Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies are made with a browned butter dough and filled with chopped white chocolate and pistachios. These unique cookies are incredibly delicious!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: white chocolate is soo underrated. Okay – maybe some people don’t think that it’s “real” chocolate (with cocoa powder & all that dark chocolate-y stuff), but it’s still amazingly delicious, so why the heck does it matter?!
I’m pro white chocolate all the way, so I’m on a mission to provide you all with recipes that let white chocolate shine. Paired with pistachios in cookie dough that’s all jazzed up with brown butter? It’s definitely shining.
Pistachios are also underutilized…though for a more understandable reason. Those suckers are a pain in the butt to use in a recipe, thanks to the pesky shells. I promise though, the 3 or so minute of annoyingly shelling pistachios is so worth it when you have a plate of gorgeous, brown butter-flecked Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies to serve up.
The base recipe I used for these cookies is a personal favorite of mine. It produces a thick, dense, and chewy cookie with perfectly crisp edges. I absolutely adore how they stay so round and puffy! I used browned butter (browned & then cooled), and paired with the brown sugar, the cookie dough itself develops such an amazing, caramelly flavor.
The pistachios add gorgeous color, a little crunchy texture, and delicious nutty flavor to the cookies. And of course…the white chocolate! Now, now – listen up, because this is important: –> do not use white chocolate chips.
You want to use good quality white chocolate in this recipe. I used Ghirardehli white chocolate from the baking section of my grocery store, but use whatever is most convenient for you (except the chips). White chocolate chips have a wax in them that helps them keep their shape at room temperature, but this makes it so they don’t get that awesome melty-ness that you want, and the flavor is definitely lacking compared to real white chocolate.
Sidenote: have you heard of caramelized white chocolate? I want to swim in it.
Of course, I have to say, if for some reason you’re in the anti-white chocolate camp (WHY?!?!), you can definitely use milk or dark here and the cookies would still be absolutely delicious.
These cookies are proven favorites, and got totally devoured when I left them out at our house when we had people over. I hope you love them as much as I (and all my guests!) did :).
Print![These Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies are made with a browned butter dough and filled with chopped white chocolate and pistachios. These unique cookies are incredibly delicious!](https://www.bakerita.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Pistachio-White-Chocolate-Chunk-Cookies-Pinterest-300x300.jpg)
White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter (browned and cooled to room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 oz. white chocolate (cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
- 1/2 cup pistachios (unshelled)
- 1/2 teaspoon good quality salt (for sprinkling on top before baking)
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat, stirring nearly continuously. Butter will melt, then begin to foam. It will then begin to turn golden brown and smell nutty. As soon at the butter begins to turn brown, take the pan off the heat, and continue to stir for about 1 minute, to ensure carryover heat doesn’t continue to cook and subsequently burn the already browned butter. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature, about 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- When the butter has cooled down and started to solidify slightly, add the butter to a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, and cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl.
- Continue mixing and add the egg and egg yolk one at a time. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl with a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula, fold in the white chocolate and pistachios. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour 1 hour, or up to 5 days*.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to form cookies and sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt on top, if desired.
- Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.
Notes
I made this dough four days before I baked it, and the dough was so flavorful and delicious! I recommend letting this dough refrigerate for at least a few hours before baking to let the dough develop the most decadent flavor.
Hi, this cookie recipe sounds great but one question.. . how do you think pecans would be if substituted for the pistachios? Can’t wait to try this one.
Hi Nancy – pecans would definitely be delicious here! Let me know how you like the cookies! :)
YYEEESS!! Look at that amazing thick – chewy cookie … MMM … I think we have a winner!!
I totally agree, Rachel! White chocolate is definitely underrated. I’m so loving the fact that you created pistachio cookies with white chocolate in them! Sounds amazing!
I sooo love pistachios! The color, the taste, everything! These cookies sound fantastic!
I spy salt on top! Heck yes! These look fabulous! You are totally right – pistachios and white chocolate chips are under utilized. The shelled pistachios are uber expensive…grrrr. Pinned!
I love putting sea salt on my cookies! :) And I know – beyond frustrating! Thanks for the pin, Lindsey!
I am so totally with ya! Pro white chocolate all the way ;-) these look delicious!
White choc and pistachios sounds like a combo made in cookie heaven! These cookies look totally fab, Rachel! I could totally go for a few of these right now. ;)
Oh my goodness these cookies look amazing! They are everything I love, pistachios, brown butter, and white chocolate. Such a perfect sweet and salty combo! Pinned!
These cookies look completely amazing! Adding the pistachios is such a brilliant idea, both for the flavor and nice pop of color that they bring. Plus white chocolate, brown butter, and sea salt? Pinned!
Gorgeous gorgeous cookies! I am a sucker for pistachios and white chocolate so these cookies are absolutely perfect! I love how thick they are and the pistachios with white chocolate is such an awesome combo. These cookies are totally worth the extra minutes to shell the pistachios :)
Ohmygoodness AND you browned the butter! These sound amazing!
Those baked up beautifully! What a great texture they made.
I’m in the anti white chocolate camp :) Sorry! It’s just not chocolate to me. I think these would be amazing with dark though!
I love pistachios- but I can buy them preshelled at the supermarket by my house! They are expensive, but worth the time saving!
Michelle – these would definitely still be amazing with dark chocolate! And I’m jealous you can get your hands on preshelled pistachios! I haven’t ever seen them around me. Thanks for stopping by!
holy! these look like perfection! i also think that white chocolate doesn’t get quite enough attention. Sure, I’m a little partial to dark chocolate, but white chocolate pairs so well with so many things, and I believe you highlighted that to a tee with these cookies!
I have to admit, I’m not a huge white chocolate fan . . but I would be with these cookies! and love pistachios!! Did you know Diamond now sells shelled pistachios?! you don’t have to shell anything anymore!! love these cookies!
So good to know!! I haven’t seen them around, but honestly I had these ones on hand for snacking when I made these, so I didn’t look too hard, haha. Thanks for the tip!
I LOVE white chocolate! Good idea to pair it with browned butter and pistachios. I’m also obsessed with caramelized white chocolate so you and I are definitely on the same page :)
These cookies look, wonderful!! I love white chocolate, but I feel like I don’t eat or bake with it that much. There’s always a moment after I haven’t had white chocolate in awhile and I’m like, “Oh yeah, this stuff is amazing!” Haha. I love the way these cookies look with the pistachios and that little pop of color. So pretty! :)
Thanks Beth! Yeah, I definitely go through phases of forgetting about white chocolate, but whenever I rediscover it I’m a happy girl :)
I’m not usually a huge fan of white chocolate, but in a cookie with pistachios– how could you go wrong??
I love pistachios! These look fantastic!
The combination of pistachios and white chocolate sounds AWESOME! Definitely gotta try these soon!
Love both pistachios and white chocolate! And of course cookies. These look amazing!!
These look great! Would be perfect for my Virtual Bake Sale for Macmillan Cancer Support- check it out here http://www.foodnerd4life.com/virtual-bake-sale-2014/
FoodNerd x
Omg *_* PINNNNNNEDD! A match made in heaven.
Wow these cookies look amazing! I love your photography!
I always give trays of cookies for Christmas presents so I am on the look-out for something a bit different to add to my collection. Just tried this recipe, they are awesome. My teenage son says “best ever”, these will definitely be on my cookie trays this Christmas!
I’m so happy to hear that Sharon!! Thanks for sharing how you liked them – so flattered by your son’s declaration! :) This recipe is one of my favorites too.
I was looking for something different for an annual cookie exchange party. These cookies sound perfect! I do have one question, did you use salted or unsalted pistachios?
Hi Marilu – I use unsalted, so that I can control the salt content of the cookie. Hope you love them!
Do you think I would be able to freeze the dough?
Definitely! I like to scoop the dough, freeze it on a cookie sheet, and then once it’s firm, toss it into a freezer bag and store that way.
Do these freeze well? I’m going to make these for Christmas.
Yes they do! I love freezing cookies in dough balls and baking fresh but you can also freeze the already baked cookies.