This post contains affiliate links. Please see ourย disclosure policy.

An easy Pistachio Cookies recipe with pistachio butter as the main ingredient and dark chocolate chunks for extra good flavor! Sweet, buttery, slightly salty, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, these cookies redefine decadence. Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, too!
pistachio cookies on white plate with stack of vegan cookies in bakground on wooden board
I have another amazing blogger today featuring pistachio cookies!
Kristy at Keepin’ It Kindย started blogging just over one year back and took everything by storm.. like a big huge awesome storm. If you missed the Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Pizza invading all the cracks and corners on the interwebs.. I think you need to update your blog stalking list asap.:)

I am also still under the spell of this Sweet and Salty Ice cream layer cake that she created for the Vegan Chopped challenge. No prizes for guessing who won the challenge! ๐Ÿ˜‰
There is so much more on her blog that I cant summarize in a few words.. All the amazing recipes, gorgeous photography by Chris and her never say never spirit! Thank you for the guest post Kristy…xx

You can also find Kristy on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram.
Do drop by and say Hi.
Now the guest post……..When Richa recently asked me to do a guest post at her blog, Vegan Richa, I was pretty excited. I mean, Richa has been one of my favorite bloggers since before Keepin’ It Kind was just a glimmer in my eye. Then, just as quickly as I’d been excited, I got a little bummed because the reason for the guest post is because my friend has been ill. Due to some sinus problems, she’d chosen to try a gluten-free diet to see if that would help. I decided right then and there that whatever I made had to be gluten-free.gluten free pistachio butter cookies on small white plate on wooden boardAs I began to ponder what to make for the guest post, I began to think of what I might bring to her house to make her feel better. Sure, I could make soup or maybe a casserole of some sort, but I wanted something that would cheer her up a bit too. And what always cheers me up without fail? Cookies. Definitely cookies. Gluten Free Cookies.

stack of chocolate chunk pistachio cookies on two white plates on wooden board

Then I found myself in a quandary. What type of gluten-free cookie should I create (How great is life when the type of quandary I have revolves around cookies?!)? Something fruity? Or something oatmealy? Maybe something coconutty? After several days of trying to decide, I finally chose to put a decadent spin on an old classic: The PB Chocolate Chip Cookie. But how about a pistachio butter cookie with dark chocolate chunks?

broken vegan pistachio cookies with chocolate with stack of cookies in background

I’m a big fan of making my own nut butters. In fact, I don’t remember the last jar of nut butter that I actually bought! I’ve made all kinds but have always wanted to try pistachio. The cost of pistachio nuts tend to be a little on the high side, but I figured for this special occasion, it was worth it. For just under $10, I made a pretty big jar of pistachio butter. To make these pistachio cookies, you don’t need as much pistachio butter as I made, so I’ve cut it down in the recipe below to reflect that.

The Beauty of Pistachio Butter

Pistachio butter has a less nutty, but more sweet and buttery taste than normal peanut butter. It pairs wonderfully with ultra-dark chocolate chunks. I would be lying if I said I didn’t dip a few of those chocolate chunks in my jar of pistachio butter. It’s pretty euphoric. However, as good as that little treat was, these vegan pistachio cookies are so much better! It would be silly not to try these at least once in your life, though if you opted for regular old peanut butter, you would still be in for a treat. And they’re gluten free (though the gluten-free flour could just as easily be replaced with all-purpose flour) so even Richa can have some while she’s on the mend.

Pistachio Cookies Ingredients:

  • Oat Flour
  • Brown Rice Flour
  • Tapioca Starch
  • Baking Soda
  • Sea Salt
  • Pistachio Butter – more on this in a bit!
  • Maple Syrup
  • Coconut Sugar
  • Coconut Oil
  • Flax Meal
  • Vanilla Extract
  • High Quality Dark Chocolate

pistachio butter in glass jar, stack of pistachio cookies, dark chocolate chunks

How To Make Pistachio Butter

  1. Pour the pistachios into the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth and very soft, scraping the sides as necessary. This will take awhile- plan on them being in there for about 10-15 minutes. Trust me, it will get super smooth, soft, and drippy. Remove from the food processor and store, unrefrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use.

Note, if you attempt this pistachio butter for the pistachio cookie recipe, keep in mind that it may take longer than most nut butters and you may have to scrape the sides a few more times than normal (if you make it in a food processor. If you make it in a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, it may not be as difficult). Be patient with it and soon you will have ultra-creamy, rich and decadent pistachio butter.

How to Make Pistachio Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chunks

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, from the oat flour to sea salt, until combined.
  3. Then, in a large bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients. In three batches, stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a hand mixer if the pistachio cookie dough becomes too tough. It will be crumbly, but that’s okay!
  4. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Use a tablespoon to scoop heavy spoonfuls of the dough. Roll into a ball and place on the baking sheets. Create a criss-cross pattern with a fork, if you’d like.
  5. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown around the edges, but still soft in the center. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

gluten free pistachio butter cookies on small white plate on wooden board

Thank you to all of you for joining us today! And thank you so much to Richa for having me- it’s such an honor to be here. ๐Ÿ™‚

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

Pistachio Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chunks

5 from 1 vote
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
An easy Pistachio Cookies recipe with pistachio butter as the main ingredient and chocolate chunks for extra good flavor! Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients  

For the Pistachio Butter:

  • 2 cups roasted, unsalted, shelled pistachios
  • 1/4 tsp maple syrup, optional
  • pinch of sea salt

For the Pistachio Cookies:

  • 1 cup oat flour, (1 heaping cup rolled oats, blended into flour)
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup pistachio butter, (or other natural nut butter)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 2 Tbsp flax meal
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup high quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Instructions 

For the Pistachio Butter:

  • Pour the pistachios into the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth and very soft, scraping the sides as necessary. This will take awhile- plan on them being in there for about 10-15 minutes. Trust me, it will get super smooth, soft, and drippy. Remove from the food processor and store, unrefrigerated, in an airtight container until ready to use.

For the Pistachio Cookies:

  • Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking soda and sea salt until fully combined. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the pistachio butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut oil, flax meal and vanilla extract until fully combined. In small increments, add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing fully after each addition. You may have to use a hand mixer if it gets too tough. This will be a slightly crumbly dough, but don't worry, it will come together.
  • Fold in the chocolate chunks. Use a tablespoon to scoop heaping spoonfuls of the dough. Roll each spoonful into a ball and place on the cookie sheets. If you prefer, you can use a fork to make the crisscrosses on each cookie.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch around the edges. They will still be soft on top, but that's okay. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving (or don't- eat one while it's warm and find what real happiness is). Once cooled, store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

Use any of your favorite nut butter you have on hand.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 108mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Photography by Chris Miller

These cookies are being shared at Allergy Free Wednesdays, Ricki’s wellness weekend.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

You May Also Like

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment

If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online and I love hearing from you all!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

31 Comments

  1. Pongodhall@yahoo.ie says:

    Oooh look at that!
    PISTACHIO biscuits! Lovely, and thank you.
    Happy international women’s’ day to all, little extra thanks to Richa!

  2. Bo says:

    I made these cookies and they were unbelievably delicious. The marriage of salty and sweet satisfied so many cravings.
    I was out of brown rice flour so I substituted 1/4 sweet rice and 1/4 white rice flours. I didn’t have coconut sugar so I used 2 TBS demera. I would only use 1 TBS sugar next time.
    I already have fantasies about next time.
    Super Yum. Thanks for creating and posting!

  3. Anonymous says:

    Do you know, by any chance, how many calories are in one cookie ? They look delicious, and I’m really curious about the calories in them because I really want to make them !