Pistachio chocolate chunk cookies are the answer when you want a cookie that's unique and impressive but still super easy to make! Salty pistachios, melty pools of dark chocolate, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt make these cookies irresistible. Best of all there's no special equipment, no chilling the dough, and no complicated steps... just a bowl, a whisk, and a really good cookie!
You already know that I love to put a fun, flavorful spin on classic chocolate chip cookies, like these sweet and salty chocolate chunk pretzel cookies or my favorite brown butter toffee chocolate chunk cookies.
This time I decided to pair buttery, salty pistachio nuts with rich dark chocolate. The recent Dubai chocolate bar craze really solidified what a perfect pairing pistachios and chocolate are, and these cookies are no exception!
If you're already a fan of my no-chill chocolate chip cookies, you're going to feel right at home with this recipe. It uses the same easy method, but with a new, crave-worthy flavor combo that will leave everyone impressed!
The recipe uses simple pantry staples plus two ingredients that make all the difference: a good-quality chocolate baking bar and lightly salted shelled pistachios. Chopping the chocolate yourself means you get those gorgeous, irregular pools of melted chocolate in every bite rather than uniform chips. It's a small step with a big payoff!
Just like with my reader-favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, it's the little details that makes these cookies so perfect. The melted butter gives these cookies a perfectly chewy centers with lightly crispy edges. (And bonus, it means that we can easily whisk the ingredients together by hand, so there's no need for a mixer!) The extra egg yolk adds richness to our batter, helping to create and extra chewy cookie. And the just-right sprinkling of salt on top adds a delicate crunch that enhances all of the flavors in the cookie beautifully.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Chocolate Baking Bar - I strongly recommend chopping a chocolate baking bar (found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips) rather than using chocolate chips. Chopping the chocolate yourself creates irregular pieces that melt into gorgeous puddles of chocolate when the cookies bake. Use a semisweet chocolate for a slightly sweeter cookie and bittersweet for a darker chocolate flavor.
Pistachios - Using lightly salted pistachios adds that extra layer of salty, nutty flavor that makes these cookies so special. If you buy unsalted or regular salted pistachios instead, adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly. I recommend roughly chopping the nuts so that you get ample pieces that aren't too big in each bite. Buying them pre-shelled will save you a lot of time!
Unsalted Butter - We're using melted butter in this recipe in order to create a chewy - rather than cakey - cookie.
Brown Sugar - Brown sugar is a must, since it gives the cookie dough a delicate caramel-y flavor and adds moisture for a chewy texture. I used light brown sugar so that the molasses flavor wouldn't compete with the flavor of the nuts.
Egg + Yolk - Egg helps to bind the cookie dough together, and the extra yolk adds richness and helps to create a chewy center. Don't skip it!
Cornstarch - Just a bit of cornstarch helps to keep the cookies tender.
Sea Salt - A bit of fine sea salt in the cookie dough enhances the flavors within the cookie, while an extra sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top adds a final hint of saltiness and makes the cookies look bakery-worthy.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Whisk to combine melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and whisk well until the mixture is glossy and a bit lighter in color.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk to combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir gently until just a few streaks of flour remain.
Step 4: Add chopped chocolate and pistachios and stir just until blended.
Step 5: Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until puffy with lightly golden edges. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt onto each cookie and let cool.
Allison's Top Tips
For extra beautiful cookies, press a few extra pieces of chopped chocolate and pistachios onto the tops of the dough balls before baking. My tips for baking picture-perfect cookies are full of little tricks like this one that make such a difference!
Don't bake the cookies until they're golden. The cookies will look still look lightly pale and puffy when you pull them from the oven, and that's exactly what we want. They'll set up and flatten as they cool, and overbaking them will cause them to be more crispy and less chewy.
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Recipe
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
- 6 ounces (170 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate baking bar roughly chopped
- 1 cup (125 grams) lightly salted shelled pistachios roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top of cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla and whisk to combine.1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar, ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) vanilla extract
- Add eggs and whisk well until the mixture is glossy and a bit lighter in color, about 1 minute. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes while you prepare the next ingredients.1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (5 grams) cornstarch, 1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda, 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
- Give the sugar mixture a quick whisk and then add the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Stir just until mixed.
- Add the chopped chocolate and pistachios and stir just until blended.6 ounces (170 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate baking bar, 1 cup (125 grams) lightly salted shelled pistachios
- Scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. (Tip: For extra pretty cookies, add extra bits of chopped chocolate and nuts on top of the cookie dough balls.)
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will still appear pale and puffy when you remove the tray from the oven. Sprinkle a pinch of salt onto each cookie and allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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