Easy Italian pistachio cookies made with 5 ingredients. Crisp, nutty, and topped with chocolate for a delicious easy dessert.
If you love chocolate and pistachio, these Italian pistachio cookies are a treat you can’t miss!
I first made these chocolate pistachio cookies with my nonna in her kitchen in Sicily, using the famous Pistacchio di Bronte that grows on the island.
These chocolate pistachio cookies are a twist on the popular baci di dama cookies from Piedmont, which are usually made with hazelnuts.
This recipe is super easy, you only need 5 ingredients. The cookies come out crisp and buttery, with a delicious pistachio flavor.
A little melted chocolate on top and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios make them extra special!
Plus, they’re perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday gifting, or simply to enjoy with a warm cup of tea, milk, or Italian hot chocolate.
If you’re looking for more Italian cookies to try, I recommend these Italian orange cookies, these Italian hazelnut cookies and these lemon ricotta cookies – they’re all incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
For this Italian pistachio cookie recipe, you only need 5 simple ingredients you most probably have in your kitchen already.
Here are my top ingredient tips to help you get the best results every time:
- Pistachios: Use shelled and unsalted pistachios. There is no need to roast your pistachios.
- Butter: adds flavor and the perfect structure to the cookies. Make sure it’s cold and chopped into small chunks.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour or Italian 00 flour, you can also mix half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour for a rustic note.
- Sugar: You can use regular granulated sugar, raw cane sugar or Demerara sugar for this recipe.
- Chocolate: Go for high-quality dark chocolate. I like to use 70% dark chocolate, but you can pick your favorite (you can even use white chocolate!), or spread a little homemade Nutella on top of the cookies.
How to make Italian pistachio cookies
This pistachio cookies recipe is very straightforward and super easy to make, even if you just started baking cookies!
Here below you can find the simplified recipe with step-by-step pictures, scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
STEP 2. Add pistachio mixture, butter, sugar and flour in a large bowl and mix with your hand to form a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
STEP 3. Form small even dough balls, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown.
STEP 4. Melt the chocolate, spread about 1 teaspoon over each cookie, sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Let them set before serving.
Baking tips
- For shaping the cookies, you can use a small ice cream scoop; this will help you create evenly-sized cookies.
- If the dough feels really sticky, dust your hands with powdered sugar before forming the cookie balls.
- Chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.This will help prevent the cookies from flattening or spreading during baking.
- Make sure to let the baked cookies cool completely on a cooling rack to get that perfect crunchy and chewy texture!
Storage tips
- Storage: Store the chocolate pistachio cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar. Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer: These pistachio cookies freeze beautifully! They will keep well in the freezer for up to one month.
For best results, freeze them without the chocolate topping. Once thawed, you can dip them in melted chocolate and let them set before serving.
More Italian cookie recipes you’ll love
Looking for more traditional Italian cookie recipes to bake at home?
I highly suggest trying these classic pignoli cookies, these vibrant Limoncello cookies, and my super popular Italian butter cookies.
Did you try this recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!
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Recipe
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Easy Italian pistachio cookies made with 5 ingredients. Crisp, nutty, and topped with chocolate for a delicious easy dessert.
Serving: 20
Calories: 117kcal
- 100 g shelled unsalted pistachios, (approx ¾ cup)
- 80 g sugar, (approx ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 100 g all purpose flour, (approx ¾ cup)
- 80 g butter, cold, cut into small cubes (approx ⅓ cup)
- 70 g dark chocolate, chopped (approx ½ cup)
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Place shelled pistachios in a food processor and pulse them until very finely ground.
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Transfer the pistachio mixture into a large bowl, add the flour, sugar and cold butter. Mix with your hands until you form a smooth even dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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Use your hands to form small even balls ( about 2 teaspoon of dough each) and place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 325℉/160℃ and arrange the baking rack onto the middle shelf.
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Bake the italian pistachio cookies for about 13-16 minutes, or until they have a crispy surface and a nice golden color. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
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Place the chopped dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir gently, then microwave it again for 30 seconds, then stir again until completely melted. Allow the chocolate to cool before use.
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Spread about 1 teaspoon of dark chocolate over each cookie, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and a tiny pinch of sea salt. Allow to completely set then serve.
Pistachios: to remove the purple-ish skin from the pistachios, boil them in hot water for 2 minutes, drain under cool running water, transfer them to a ziplock bag, and rub them from the outside to remove the skins.
Butter: Use cold butter. I like to use slightly salted butter. If using unsalted butter, I recommend adding a pinch of salt to the dough.
Dough: The dough is quite sticky, after you refrigerate it, it will be easier to handle.
Baking: The baking time for these cookies should be between 13-16 minutes, but every oven is different. Check the cookies a few minutes early to make sure they’re not browning too much. The tops should look dry, slightly puffed, and lightly golden.
Storage tips: Store your hazelnut cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar. Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen for up to 1 week.
Freezing tips: Freeze baci di dama cookies without the chocolate. Once you need them, thaw them in the fridge overnight, then add the chocolate a few hours before serving.
Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
