Soft and gooey pistachio chocolate chip cookies made with nutty brown butter, melty dark chocolate chunks, ground pistachios, and then stuffed with a luscious homemade pistachio cream. These cookies are packed with pistachio flavor in every bite, making it a heavenly treat for pistachio lovers!
If you love pistachio as much as I do, definitely check out this pistachio chocolate semifreddo, pistachio butter cups, and pistachio olive oil cake!
What is pistachio cream?
It's an Italian sweet pistachio spread that is generally made of pistachios, oil, sugar, milk powder and sometimes white chocolate, and then processed until smooth. However, ingredients can vary depending on the brand. It can be spread on pastries, drizzled over desserts, or enjoyed straight from the jar! ☺️
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♡ Why You Will Love These Pistachio Cream Stuffed Cookies
- Homemade pistachio cream. It so easy to make, contains 3 simple ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to whip up. It tastes incredible and since we're making our own, we can control the sweetness.
- Packed with so much flavor. The combination of brown butter, pistachio cream, ground pistachios, melty pools of dark chocolate, and flaky sea salt makes for the perfect nutty, sweet and salty bite.
- Textures. These pistachio stuffed cookies have a chewy and gooey center with crisp buttery edges. Every bite is truly irresistible!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in these pistachio stuffed cookies. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
- Homemade Pistachio Cream - The cream will be stuffed inside the pistachio chocolate chip cookies for the gooiest treat.
- Butter - Butter will be browned to add more nutty flavor.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated White Sugar - Brown sugar will give the cookies that chewy and soft texture and a little bit of white sugar creates crispy edges.
- Egg - For structure.
- All-Purpose Flour - I always recommend measuring flour with a kitchen scale for best results. Adding too much flour can make your cookies dense rather than gooey.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder - Leveners to help the cookies spread, puff and brown.
- Cornstarch - A bit of cornstarch make the cookies chewier.
- Salt - Enhances flavors.
- Vanilla Extract - For flavor.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate or Dark Chocolate - I recommend chopping up a chocolate bar, instead of using chocolate chips, to get those large pools of melty chocolate.
- Shelled Pistachio Nuts - Chopped pistachios adds nuttiness.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Pistachio Cream Stuffed Cookies! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Brown your butter until golden and nutty.
Step 2. Combine slightly cooled brown butter, brown sugar and white sugar.
Step 3. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Step 4. Sift in flour mixture and combine until there are very few flour streaks left.
Step 5. Fold in finely chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks.
Step 6. Using a large scoop, completely fill the scoop with cookie dough.
Step 7. Then create a well by pressing your thumb in the center.
Step 8. Fill the opening with about 2 teaspoons of pistachio cream. There's no need to close up the hole.
Step 9. Transfer the cookie dough balls, cream side up, onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Top with chocolate chunks and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 10. Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Step 11. Round out any irregular edges as soon as it comes out of the oven. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
💡 Tip
For perfectly round cookies, try this hack. Right when you pull the cookies out of the oven, place a large round biscuit cutter, ramekin or bowl over the cookie (it should be a bit bigger than the cookie itself) and make several circular motions. As the edge of the cookie touches the inside of the biscuit cutter, it will round out any irregular edges.
Substitutions
- Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Cornstarch - Also known as Cornflour in the UK. If you don't have any in your pantry, you can omit it.
- Dark Chocolate Bar - I'm using a dark 70% chocolate bar, which I think works perfectly with the sweet pistachio cream. However, you can also use semi-sweet chocolate if you'd prefer.
Key Equipment
- Pot - For browning the butter.
- Bowls
- Hand Whisk
- Rubber Spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Large Cookie Scoop (#20 scoop, which holds 3 tablespoons of cookie dough)
Storage
- Baked Cookies at Room Temperature - Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Baked Cookies in the Freezer - You can store baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before eating. It will take about 40 minutes to thaw.
⭐️ Expert Tips
Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams, rather than volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur's Weight Chart.
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Do not overbake. I baked them for 10 minutes because I love a soft and gooey cookie. If you'd prefer a crispier cookie, you can bake it a little longer.
Use a light colored pan when browning butter. Using a light colored pan allows you to see the color of your butter as it browns. The butter can burn quickly, so being able to see the color progression is helpful.
Use a chocolate bar, rather than chocolate chips for large melty pools of chocolate. I find that Lindt's 70% dark chocolate, melts perfectly!
FAQ
Pistachio cream is sweetened, more creamy and contains more additives, similar to Nutella. Whereas, pistachio butter typically just contains pistachios, similar to natural peanut butter and almond butter. However, I have noticed that some brands can use these labels interchangeably, so it's best to read the ingredient list if you are unsure.
I have not tested these cookies with store-bought pistachio cream, but I'm sure you can. Although I've seen some pistachio stuffed cookie recipes online where the pistachio cream seems to disappear into the cookie. My homemade pistachio cream is made of just pistachios, a bit of oil and white chocolate, so it stays soft in the center.
The usual culprit is adding too much flour. These cookies should be soft and gooey. I always recommend measuring flour with a kitchen scale. If you don't have a scale, fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Never scoop your measuring cup directly into your bag of flour or pack the flour.
YES, YOU DO! Just kidding! You should though. During testing, I made a batch with regular melted butter and although it was delicious, it was not as incredible as the batch made with brown butter.
If you decide not to brown the butter, reduce the quantity down to 7 tablespoons (99 grams).
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📖 Recipe
Pistachio Cream Stuffed Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- ½ Cup Pistachio Cream, homemade or store bought
- ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter browned & slightly cooled
- 1 ¼ Cup (150g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup (100g) Brown Sugar packed
- ¼ Cup (50g) Granulated White Sugar
- 1 Whole Large Egg room temp
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 5 Ounces (141g) Dark Chocolate Bars (70% to 72%) roughly chopped
- ⅓ Cup (40g) Pistachios finely chopped
- Flaky Sea Salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Make a batch of pistachio cream. If using store-bought, skip to the next step.
- Make Brown Butter - In a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, add unsalted butter. Swirl the pan and keep the butter moving around constantly. As the butter melts, it will foam and sizzle and gradually start to brown and deepen in color. You'll also notice a nutty aroma and tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan. The whole process should take about 8 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter
- Cool Butter - Quickly pour the hot brown butter into a large mixing bowl and place in the fridge for just 10 minutes.
- Combine Dry Ingredients - Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt.1 ¼ Cup (150g) All-Purpose Flour, 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch, ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda, ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ Teaspoon Salt
- Prep Chocolate + Pistachios - Roughly chop your chocolate bar(s) and finely chop the pistachios.5 Ounces (141g) Dark Chocolate Bars (70% to 72%), ⅓ Cup (40g) Pistachios
- Combine Wet Ingredients - Remove the cooled brown butter from the fridge (okay if still a little warm) and add brown sugar and white sugar. Using a hand whisk, combine until incorporated. Then whisk in the the egg and vanilla until well combined.½ Cup (100g) Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup (50g) Granulated White Sugar, 1 Whole Large Egg, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients - Sift in flour mixture, and switching to a rubber spatula, combine until there are very few flour streaks left.
- Add Mix-Ins - Fold in finely chopped pistachios and chocolate chunks, reserving some pieces for topping the cookies. Do not overmix.
- Assemble Cookies - Using a large cookie scoop that holds 3 tablespoons, completely fill the scoop with cookie dough. Then create a deep well by pressing your thumb in the center of the cookie dough. Fill the opening with about 2 teaspoons of pistachio cream. Keep the opening exposed. (see photo for reference)
- Chill - Release the stuffed cookie dough ball from the cookie scoop and transfer onto a small parchment-lined baking tray or plate, cream side up. Top with reserved chocolate chunks and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven at 350ºF (176ºC). Then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake - Baking in 2 separate batches, place 5 dough balls at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep the remaining dough balls in the fridge to bake after.
- Cool - As soon as it comes out of the oven, round out any irregular edges with a bowl (see note below or see photo). Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Bake off the remaining cookie and enjoy!
Cyndi says
Everyone LOVED them! I had to make a second batch because they disappeared within seconds!
Lisa says
Thanks so much Cyndi! I'm so thrilled everyone loved the cookies! Happy Baking 😊