Pistachio Cookies with Chocolate (Gluten Free)
Easy-to-make Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies, with melty pockets of dark chocolate. Soft and chewy on the inside with crisp edges, they’re decadently delicious (and can be made optional dairy free too).
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I’m definitely on a cookie roll at the moment. After perfecting an INCREDIBLE gluten free soft and chewy cookie texture with my Fudgy Mini Egg Cookies, I’m now adapting and replicating it in lots of new and wonderful flavours. The follow-on was my Chewy Chocolate Cookies. And now I give you my delicious Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies with Chocolate. They’re divinely moreish… Made with a flour blend containing real pistachio nuts, they’re also packed with melty pockets of dark chocolate (although other chocolate works just as well).
Why you’ll love these Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies
I could go down the line of pushing them as having all the flavours and trendiness of ‘Dubai chocolate’… But I’m not a big fan of ‘trends’! THESE cookies will be delicious way after the trend has passed. (It’s possible it’s passed already, but I don’t keep track). So… Why will you love them anyway?
- They’re created for a perfectly chewy bite with crisp edges.
- Anyone can make them. (They’re super-easy!)
- They’re packed with sweet, nutty pistachio flavour, paired with plenty of melty chocolate pockets.
- The sweetness is tempered to be very ‘adult’ by using dark chocolate. (Although the base dough is equally balanced to ensure the pistachio shines and is not over-sweet, even if you use milk or white chocolate).
- They can be made with dark, milk or white chocolate as fits your mood.
- Although created gluten free and safe for those of us with Coeliac Disease (Celiac), they can also be made dairy free with a couple of simple ingredient tweaks.
- The dough can be frozen as balls, ready to cook fresh (if you don’t want to make a whole batch in one go).
Key ingredients for making gluten free Pistachio Cookies
If you want the ‘right’ cookie texture and flavour, it’s important to use the ingredients listed in the recipe and to follow the process as stated. So…
Flour blend and pistachio nuts
You need a plain gluten free flour blend. Any good blend will do, although I did test with my Gluten Free Alchemist Blends A, B and C (recipes for which can be found here!). To this (particularly if using a rice-heavy blend), we add a little extra tapioca starch for lightness and chew. And also some ground pistachio nuts.
Pistachios are quick and easy to grind at home in a blender… Simply pulse for a few seconds to create a rough ‘powder’ mixed with a few coarser grains for texture. (*Don’t over-pulse or you will end up with pistachio butter).
Add a tiny bit of xanthan gum to the flour mix for a more robust and chewy texture (carefully calculated to avoid gumminess). If you don’t eat xanthan gum, it’s ok to leave it out. The cookies may be slightly more crumbly, but not excessively so. Alternatively, another binder such as guar gum or psyllium husk powder can be subbed. You can find a full list of xanthan substitutes and how to use them in my guide: Xanthan Gum in Gluten Free Baking.
Raising agents and salt (and vanilla)
My gluten free Pistachio Cookies use both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). In combination, they bring lightness and add volume.
Salt enhances flavour (alongside a little vanilla (optional) for extra decadence).
Butter
Natural block butter gives cookies the best flavour and stability. However, it can be substituted for a like-for-like dairy free/vegan block alternative (if required). In the UK, I recommend Flora Plant B+tter or Stork or Naturli vegan baking blocks.
Sugars
I found the best texture, flavour and colour balance came from combining soft light brown sugar with white caster sugar (US superfine/granulated). But if you prefer to use only light brown sugar (at full sugar weight), that’s fine. You can also make pistachio cookies with all white sugar, but they won’t be as chewy and will taste sweeter.
Egg
For fat, fudgy pistachio cookies, an extra egg YOLK alongside a whole egg is crucial. The extra protein and fat provides structure, binding, moisture and richness.
Chocolate
I use dark chocolate in my gluten free Pistachio Cookies. This is because it is less sweet, offers ‘adult’ depth and decadence and pairs perfectly with pistachio. I always use Callebaut 811 Dark Chocolate Callets (which I buy in bulk, as it works out cheaper for the best quality). However, other chocolate is fine to use too, whether milk, white, chips, chunks or chopped… as long as it melts well.
If you need dairy free cookies, make sure the chocolate is suitably dairy free (and melty)!
Top tips to create the most DIVINE gluten free Pistachio Cookies
- Weigh ingredients using digital scales for accuracy.
- Grind pistachio nuts in a blender, pulsing just enough to create a rough-ground texture.
- MELT butter before mixing with the sugar to enhance chewiness.
- BEAT the sugar with hot melted butter (preferably with an electric whisk) to help it dissolve and to add density.
- Then use a firm wood or silicone spoon to beat in the eggs. This avoids excess air in the mix (which can lead to cakey cookies).
- For equal-size cookies, weigh the dough balls. The recipe makes 14 gluten free pistachio cookies, with each dough ball around 62 g.
- Rolling the dough into balls is easier wearing food-safe vinyl gloves!
- CHILL the dough balls thoroughly before baking. This is essential to avoid them over-spreading in the oven. Chilling may take anywhere from 1 to 3 + hours, depending on dough softness, fridge temperature, etc. *I often pop them in the freezer to harden.
- Leave loads of space between cookie dough balls on the baking tray, so they can spread easily (and not stick together).
- Don’t over-bake. The surface and edges should start to crisp, with fat, soft middles. My oven gives an optimum bake time at Fan 170 C of around 16 to 17 minutes with a thoroughly chilled 62g dough ball.
Topping Pistachio Cookies with extra chocolate and pistachio
Although optional, I absolutely recommend adding a generous sprinkle of chopped pistachios and extra dark chocolate on your cookie tops. This adds interest and colour to the cookies as well as a lovely nutty, crunchy texture. The easiest time to add this is when the cookies are super-hot from baking (just out of the oven), so the chocolate melts and the pistachios stick to it!
How to store gluten free Pistachio Cookies
Pistachio cookies stay soft and chewy and are good for up to 5 days. They are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
However, you also have the option to *freeze the uncooked dough balls. This means they can be baked in smaller batches as and when you want them. Simply freeze on a tray, separated to avoid them sticking together. Once frozen, pop them in an airtight bag, ready to bake.
Bake frozen pistachio cookies as normal, allowing an extra minute or two (as needed) to compensate for the defrost as they bake.
Ready to make Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies?
Thank you for reading all about my Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies. The full recipe is just below. I hope you love them!
If you have any additional questions, please contact me. Either leave a comment at the bottom, message me through social media (Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest) or email me at kate@glutenfreealchemist.com
If you love cookies and biscuits as much as me, check out my dedicated Gluten Free Biscuits and Cookies Index. I have created 70+ cookie and biscuit recipes. We even have soft and fudgy Maple Pecan Cookies. All gluten free!
And for everything else, my main Gluten Free Recipe Index has literally hundreds of free recipes to choose from. All shared with my love ♥️.
Pistachio Cookies with Dark Chocolate (Gluten Free)
Key equipment
- Oven
- fridge/freezer
Ingredients
- 230 g plain gluten free flour blend
- 20 g tapioca starch
- 60 g ground pistachio nuts (to grind: pulse in a blender)
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 120 g butter (melted) – or dairy free alternative
- 110 g soft light brown sugar
- 90 g caster sugar (US granulated or superfine)
- 1 large egg UK large – liquid weight 57 to 60g
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 150 g dark chocolate chips/Callets (or milk/white/dairy free as preferred)
Topping
- 35 g chopped dark chocolate (optional)
- 35 g chopped additional pistachios (optional)
Instructions
- Weigh and mix together the gluten free flour blend, tapioca starch, ground pistachios, xanthan gum, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and set aside. *TIP: Weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously to mix.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugars with the hot melted butter until well-blended and even. This can be done with an electric whisk (preferably), or by hand.
- Add and beat through the egg, egg yolk and vanilla by hand, using a wooden/firm silicone spoon until well combined.
- Add the dry-mixed ingredients to the bowl and mix until even (also using a firm wooden/silicone spoon).
- Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
- Shape the dough into 14 balls (each weighing approx. 62g). *If the dough feels too sticky, chill for 20 minutes or so before shaping. To make rolling easier, wear food-safe vinyl gloves.
- Place the balls on a lined tray/plate in the fridge to chill for at least an hour and preferably longer, until very firm. *Do NOT skip this step. (Alternatively, put them in the freezer for a quicker chill).
- While chilling the dough balls, chop and mix together the additional dark chocolate and pistachio nuts and set aside in a small bowl.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/170 Fan/350 F.
- Line a couple of large baking sheets with baking paper and set aside (*Note: Because the cookies need room to spread, they need to be batch-baked).
- When ready to bake, arrange a maximum of 4 cookie balls on each large tray with plenty of space around them to spread (including at the sides of the tray). Return the remaining dough balls to the fridge until ready to bake.
- Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, rotating the trays part-way through to ensure an even bake. The cookies should be starting to crisp on the outside, but otherwise are soft (they will firm on cooling).
- Remove from the oven and while still hot, sprinkle some of the chopped chocolate-pistachio mix onto the top of each cookie. *The chocolate will melt and stick the pistachio to the cookie tops, but poke any stray nut pieces so they are touching chocolate to be sure.
- Leave the cookies on the trays for 10 to 15 minutes, or until firm enough to transfer (using a palette knife/fish slice) to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Allow the metal trays to cool completely before arranging and baking the remaining cookie dough balls.
- Once cold, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Gluten Free Pistachio Cookies shared with
- Full Plate Thursday with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- Fiesta Friday with Angie
Made these over the weekend. They are Sooooooo good! Absolutely delicious. Everyone loved them. Thank you.
You’re welcome Cat. Thank you for your lovely feedback x