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    Home » Baking » Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe

    Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe

    Published on Nov 21, 2020 Modified: Nov 17, 2020 by The Foreign Fork This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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    This recipe for Italian Pistachio Cookies uses only 5 ingredients. The cookies are soft and share the tastes of pistachio and lemon. They are great for a quick cookie recipe any time of the year, and the green color also makes them a great fit for Christmas dessert! 

    Cookies on brown parchment paper with pistachios all around

    Recipe Origin

    When I was living abroad in Italy I developed a very bad/wonderful habit of walking into random bakeries every time I went anywhere. I couldn’t help myself! I would always order something I had never tried before, trying to expand my horizons as much as possible when it came to Italian food. 

    There was one bakery that stood out to me above all the rest. I don’t remember the name of it, but take me back to Roma and I could walk you there with my eyes closed. And inside this bakery, there was one cookie that crowned every other cookie. 

    I found myself buying this cookie whenever I walked by Campo Dei Fiori (which happened frequently) and savoring every single delicious bite. 

    Pistachio Cookie Recipe with a bite taken out of it

    Once I came home I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to buy the cookie whenever I wanted, and was absolutely devastated. 

    Harnessing the power of the internet, I took to my blog. On my Instagram Stories I described the cookie…. The taste, the color, the shape, the deliciousness.

    People around the world were sending me links and photos of cookie recipes that might fit my description, but none of them matched my beloved cookie. 

    Finally, one of my followers from India messaged me. He had a friend that was studying to be a pastry chef in Italy and he had asked her about the cookie.. She used my clues and gave her best guess; I looked it up. She was right!! 

    Finally, I had what I needed. I could only find recipes for this cookie with almond flavoring, but, in my opinion, the pistachio is what makes the cookie great.

    I adapted the recipes I found and came up with this beautiful creation…. My Italian Pistachio Cookies. I hope you love them as much as I do! 

    Why Make this Recipe

    Plate of pistachio cookies with pistachios around them
    1. Soft Italian Cookie: It’s very rare to find an Italian cookie that is soft instead of crunchy. And while I love the flavors of Italian cookies, I’m not always a fan of the crunchiness (except with biscotti… those are always delicious). This cookie takes the taste of Italian Pistachios and pairs it with a soft, delicate cookie that you will love. 
    2. 5 Ingredients: No need to buy a million extracts or flavorings for this cookie. Simply use the 5 ingredients in this recipe and have a delicious cookie in no time! 
    3. Great for Christmas: Want a unique and delicious cookie for Christmas? This recipe is perfect, especially for it’s green color! 

    What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Recipe

    Labeled ingredient list
    1. Pistachios: You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
    2. Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse. 
    3. Lemon Zest: The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not). 

    How to Make this Recipe

    Step 1: Make the Dough 

    Pistachios in a food processor

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

    Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the pistachios into a fine flour. 

    In a bowl, combine the pistachio flour with the almond flour. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. 

    Mix to combine. 

    Step 2: Form Cookies 

    collage showing how to make pistachio cookie dough

    Break cookie dough into pieces a little bigger than a walnut shell. Coat hands in powdered sugar and rub on the outside of the cookie dough ball until the dough is covered in powdered sugar. 

    Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving indents with your fingers on the dough. 

    Step 3: Bake 

    Overhead view of cookies baking on a cookie sheet

    Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough should still be soft, like marzipan. 

    Bake for 18-22 minutes for a crunchier cookie. 

    Expert Tips

    • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor. 
    • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out. 
    • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15. 
    • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested. 

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I Buy Pistachio Flour? 

    Close up of Pistachio Cookie Recipe on a cookie sheet

    You certainly can buy pistachio flour if you’d like, however I wouldn’t recommend it. Pistachio flour is incredibly expensive and not typically found in stores. You’d likely need to buy it off of the internet and have it shipped to your house. If you want to do this, you can buy Pistachio Flour here. 

    However, I recommend buying pistachios and simply grinding them into flour yourself. It is far easier than searching high and low for pistachio flour or paying a large amount of money for a single pound. 

    Did you like this Pistachio Cookie Recipe? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve picked out just for you: 

    • Pecan Snowball Cookies
    • Fast and Easy Maple Cookie Recipe
    • Cocadas: Coconut Cookies from Bolivia 
    • Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe with Pistachio

    Traditional Italian Pistachio Cookies

    This recipe for Italian Pistachio Cookies uses only 5 ingredients. The cookies are soft and share the tastes of pistachio and lemon. They are great for a quick cookie recipe any time of the year, and the green color also makes them a great fit for Christmas dessert!
    5 from 52 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 21 cookies
    Calories: 139kcal
    Author: The Foreign Fork

    Ingredients

    • 200 g 1 ⅔ cup shelled, unroasted, unsalted pistachios
    • 175 g 1 ¾ cup almond flour
    • 175 g 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • Zest of one lemon
    • Extra powdered sugar, for coating

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the pistachios into a fine flour.
    • In a bowl, combine the pistachio flour with the almond flour. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.
    • Break cookie dough into pieces a little bigger than a walnut shell. Coat hands in powdered sugar and rub on the outside of the cookie dough ball until the dough is covered in powdered sugar.
    • Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving indents with your fingers on the dough.
    • Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough should still be soft, like marzipan. Bake for 18-22 minutes for a crunchier cookie.

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
     
    • Pistachios: You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
    • Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse.
    • Lemon Zest: The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not).
    • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor. 
    • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out. 
    • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15. 
    • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Baking, Christmas Recipes, Cookies, Dessert, Winter Recipes

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    Comments

    1. Shelly L says

      February 23, 2023 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      Our favorite cookies! I make them with 1/2 almond flour 1/2 almond meal. They are much healthier than energy/granola bars, and make a great breakfast on the run. Friends say they are delicious. Mine flatten out some, so I will follow your suggestion to grind pistachios less. I tried with 1/4 cup cashews when short on pistachios, and liked them equally. I use Costco salted baked shelled pistachios because they are cheaper and as delicious as raw pistachios.

      Reply
    2. Jason says

      February 12, 2023 at 2:15 pm

      If i want to freeze these is it better to freeze the raw dough, defrost and bake another day or to bake them and freeze the cookies?

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        February 19, 2023 at 2:00 pm

        You can do either, but I could recommend baking them and then freezing the cookie!

        Reply
    3. Keya says

      January 30, 2023 at 10:16 pm

      I’ve been looking for a pistachio cookie recipe and these look amazing

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        January 31, 2023 at 5:17 pm

        So glad you are excited about them Keya! Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Mitchel says

      January 07, 2023 at 9:29 am

      5 stars
      WOW! So good. I couldn’t keep them in the house for more than 2 hours before all of my friends devoured them. Opted to take them midway between the 15 and 22 minutes as we liked a slight chew on the edge. Be mindful they’ll keep cooking after you pull them out..so pull them earlier than you think they’re done. Can’t wait to do it again!!

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        January 10, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        What a joy to read, Mitchel! I am so glad you liked the cookies. Thank you for leaving a comment and letting me know!

        Reply
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    Hi there! My name is Alexandria. Thanks for stopping by! Spices, ingredients, utensils, techniques… we’ll learn it all, together. Join me for me for struggles and laughs and some crazy concoctions. Learn More...
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