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 :).

White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

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• Yield: 18 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

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• 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)

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
3. 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.
4. 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*.
5. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to form cookies and sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt on top, if desired.
6. Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

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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.

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