Pistachio Cookies | Cream Cheese Rounds | Dishes Delish (2024)

Cream cheese and pistachio cookies are among my most requested recipes. They’re a total crowd-pleaser! The outside is crispy, but the interiors are chewy, delicious, rich, velvety, and flavorful!

“What isIN these?”

I hear that when I bring these cookies anywhere. I’m known in my family for my cookies (and my co*cktails). So, when people ask what is in them, and they inevitably do, I say, “Cream cheese.” That explains the texture and subtletaste.

There have been times when I’ve made five or six different types of cookies and brought them to some function, usually around the holidays. I always start making only one kind, then add another type for variety, and it snowballs from there. It’s a sickness, I think.

Wait! A variety ofyummy cookies? No! Not a sickness: a necessity! Especially if it includes these moist, flavorful, soft cream cheese pistachio pudding cookies.

Update: The last few times I’ve bought pistachio pudding mix, I’ve had to buy instant. There isn’t any noticeable difference in the taste of these delicious cookies, so feel free to use instant in these wonderful pistachio cookies.

Fun fact: Did you know that pistachios aren’t considered nuts? They are edible seeds from the pistachio tree fruit.

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Helpful tips

• You may use instant if you can’t find regular pistachio pudding mix. Of course, I prefer the regular kind.
• Take the butter out for at least an hour before making the cookies. You want it to be soft and at room temperature. I usually take the butter out the night before (unless it’s summertime).
• There is no need to remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator before making the cookies, as it is already soft.
• After placing the butter into the mixing bowl, cut into pats with a butter knife for easier mixing. I do use salted butter, but you can substitute it with unsalted butter.
• Do not overmix the dough.
• Use raw, unsalted pistachios as you don’t want a salty cookie. If you can’t find unsalted, one of my readers, Dawn, told me she rinsed the salt off the pistachios and let them dry out overnight! Thanks for the tip, Dawn.
• These pistachio cookies take longer to bake than the average cookie, so be patient as the outside will be a little crispy with a soft inside.
• I like to dip some of these cookies in melted chocolate. People like them both ways, but I always like giving them a choice.
• These cookies freeze well and can be eaten within a few minutes of being removed from the freezer.
• I don’t use green food coloring in these cookies as the pistachio pudding mix has some in there, but use a few drops if you want them to be really green.

How to make pistachio cookies

Step one

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step two

Gather the ingredients – softened butter, cream cheese, sugar, and an egg. (A)

Step three

Place sugar, butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer. (B) Mix until combined.

Step four

Add the large egg and vanilla extract and mix until creamy. (C)

Step five

Add the dry ingredients – a box of pistachio pudding mix, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. (D)

Step six

Stir in chopped pistachios. (E)

Step seven

Take a medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into balls, and place them on baking sheets (16 balls per sheet). (F)

Step eight

Bake for 15 minutes. They should be a little soft to the touch and slightly browned on the edges.

Step nine

Wait 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet to a wire rack.

See Also

Pecan Sandies RecipeAmish Sugar CookiesrnDecorated Jelly Jar Cookies35 Amazing Mason Jar Gifts You'll Want to Keep for Yourself

Aren’t they so cute? I love these little balls of happiness.

Step ten

This part is optional. Melt 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in a microwave. I heat them for 30 seconds, checking and stirring after each round. (It took my microwave three rounds, or 1 minute 30 seconds, to melt the chocolate completely.)Once melted, dip some of the cookies in the chocolate.

Step eleven

If you decide to dip some cookies, place them on a separate dish and stick them in the freezer for 5 – 10 minutes to set the chocolate.

I hope you enjoyed this pistachio cookies recipe! These cookies are the best!

Please feel free to leave me a comment. What is your favorite cookie?

Other popular cookie recipes

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
• Butterscotch cookies

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried thisrecipe, I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can alsoFOLLOW MEonFACEBOOK,TWITTER,INSTAGRAM,andPINTERESTto see more of my delicious food and delightful co*cktails!

Originally published September 2016.