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Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Happy Cookie Swapping! These Pistachio Pudding cookies are soft and chewy, and are the prettiest festive shade of green! An easy drop cookie recipe you will L.O.V.E.

Pistachio Pudding Cookies Recipe

It’s that day again! Food blogger cookie swap day. Your internet is about to be inundated with all the awesome cookie recipes. Last year I made these Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies which are still way up at the top of my holiday cookie list. 

This year I decided to go the drop cookie route again with these Pistachio Pudding Cookies. The color is so festive! And pistachios are always a favorite.

I picked this recipe because the cookies are soft but not delicate — I was pretty certain they would ship well. I only heard back from one of my recipients (who reported they arrived in one piece and that she loved them), but I am pretty sure it’s because Andrew helped me pack up the boxes and I only realized AFTER we shipped that he conveniently forgot to insert my business cards plus hello notes.

Thanks, dude.

Pudding Cookie Recipe

Anyway — this time of year my How to Ship Baked Goods post gets a good bit of traction, and I think that having a handy list of recipes you can ship easily makes cookie swapping with those that aren’t nearby even more simple.

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

This recipe has been made quite a few times by readers; there are some great tips in the comments. Some people had questions though, so I put together a whole separate tutorial on How to Make Pudding Cookies. 

The recipe for Pistachio Pudding Cookies is extra easy. I started with my Chewy Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and played around a little. The pistachio pudding makes these incredibly soft and chewy, and I love the flavor! To make these easy pudding cookies you will need:

  • unsalted butter – SOFT butter!
  • light brown sugar
  • granulated sugar
  • 1 TABLESPOON vanilla extract
  • one egg
  • a (3 1/4 ounce) package of pistachio pudding mix
  • all purpose flour
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • chopped shelled pistachios
  • a tiny bit of green food coloring to get the green color right (optional)

Pistachio Christmas Cookies

Yes, Just One Egg

It’s not a typo or an error. This recipe only requires one egg. Following the instructions in the order that they are written is imperative for most baking recipes, because it can make or break the end result. 

To make sure your Pistachio Pudding Cookie Dough is moist and not crumbly, you need 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of softened butter. You need to beat together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. THEN you’ll add in your egg and a whole Tablespoon of vanilla. 

It’s enough moisture. I promise. 

Check the weight of the pudding mix you are using. Some brands have larger quantities in a standard package. 3 1/4 ounces is perfect. 

Pistachio Pudding Cookie Recipe

Cookie Swap Faves

For this year’s food blogger cookie swap, I received these White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Snowman Cookies. They were SO GOOD. Like bold print all caps good. Like I hid them from my family good.

I also got these amazing Ampersandwich Cookies — They were beautiful! Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache. Every bit as amazing as they sound.

Love a good Cookie Recipe? You should also try…

Coffee Lover's CookiesA stack of the Grinch Stole Christmas Cookies with a pretty green color studded with peppermint chips and dark chocolate

Coffee Lover’s Cookies are full of surprises. There’s chocolate, and espresso powder, and even a little Bailey’s Irish Cream. 

The Grinch Stole Christmas Cookies  are probably my hands down FAVORITE holiday cookies. Mint! Chocolate! Festive red and green! Santa loves them. 

 

Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Yield: 36 cookies

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Soft and chewy, and a festive green! These Pistachio Pudding Cookies are excellent for cookie swapping! A holiday favorite recipe.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 (3 ounce) package pistachio instant pudding mix
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups shelled chopped pistachios
  • 2-3 drops green food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until just combined.
  3. Mix in the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, and salt. Continue mixing until the dough *just* comes together.
  4. Stir in the chopped pistachios and the food coloring until the color is distributed evenly.
  5. About a tablespoon at a time, portion the dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2" apart.
  6. Bake for 9-11 mins (10 is always perfect for me). Your cookies might look slightly under-cooked - it's ok!!! They are done. Over baking takes away the chewy texture.
  7. Let them cool for a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

2

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 87mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g

Jess

Sunday 28th of July 2024

This recipe is killer! Was a big hit at my house. Thank you!

Heather Tullos

Sunday 4th of August 2024

Thank you, jess! So glad to hear it!

Dee

Sunday 26th of May 2024

I have to say that these are by far some of the BEST cookies I have ever made. They are a hit with family and friends. I get a request all the time to make them, so thank you for sharing the recipe.

Heather Tullos

Saturday 22nd of June 2024

That's so great to hear, Dee! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!

Eileen

Saturday 23rd of March 2024

My daughter made these cookies for her wedding this weekend. They were so perfect I just had to try to make them myself. But I have tried twice and mine do not come out looking at all like yours! They do not flatten out at all. The first time I used a convection oven, inexpensive butter and dropped a tablespoonful of dough onto the cookie sheet. I reread all your instructions and the second time I did not use a convection oven, and I bought an expensive butter. I rolled the dough balls into an oblong cookie shape as per your tutorial. Now I have oblong shaped cookies. I tried very hard to follow your recipe exactly. I used one large egg the first time, and a jumbo egg the second time. Any advice? I don't want to try again until I hear from you. But I'd really like to have these cookies come out flat and beautiful instead of oblong and bumpy. Any help you could give would be appreciated. Have you ever heard of this happening? Also, she lives in Arizona, and I live in CT. Thank you!

Heather Tullos

Saturday 22nd of June 2024

Hi Eileen! I have not heard of this happening -- I wonder if you might try just a little more butter? The mix might be too dry depending on how you've measured the flour + the weight of the pudding package.

Brady

Thursday 7th of December 2023

Wondering if I could make this dough ahead of time and then freeze it until I’m ready to bake? Or would it be better to bake the cookies and then freeze those when they’re done to save for later?

Kristy

Thursday 30th of March 2023

I made these for the first time today and didn't think the cookies had much flavor. I followed the recipe exactly as written and must say it was a breeze from start to finish, so appreciated that. Just found it too sweet and without much flavor.

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