Crunchy, toasty pistachios, bright orange zest, chewy sweet cranberries and rich dark chocolate all combined in an easy-to-make buttery shortbread cookie. Your new favorite cookies and your favorite time of the year in the same place? Joy to the world!
It’s no secret that pistachios are the Best Nut in the World™. We love them in pistachio ice cream, pistachio chimichurri over shrimp, green olive pistachio baked fish and over baked carrots with brown sugar.
But this pistachio cookies recipe with cranberries, orange and dark chocolate? It is pistachios’ finest hour.
I’ve made a version of this recipe many times, starting years ago when I made it with almond flour for my gluten intolerant sister. Ever since, I’ve been tweaking and playing with textures and flavors. Honestly, I’ve loved every single version. But this one wins for overall incredible flavor and texture, and it’s about the easiest cookie on the market.
This is a good cookie recipe for the holidays because you can make it weeks before and store the dough in the freezer, then cut and bake just when you need them. (Or cut and bake a few every night. You know. If you’re a fan of pistachios and fresh baked cookies.)
We’re using real pistachios in this recipe instead of instant pistachio pudding mix because I love the toasty pistachio flavor and the pure butter color of the cookies. I can’t wait for you to try them!
What you’ll need to make these easy pistachio cookies:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Orange zest (my favorite zester)
- All purpose flour
- Pistachios (unsalted)
- Dried cranberries
- Dark chocolate bar
Full directions and measurements listed in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions for this delicious pistachio cookie recipe:
To begin, prepare baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone mat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, sugar and orange zest. Use electric mixer to combine thoroughly at medium speed for 1 minute. (I use salted butter in almost all of my recipes. If you’re using unsalted butter here, consider adding a pinch of kosher salt to the batter)
Scrape down the bowl and add 1 3/4 cups sifted flour. Mix on medium low speed until flour is well combined.
Finally, add chopped pistachios and diced cranberries and mix by hand until fully combined. (As an optional step, I sometimes soak my shelled pistachios in cool water for 30 minutes to soften them a bit. This helps me remove more of the skins, revealing the vibrant green nut underneath. And it makes the nuts easier to slice through once they’re in the cookie dough. Just be sure to dry the nuts thoroughly in a tea towel once drained.)
Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then chill the log in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove cookie rolls and slice about 1 centimeter rounds (just under 1/2 inch). You should not get any spreading when the cookies bake, but I still like to give the cookie rounds a little space to breathe on the cookie sheet.
Bake at 355 degrees for 16-18 minutes, or until the cookies are pale golden on top and the bottom edges are just barely golden brown and cooked through. Remove cookies from oven and leave them to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the ground pistachio topping by pulsing 1/4 cup of pistachios in a food processor, or hand chop. Then melt a quality dark chocolate bar in a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over medium low heat. Once melted, dip half of each cookie in the chocolate, letting any excess chocolate drip off before placing the cooking back on the wire rack over a sheet of parchment. Quickly add a few chopped pistachios on the chocolate side. Continue dipping and decorating until cookies are finished.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Good luck keeping them that long! Baked cookies (not dipped in chocolate) can be frozen, then thawed in the refrigerator and dipped and decorated. Unbaked logs of cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave in refrigerator overnight, then slice and bake.
FAQ’s, Tips & Serving Suggestions:
Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts would all be delicious in this recipe.
I have made this recipe without cranberries and it’s still delicious, although I miss that sweet-tart chewiness the dried cranberries bring to the party. If you prefer dried cherries, I think that would be a delicious substitute. I’ve also been considering dicing up dried apricots, which would be lovely with the pistachios, orange and dark chocolate flavors. SO MANY OPTIONS.
You sure can! My husband prefers milk chocolate, so sometimes I’ll use a little of both. If white chocolate is your jam, melt a bowl of quality white chocolate chips or a bar and use it for dipping, then top with crushed pistachios or diced cranberries.
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Print
The Best Pistachio Cookies with Cranberry, Orange and Dark Chocolate
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 25 1x
Ingredients
14 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped, plus 1/4 cup finely diced for topping
1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced
Dark chocolate, for dipping
Instructions
To begin, prepare baking sheet(s) with parchment or silicone mat.
In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature softened butter, sugar and orange zest. Use electric mixer to combine thoroughly for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and add 1 3/4 cups sifted flour. Mix on medium low until flour is well combined. Finally, add pistachios and cranberries and mix by hand until fully combined.
Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a log. Wrap in plastic or parchment. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove cookie rolls and slice about 1 centimeter rounds (just under 1/2 inch). Bake at 355 degrees for 16-18 minutes, or until the cookies are pale golden (not golden brown) and cooked through.
Remove cookies from oven and leave them to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. While the cookies are cooling, melt a quality chocolate bar in a double boiler or heat-safe bowl over medium low heat. Once melted, dip half of each cookie in the chocolate, letting any excess drip off before placing the cooking back on the cooling rack over a sheet of parchment. Quickly add a few chopped pistachios on the chocolate side. Continue dipping and decorating until cookies are finished.
Notes
Note: If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt to the cookie batter.
Note: If dried cranberries aren’t your jam, grab a bag of dried cherries and make pistachio cherry cookies!
Note: I like to soak whole pistachios (shelled) in cold water for 30 minutes to help remove the skins and soften them a bit, which makes slicing the dough rounds easier. Just be sure to dry thoroughly before mixing into your dough for the perfect cookie.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven and Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pistachio Cookies, Pistachio Cookies with Cranberry, Orange and Dark Chocolate, Cookies with Dark Chocolate
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