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    Home » Cookie Recipes » Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe

    Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe

    Date: April 20, 2023 by Christian Guzman • This post may contain affiliate links. See Privacy Policy below.

    This Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe combines both salty and sweet for a soft and chewy cookie, perfect for Christmas and beyond.

    Soft and sweet, these deliciously decadent cookies are made with dried cranberries and pistachios. Make them for friends and family and perfect for holiday cookie baking.

    • How to Make Soft Cookies
    • Do You Use Pistachio Pudding?
    • Do You Need to Refrigerate
    • Uniform Cookie Size
    • Recipe
    Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe by Christmas Guzman for 24Bite
    Jump to Recipe

    How to Make Soft Cookies

    I’ve done a lot of research with cookies. So, that’s what they’re calling it these days? Yes, yes, they are.

    Increasing the amount of brown sugar is a key element. For this recipe, I’m using double the brown sugar over regular granulated sugar. This gives a soft and chewy pistachio cookie that’s bendable and delicious.

    The second element is not overbaking. You want the edges to barely start getting brown. The center may look a little undone, especially with the larger size cookie. Believe it or not, the cookie continues baking right on the hot baking sheet.

    Do You Use Pistachio Pudding?

    This recipe doesn’t use any pudding. Only real pistachios are used in order to get that flavor. And, bonus, you get the pistachio crunch!

    Using fresh pistachios for your cookies will also add a little protein and antioxidants. Who doesn’t like that?

    Read more about the health benefits of pistachios.

    Do You Need to Refrigerate

    For best results, I like to refrigerate the cookie dough, even if I only have 30 minutes to an hour.

    The butter has already been handled enough that it’s really soft. That little bit of refrigeration time will help pull it back together and keep it from spreading.

    Ingredients

    ingredients for pistachio cranberry cookies on a counter

    Making great cookies doesn’t need to be difficult and it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.

    This pistachio Christmas cookie recipe isn’t any different and contains your usual cookie ingredients.

    • Flour
    • Baking Soda
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Brown Sugar
    • Butter
    • Eggs

    Have a browse at all
    24Bite recipes
    to customize your own search.

    Cookie Add-ins

    pistachios on a cutting board, freshly chopped
    Chop the pistachios into chunky bits. You don’t need pistachio powder.

    Here’s where the fun begins. Once you have the basic cookie dough, hand stir in the goodies.

    • Dried Cranberries
    • Pistachios

    Dried Cranberries

    The dried cranberries are little bursts of fruity flavor. They’re basically little raisins, made of cranberries instead of raisins. They don’t need to be reconstituted. Unlike raisins, they are a little bit tart instead of completely sweet.

    Shelled Pistachios

    For the pistachios, I used the ones that have already been shelled. If you can only find them in the shell, that’s okay. It will add to your time, but isn’t the end of the world.

    It’s important that you chop up the pistachios before adding them to the cookie dough. Not only are they a little big and chunky, but it helps to get a more even amount of pistachios per cookie. You don’t want any of your cookies to feel slighted!

    You can chop by hand or use a food processor. Don’t go wild with the food processor, though! You want bits, not powder.

    You can use either salted or unsalted pistachios. I love the lightly salted pistachios but, it’s completely okay if you want to reduce the salt.

    plate of birria tacos with link to recipe

    Getting Uniform Cookie Size

    closeup of freshly baked cookies on a wire rack
    For best results, let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

    I always recommend a cookie scoop. The sizes most used in my house are 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tablespoon.

    This recipe makes about 45 cookies if using the 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. The cookies are the perfect size for a gathering or for gift giving.

    The 1 ½ tablespoon scoop makes about 24 cookies. This larger size has become my favorite for cookie sizes these days. I like to call them Subway size cookies because they’re the size you normally get at a Subway restaurant.

    How to Store

    These cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for about 5 days. They are, of course, best on the first day. So soft and chewy. After about 3 days, that starts to diminish.

    As with a lot of baked goods, you can also place them in an airtight container in the freezer. Take out a few cookies and they’ll be ready to eat in about 30 minutes.

    Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe by Christmas Guzman for 24Bite

    Are These Cookies Only for Christmas?

    I know that I’ve named these Pistachio Christmas Cookies but that’s only because they are green and red. They’re green from the pistachios and red from the cranberries.

    This is one of my favorite cookies, though, and they can be enjoyed any time of the year.

    More Cookies, Please!

    Browse the Cookie recipes category, or try one of these.

    • Magic Unicorn Cookies
    • White Chocolate Blondies Recipe
    • Coffee Espresso Cookies
    • Old Fashioned Oatmeal Carrot Cookies
    • Apricot Pecan Shortbread Cookies

    Recipe

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    Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe

    Tap to leave a star rating
    4.87 from 38 votes
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 48 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 8 minutes minutes
    Servings: 45 cookies
    Calories: 112kcal
    Author: Christian Guzman
    Save or Print
    This Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe combines both salty and sweet for a soft and chewy cookie, perfect for Christmas and beyond.

    For more information, be sure to check the recipe details in the attached 24Bite® post.

    Equipment

    • Standing or hand mixer
    • Baking Sheets
    • Parchment Paper

    Ingredients

    • 2 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, two sticks, softened
    • ½ cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 2 large Eggs
    • 1 cup Dried Cranberries, like Craisins
    • 1 cup Pistachios, chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350℉. (Chilling a bit in the refrigerator is suggested but not absolutely required.)
    • Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
    • Stir together butter, sugars and vanilla extract in large bowl until creamy.
    • Add eggs and mix well.
    • Gradually add flour mixture, about one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
    • Hand stir in dried cranberries and chopped pistachios until well mixed throughout.
    • Although not absolutely necessary, it's good to refrigerate the dough for about an hour. This keeps the cookies from spreading so much and turning into pancakes while baking.
    • Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. For easier cleaning, use parchment paper. We used a cookie scoop which makes it so much easier to get uniform cookies. There is no need to shape the cookies so you can just drop them in a ball from the scoop.
    • Place cookies in preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes. The cookies will brown a little and just barely golden brown around the edges. If using a darker baking sheet, you may need reduce heat by 25 degrees and start checking doneness at 9 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and cool about 5-8 minutes before removing to a wire rack until cooled completely before storing. Makes 45 cookies.



    Note: If there is a video, it will not display while there is an adblocker.

    Notes

    Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
    Nutrition Facts
    Pistachio Christmas Cookie Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (0 g)
    Calories 112 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Sodium 94mg4%
    Carbohydrates 15g5%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 8g9%
    Protein 2g4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Course Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword christmas cookie recipes, cookie recipes, craisins recipes, cranberry cookies, pistachio cranberry cookies
    ______________________



    Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2019-2023 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. Subscribe to 24Bite email newsletters.



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    Comments

    1. Gwynn says

      April 21, 2023 at 2:52 pm

      5 stars
      I’m loving the combination of pistachio and cranberry! These cookies are dangerous. I can’t stop eating them!

      Reply
    2. Jamie says

      April 22, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, another great-looking cookie recipe! Definitely looks so yummy and very delicious! Plus the Pistachio will boost the taste and flavor of this! Totally love it!

      Reply
    3. Cathleen says

      April 23, 2023 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      I can’t resist a good cookie recipe, and this one is so good! Thank you so much for sharing, it’s definitely a favourite in out house 🙂

      Reply
    4. Amy Liu Dong says

      April 23, 2023 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite cookie flavors. It is so delicious and it is so easy to make.

      Reply

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