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These Vegan Pistachio Cookies are delightfully chewy, loaded with crushed pistachios, and decorated with a luxurious chocolate drizzle. Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
How beautiful are these Vegan Pistachio Cookies?! Loaded with chopped pistachios and perfumed with just a hint of orange zest, they’re a pistachio lover’s dream! I know you won’t be able to resist them as soon as the melted chocolate is drizzled on top. 😉
Table of Contents
All About These Soft and Chewy Pistachio Cookies
There’s something about a colorful cookie that I can’t resist. Don’t get me wrong, I love a chocolate chip cookie, but when I see these purple Ube Sugar Cookies or these yellow Lemon Crinkle Cookies on the table, I’m instantly drawn to them.
The same goes for these Pistachio Cookies! Their bright green hue is eye-catching (and perfect for the holidays!), plus their delicious pistachio flavor keeps me coming back for more.
Let me tell you, these are so much more than cookies with a few pistachios baked inside. The soft and buttery cookie dough is infused with a hint of orange zest and filled with finely chopped pistachios before being rolled in a crushed pistachio coating. Baked until chewy and golden, then decorated with a fancy chocolate drizzle, you’ll understand why I can’t get enough!
Ingredients for Pistachio Cookies
These cookies call for the classic baking staples used in most of my vegan cookie recipes, along with plenty of pistachios for their signature buttery, nutty flavors. The key ingredients you need are:
- Pistachios: opt for unroasted and unsalted pistachios, either shelled or unshelled. Personally, I was having a hard time finding them in store, so I bought them online. Roasted pistachios do work here if that’s what you can find or have on hand, but the cookies won’t be as vibrant green.
- Sugar: you need both cane sugar and brown sugar. The cane sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness, while the brown sugar moistens the dough and adds a subtle hint of molasses.
- Orange Zest: this is optional, but gives the cookies that extra little *something* that is really special.
- Salted Vegan Butter: this recipe calls for salted butter, but if you’re using salted pistachios, opt for unsalted butter instead.
- Flour: no fancy flours needed here. All-purpose flour is all you need to make these elegant cookies.
- Cornstarch: just a little cornstarch will give you perfectly soft and chewy cookies. You can use arrowroot powder instead if you’d like.
- Melted Chocolate: for an optional chocolate drizzle over the baked cookies, melt non-dairy chocolate chips with some refined coconut oil. Technically, you can omit the coconut oil, but it will give you a smoother and glossier chocolate sauce.
How to Make Vegan Pistachio Cookies
- Mix the flaxseed and water together to make the flax “egg”.
- Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until they’re chopped into small pieces. Set 1/2 cup of the chopped pistachios aside.
- Massage the cane sugar and orange zest together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the butter and brown sugar, then cream the butter and sugars together until smooth.
- Beat in the flax “egg” and vanilla until the batter is smooth.
- Slowly mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until a thick, non-sticky dough forms. Fold in the 3/4 cup of chopped pistachios.
- Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of pistachios onto a small plate. Shape the cookie dough into small balls, then roll each one in the chopped pistachios. Place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies until they look puffy and lightly golden. Set them aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate drizzle and drizzle it over the cooled cookies. Let the chocolate fully harden.
- Serve the cookies right away or store them for later.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Bake with a quality vegan butter. I have the best luck when I’m baking with Country Crock, Earth Balance, and Violife plant-based butter sticks (not butter spread). I found that these brands don’t make the cookies spread quite as dramatically as others, even when the butter was softened ahead of time.
- Always start with room temperature butter. Softened, room temperature butter is much easier to cream with the sugar and will yield an airy whipped cookie dough. The easiest way to soften your butter is to take it out of the fridge 1 hour before starting this recipe. If you’re in a rush, use this handy microwave trick from Sally’s Baking Addiction instead.
Serving Suggestions
These pistachio cookies look and taste quite fancy, so I personally love to save them for special occasions. They’re a staple in my Christmas cookie boxes (along with my Vegan Gingerbread Cookies and Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies), and I like to treat my pistachio-loving friends with a batch on their birthdays.
Of course, you don’t have to wait for the special moments to indulge! I encourage you to bake these cookies anytime you’re craving a sweet and savory treat.
If you’re looking for more colorful vegan cookie recipes, you’ll also love these Strawberry Sugar Cookies, these Matcha Crinkle Cookies, and these Vegan Golden Milk Shortbread Cookies!
How to Store Pistachio Cookies
Store the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Keep in mind that the frozen cookies won’t be as soft and chewy after defrosting, which is why I recommend freezing the raw cookie dough balls instead.
To freeze the unbaked cookies, arrange the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze them until solid. Transfer the balls to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Roll the frozen cookie dough balls in the chopped pistachios and bake them from frozen, adding an extra 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: I only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but a quality gluten-free all-purpose blend would likely work well in its place.
- Flaxseed Substitute: If you don’t have ground flaxseed, use an equal amount of ground chia seeds instead. They work just as well as a flax egg when mixed with water.
- Sugar Substitute: The cane sugar or brown sugar can be swapped for coconut sugar, but it will make the cookies darker and taste drier.
- Vegan Butter Substitute: Softened coconut oil can be used as a substitute for vegan butter, but it may make the cookies slightly drier. I recommend using refined coconut oil to prevent your cookies from tasting like coconut.
Recipe FAQs
It’s not a requirement; however, if your cookie dough feels sticky or your kitchen is very warm, then I recommend refrigerating the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. This will make rolling and shaping the cookie dough balls much easier.
A few chocolate chips couldn’t hurt in these cookies! Fold 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate chunks into the cookie dough alongside the chopped pistachios. Or, for a seasonal twist, fold dried cranberries into the dough instead.
Yes, a vegan white chocolate drizzle would look gorgeous on these vibrant green cookies. Feel free to add both the dark chocolate and white chocolate drizzles for even more color contrast.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Chewy Pistachio Cookies with Orange and Dark Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Pistachio Cookie Dough:
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/4 cup unroasted and unsalted pistachios
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest optional
- 1/2 cup salted vegan butter softened to room temperature (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or sub arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt use 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter
For the Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
- 2 ounces dairy-free dark chocolate chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon refined coconut oil optional, for a smoother drizzle
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray or line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside. Prepare the flax “egg” by mixing the flaxseed and water well; set aside for at least 5 minutes to let thicken.
- Chop the Pistachios: Add the pistachios to a food processor with an S blade attachment and pulse until chopped into small pieces. You can also opt to chop the pistachios by hand. Set 1/2 cup of pistachios aside to roll the cookies in later; use the remaining ~3/4 cup of them in step 5.
- Cream the Butter: Add the cane sugar to a large bowl or stand mixer. If you are using the optional orange zest, add it to the sugar and massage the two together until evenly combined. Add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl as well. Use a stand mixer or electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together on low speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until the butter is smooth, light, and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the flax “egg” and vanilla to the bowl and beat again, until the mixture is smooth and combined.
- Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well until a thick, non-sticky dough forms. Add the ~3/4 cup of chopped pistachios to the batter and fold into the dough using a spatula.
- Form the Cookies: Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of pistachios onto a small plate. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to roughly form 12 cookies with ~3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll each cookie into a smooth ball, then roll the top half of each ball into the chopped pistachios. Place on the prepared baking sheet with the pistachios on top, but do not flatten the dough; it will spread as it bakes in the oven. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes; the cookies will look puffy and pale, but the bottom edges should be slightly golden.
- Cool: Take the cookies out of the oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a different wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Chocolate Drizzle (Optional): Melt the chocolate using a microwave or double boiler (see recipe notes for steps). Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies once they have been transferred off of the baking sheet onto a cooling rack. (Tip: If you have any extra pistachios from step 6 I like to sprinkle them on top of the chocolate drizzled for an extra pop of color). Let the chocolate fully harden before stacking or storing the cookies.
- Serve & Store: Enjoy the cookies immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also store the baked cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months, but I would recommend storing the cookie dough balls instead and baking when desired 🙂
Recipe Notes
- Vegan Butter: Different vegan butters will spread differently during baking. I have had success using Country Crock, Earth Balance, and Violife plant-based butter sticks (not spread). Vegan butter can be replaced with softened coconut oil, but they will be slightly more dry. I recommend using refined coconut oil so there is no coconut flavor.
- Pistachios: I found shelled, unroasted, and unsalted pistachios a bit hard to find in store, so I bought mine online. You can use roasted pistachios, but their color will be a little less vibrant green. If your pistachios are salted, make the recipe with unsalted butter and do not add any salt to the recipe.
- Other Substitutions: The sugar can be swapped for coconut sugar, but the cookies will be darker and color and more dry. I have not tested this cookie with any flour substitutions, but I imagine a gluten-free all-purpose blend would work well!
This recipe deserves 6 stars. Every time
I make them, I’m asked to share the recipe. The orange zest in the sugar is a game changer.
Note, I used an egg in mine. Still super good.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re so welcome!
This cookie is hella good. Every time
I make them, I’m asked to share the recipe. The orange zest in the sugar is a game changer.
Note, I used an egg in mine. Still super good.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re so welcome, Marian! I’m glad you liked them 🙂
These are so good!!!! I made them with bobs red mill egg replacer, skipped the orange zest but added 1/8 teaspoon of cardamom and they turned out great! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed, Porter 🙂
These were incredible! I personally like my cookies a bit smaller so I got about 18 from this recipe, and I overbaked them slightly because I was worried they looked too pale (even though the directions say this is ok), but they still turned out delicious! I made some with the chocolate drizzle and some without, and I love it both ways. Will definitely be making these again!
amazing!! So happy you enjoyed!
Amazing! I’ve baked this twice, and wow! It does not disappoint. Delicious. I made it first as a party dessert and then as a repeat due to my husband wanting to eat is. I’ve used butter and eggs and then with the plant butter and it was yummy each time. I definitely recommend it.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. We have now renamed it as OMG cookies in my household.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You’re so welcome, Lisbett!
just made these, they were so good! don’t skip the orange zest or the chocolate drizzle. I put flakey sea salt on top of the chocolate too. Not sure if it’s just my oven but I had to bake them around 18 minutes and they were perfect! They were still pretty round even then when i took them out of the oven but then flattened down as they cooled. Also I already had roasted and salted pistachios so that is what I used and they worked great. Definitely will be making again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed!