookie recipe out there with a delicious nutty flavor and soft center.

Italian Pistachio Cookies are one of those cookies you make once and will make forever. They are also a great way to use up leftover pistachios you may have on hand.

What makes these cookies so special is the focus on the pistachios. The pistachios really stand out and don’t get lost in the other flavors like almond extract or lemon.

These cookies are also super soft and are a beautiful green color without any food coloring. It’s all the tastes of pistachio you love in cookie form!

Close up of an Italian pistachio cookies with crushed pistachios on top.

Also, these cookies are made with simple ingredients like roasted and lightly salted pistachios. The roasted pistachios help to intensify the pistachio flavor without being overwhelming.

Lastly, these Italian Pistachio Cookies are made with just a few ingredients and not too much added sugar. They really are intended to focus on the delicious pistachio flavors.

Ingredients and Variations

Ingredients for recipe including sugar, flour, vanilla, and baking powder.

Pistachios: use the roasted and salted shelled pistachios for this recipe. The roasted variety adds a nice flavor and, by using salted, you don’t need to add any additional salt to the recipe. Raw pistachios can be used if needed.
Extracts: vanilla extract is all you need for these cookies. Many different recipes call for almond extract and lemon zest. However, these tend to overpower the cookies in my opinion. Feel free to add them in if you are looking for a stronger nut flavor.
Butter: use room temperature, unsalted butter.
Baking Powder: make sure you are using baking powder and not baking soda.
Flour: all purpose flour works best in this recipe. If you can find pistachio flour, that would be a great substitute. Almond flour or almond meal would be too dense for this cookie and not a good substitute.
Sugar: use regular granulated sugar for the cookie batter. Save the powdered sugar for sprinkling over the finished cookies.
Egg: you only need one large room temperature egg for these Italian pistachio cookies.
If you love chocolate, give these Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies a try!

How to Make Italian Pistachio Cookies

This recipe comes together fast and only requires a few ingredients. As for equipment, you will need a baking sheet, food processor, and mixing bowl.

Process shots showing how to make recipe including grinding the nuts in a food processor.

Step 1: chop the pistachios

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Firstly, you will need to chop the pistachios. Place the shelled nuts in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process the pistachios until they are finely chopped, slightly larger than the size of sand. Remove a tablespoon of the mixture for topping the cookie and set aside.

Step 2: make the dough

Next, make the dough. Start by using an electric mixer to beat together the egg and sugar in large bowl. You want to mix until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.

Then, add in the room temperature unsalted butter and vanilla. Mix until well combined. To the same bowl, add in the flour, baking powder, and ground pistachios.

Step 3: mix the dough

Mix all of the ingredients until you get a smooth cookie dough. Use a rubber spatula to ensure that the ingredients are well incorporated.

Step 4: roll out balls of dough

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the remaining crushed pistachios on top of the cookie dough balls. (You can also arrange the cookies into a crescent shape.)

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, being careful not to over bake. You may need to adjust baking time depending on altitude.

Pistachio Cookies laid out on a countertop with a cup of coffee.

Let the Italian pistachio cookies cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Store these delicious cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Tips for Making Pistachio Cookies

Use roasted and salted shelled pistachios for these Italian Pistachio Cookies. If you can’t find them, you can de-shell the pistachios and then roast them in a 200 degree oven for a couple of minutes (until you can smell them). If all you have is unsalted, add a ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the cookie dough batter.
The dough for this cookie can be made ahead and refrigerated for a couple of hours before baking.
When warm, this is a very soft cookie. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before moving them to a storage container.
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze for up to a month.

Pistachio cookies stacked on each other on a countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you enhance pistachio flavor in baking?

Pistachio cookies will have a mild nutty pistachio flavor. If you did want a stronger flavor, consider adding almond extract along with the vanilla extract into the batter. However, note that the almond flavor has the tendency to be overpowering so use with caution when baking.

Are pistachios common in Italian cuisine?

Pistachios are very common in Italy and can be found in both sweet and savory dishes. Italians loves to use pistachio cream to sweeten their breads or as a filling for donuts of pastries. And, you’ll often find Italian using crushed pistachios as a coating for fish or in salads.

What can I make with leftover pistachios?

Make Italian Pistachio cookies! With just a cup of pistachios (146 grams) you can make simple and delicious pistachio cookies that are ready in just 20 minutes.

Italian pistachios cookies on a marble countertop with pistachios and a cup of coffee.

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