I know, I know. You’re probably seeing “Dubai chocolate” everything pop up on your feed these days. But trust me, you absolutely *have* to make these **pistachio chocolate cookies**! They’re not just trending; they’re truly exceptional. Imagine biting into a wonderfully **fudgy and intensely chocolatey cookie** with a surprise core of smooth, sweet pistachio cream. It’s a flavor and texture combination that will leave you craving more, every single time.

When I first developed my chocolate chip stuffed pistachio cookie recipe, I instantly knew a full chocolate version was essential. This particular chocolate cookie base is inspired by my immensely popular triple chocolate chunk cookies (which, seriously, if you haven’t tried them, you’re missing out!). However, for this specific pistachio variation, I made a few crucial adjustments to ensure perfection. The cookie dough itself is rich with both finely chopped dark chocolate (though feel free to use semisweet or even milk chocolate, depending on your preference!) and finely chopped pistachios, adding delightful texture and depth of flavor.

A key to the success of these **stuffed cookies** lies in the chilling and freezing process. Each portion of cookie dough is chilled before being carefully wrapped around a frozen ball of pistachio cream. This ensures that the pistachio filling remains solid enough during baking to create that incredible gooey center without simply melting and disappearing into the cookie. During testing, I discovered that the inclusion of chopped pistachios in the dough could sometimes make it a little dry. To combat this and ensure a consistently moist, rich texture, I added an extra egg yolk to the recipe. This small tweak makes a significant difference, lending even more moisture and a luxurious richness to every bite.

If you’re a fan of the chocolate pistachio combination and fancy a cake, why not try my delightful chocolate pistachio cake?

Understanding Pistachio Cream vs. Pistachio Paste

For this recipe, selecting the right pistachio ingredient for the filling is crucial. I’ve specifically tested and recommend using **Pisti pistachio cream spread**. You can often find this high-quality spread at stores like Costco, making it quite accessible. This particular spread is a harmonious blend of finely ground pistachios, a touch of oil, and sweeteners, giving it a balanced flavor and a thick, spreadable consistency that works perfectly as a cookie filling.

It’s important to differentiate this from **pistachio butter** or pure pistachio paste. Pistachio butter is typically just 100% ground pistachios, with no added sugar or oils, resulting in a very rich, earthy flavor that isn’t sweet at all. If you were to use pure pistachio butter as the filling, your cookies would lack the desired sweetness and creamy texture in the center. Therefore, if you’re opting for a brand other than Pisti, always check the label carefully to ensure it’s a “pistachio cream” or “pistachio spread” that contains sweeteners, not just ground pistachios.

From my experience, Pisti pistachio cream tends to be quite firm, even in warmer conditions. This firm consistency is ideal for scooping into balls and freezing, as it holds its shape well. However, I’ve encountered other pistachio spreads in the past that were much more liquidy. If you find yourself with a runnier pistachio cream, don’t worry! A simple trick is to place the entire jar in the refrigerator overnight, or at least for several hours, before you plan to use it. Chilling the spread significantly firms it up, making it much easier to scoop into precise, tablespoon-sized balls that will freeze effectively for your cookie stuffing.

Gather Your Essential Ingredients

Achieving the perfect fudgy, flavorful, and perfectly stuffed pistachio chocolate cookies starts with quality ingredients. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and some helpful tips for each:

• Pistachio Cream: As mentioned, Pisti pistachio spread is my top recommendation for its ideal consistency and balanced sweetness. If using another brand, ensure it’s a sweetened spread, not pure pistachio butter.
• Pistachios: I’ve exclusively tested this recipe with **plain, unsalted pistachios**. This gives you complete control over the salt level in your cookies. If you opt for roasted and salted pistachios, be aware that your cookies will likely be much saltier, and you may need to reduce or omit the added kosher salt from the dough.
• Cocoa Powder: For the deepest, richest chocolate flavor and a beautiful dark hue, I recommend using **Dutch-processed cocoa powder**. This type of cocoa powder has been treated to reduce its acidity, resulting in a smoother flavor profile compared to natural cocoa powder, which can react differently with leavening agents.
• Chopped Chocolate: While semisweet chocolate chips can certainly be used in an equal amount, I highly encourage using a **chopped chocolate bar**. Chopped chocolate melts more unevenly and creates those coveted “chocolate puddles” and beautiful pockets of molten chocolate throughout your baked cookies. You can use dark chocolate for an intense flavor, or switch to milk chocolate for a sweeter, creamier profile.
• Unsalted Butter (room temperature): Crucial for proper creaming with the sugars, which incorporates air and contributes to the cookie’s texture.
• White and Light Brown Sugar: The combination provides both spread and chewiness. Light brown sugar also adds a subtle caramel note.
• Large Egg & Egg Yolk (room temperature): Room temperature eggs emulsify better with the butter and sugar, creating a smoother dough. The extra egg yolk adds richness and counteracts any dryness from the pistachios, resulting in a perfectly moist and tender cookie.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the other flavors. Use pure vanilla for best results.
• Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness and amplifies the chocolate and pistachio flavors. (See notes in recipe card for important details on salt types).
• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookie dough.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Our leavening agents, giving the cookies their lift and chew.
• Fine Espresso Powder (optional): This secret ingredient doesn’t make the cookies taste like coffee but deeply enhances and intensifies the chocolate flavor, making it richer and more complex. Highly recommended if you have it!

1. Begin by preparing your pistachio cream filling. Line a baking tray or a large plate with parchment paper. Using a clean spoon or a small cookie scoop, measure out 12 individual, level tablespoon-sized balls of pistachio cream onto the prepared parchment. Ensure they are somewhat uniform in size for even stuffing. Once scooped, immediately place the tray into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until the pistachio balls are firm and solid. This crucial step prevents the filling from melting too quickly when baked.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), combine your room temperature unsalted butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes, or until the mixture is visibly lightened in color, fluffy, and well combined. This creaming process incorporates air, essential for a soft, tender cookie texture.

3. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl thoroughly, ensuring all ingredients are incorporated. Add the large egg, the extra large egg yolk, and the vanilla extract. Beat again on medium speed for about 1 minute, until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add all of your dry ingredients to the bowl: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and the optional fine espresso powder. Mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are barely incorporated into the wet mixture. Stop the mixer and once again, use your rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure a uniformly mixed dough without any pockets of dry flour.

5. With the mixer off, gently stir in the majority of your chopped pistachios and chopped chocolate using your rubber spatula. Reserve about ¼ cup of the chopped chocolate and a small handful of pistachios to press on top of the warm cookies immediately after baking. This helps create those beautiful pools of chocolate and gives the cookies a gorgeous finished look. Mix just until the add-ins are evenly distributed.

6. Using a large cookie scoop (approximately 3 tablespoons in size), scoop out uniform balls of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave a little space between them. Once all dough is scooped, place the entire baking sheet into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2-3 hours. This chilling period is crucial for preventing excessive spreading during baking and allows the flavors to deepen.

7. Once the dough has chilled and the pistachio cream balls are frozen solid, preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit (175°Celsius). Line two additional baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the chilled cookie dough balls out of the fridge and the frozen pistachio balls out of the freezer. Working with one cookie dough ball at a time, gently flatten it into a disc shape in the palm of your hand. Place one frozen pistachio ball directly in the center of the flattened dough. Carefully use your fingers to gather the cookie dough around the pistachio ball, completely sealing it inside. Roll it gently between your palms to ensure a smooth, round ball with no exposed filling.

8. Place the stuffed cookie dough balls back onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. For that visually stunning cracked top effect, which reveals hints of the pistachio filling, you can optionally scoop an additional ½ to 1 tablespoon of pistachio cream directly on top of each cookie dough ball before baking. This creates a beautiful contrast. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. While one sheet bakes, keep the other sheet of prepared dough in the refrigerator to prevent it from warming up.

Pro Tip: Easy Cookie Dough Scooping

During my initial tests for these cookies, I tried chilling the entire bowl of mixed cookie dough before scooping. I quickly found that this particular dough, with the added pistachios, became quite stiff and challenging to work with once fully chilled in a large mass. It made scooping a real arm workout!

To save yourself some effort and ensure perfectly shaped cookies, I highly recommend scooping out all of your cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet *before* chilling them. This way, the dough is softer and easier to portion accurately. Once scooped, you can then place the individual cookie dough balls into the fridge for a few hours. This method is much easier and results in a more pleasant baking experience, trust me!

Crazy for Stuffed Cookies? So Am I!

If you adore the surprise of a perfectly gooey, flavorful center, you’re in the right place! Stuffed cookies are my absolute favorite, and I’ve got plenty more recipes to satisfy your cravings. Once you’ve mastered these incredible Pistachio Chocolate Cookies, explore some other fantastic stuffed cookie creations:

If you’ve made this recipe and fallen in love with these **stuffed pistachio chocolate cookies**, I’d be absolutely thrilled to hear from you! Please make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below to let me know how they turned out. I genuinely love seeing your baking creations, so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @alpineella so I can share your delicious work! You can also follow along for more baking inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok!

Stuffed Pistachio Chocolate Cookies (One Bowl)

Ella Gilbert

Nutrition