Laced with chopped pistachios and white chocolate chips, these Pistachio Cookies are soft, chewy, and absolutely delish! Not to mention easy to make and perfect for both Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day!

More sweet ways to use pistachios are in our popular pistachio cake and Watergate salad!

Easy Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Pistachio is very much an underrated nut – their unique, slightly sweet, flavor works well in so many dishes from savory to sweet, including these soft, chewy pistachio cookies.

In addition to be super easy to make, these pistachio cookies are loaded with pistachio flavor in every bite, thanks to the pudding mix and chopped pistachios throughout. White chocolate chips are added for a rich, buttery, sweet taste. It’s a winning combination.

These pistachio pudding cookies hold up really well after baking, which makes them ideal for cookie swaps, cookie trays, and the holidays in general. Plus the green color is perfect for Christmas!

Why Add Pudding Mix to Cookies?

Adding the pistachio pudding mix to these cookies does a few things. First and foremost, it ensures that the pistachio flavor is spread throughout the entire cookie. It gives a green color to the dough and pudding mix also helps create soft, fluffy cookies.

Ingredients Needed

Besides the pudding and pistachios themselves, you’ll need just a handful of ingredients for this easy cookie recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

• Pistachios – The star of the cookies! They add a lovely crunch and, of course, flavor.
• White chocolate chips – Adds a sweet touch to the cookies.
• Pistachio pudding – Be sure to grab instant pudding, not stovetop. You’ll need just the powder for this recipe.
• Sugar – Equal parts granulated sugar and brown sugar are added to this recipe.
• All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled for accurate measuring.
• Baking soda – Helps the cookies rise just a bit.
• Salt – Heightens the other flavors.
• Unsalted butter – The butter should be softened to room temperature so it blends perfectly with the sugars.
• Eggs – Provides structure to the dough.
• Vanilla – For flavor.

Recipe Variations

The great thing about pistachio pudding cookies is that they’re easily customizable. Here are a few easy swaps:

• Switch up the chocolate. Swap out the white chocolate with semi-sweet chips, if preferred.
• Add a festive touch. Add in up to 1/3 cup of dried cranberries for a festive holiday look.
• Enhance the green color. For a darker, brighter green, add a few drops of food coloring. This is perfect if using these cookies to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas.

How to Make Pistachio Cookies

These soft, chewy cookies with pistachios come together in just 10 minutes, with another 15 minutes in the oven. Easy peasy!

1. Combine the wet ingredients. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
2. Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir into the wet ingredients until combined.
3. Add the pistachios. Stir in the pistachios and white chocolate chips.
4. Transfer to the cookie sheet. Drop balls of dough onto a baking sheet with a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, about 2 inches apart. Press down on them slightly.
5. Bake. Bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes, until light and golden just around the edges.
6. Cool. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them to the cooling rack.

Tips for Success

Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when making these pistachio pudding cookies.

• Make sure the butter is soft but not TOO soft. Soft butter creams easier but butter that’s too soft will cause the cookies to flatten like pancakes in the oven.
• Add extra pistachios on top. For a pretty presentation of the baked cookies, press a couple of chocolate chips and pistachios on top of the dough balls before baking.
• Rotate cookie sheets. You can easily bake both cookie sheets at the same time with this recipe but, depending on your oven, you may want to rotate them halfway through cooking so they bake evenly.
• Do not overbake the cookies. These pistachio cookies should be lightly brown just around the edges. They’ll still appear soft when you take them out of the oven and will continue to firm up as they cool, though you want a soft center in the finished cookie. If you wait until they no longer appear soft in the oven, the cookies will be overbaked.

Proper Storage

• Storing leftovers. One great thing about pistachio pudding cookies is that they’ll stay soft and fresh for up to a week. Perfect for making ahead, adding to cookie trays, or even mailing in a cookie swap! Just keep them stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• To freeze. You can also freeze extra pistachio cookies. Just make sure they cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe ziploc bag or other freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.

More Easy Cookie Recipes:

• Easy Sugar Cookies
• Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
• DoubleTree Cookies
• Kitchen Sink Cookies
• Potato Chip Cookies
• Ranger Cookies

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!