This is probably the simplest recipe on earth for Pistachio Cookies. Two ingredients + chocolate if you like, a food processor and a couple of minutes of time are all you need.
I’m a huuuge pistachio fan. I make my own 100% pure pistachio paste to smother on apple slices. I make my own pistachio ice cream and as of today I also make cookies.
You can see, all these recipes call for raw pistachios and don’t require any baking. However, I want to answer a burning question a lot of people seem to have:
Can you bake with pistachios?
Yes! You can certainly add pistachios to any baked good that asks for nuts. You can replace walnuts or pecans simply by pistachios in any recipe. No problem at all. However, they are so delicate and delicious I find they lose most of their strong pistachio flavor once roasted or baked.
The rawer, the stronger the flavor. So if you are a big pistachio fan you’ll actually want to keep them cold and your pistachio cookies unbaked.
The Ingredients
As mentioned in the title, this is a simple 2-ingredients recipe but guess what, you actually CAN replace either.
Pistachios – any other nut or seed you have on hand works, too.
Dates – for the sweetest results use dates, but any other dried fruit works, too. If they are super fresh you don’t have to soak them. If they are old and rather dry, soak them for 10 minutes in boiling water, then drain well.
Chocolate – again, any chocolate that melts :) Dark chocolate has the lowest amount of sugar. If you want even less sugar, omit the chocolate completely.
How to Make Raw Pistachio Cookies
The easiest way to make them is in a food processor. Add the pistachios first and process until coarsely chopped, then add the dates.
Alternatively, a high-speed blender works, too. However, you’ll have to do a lot of scraping in between blending. The dough is super sticky.
You can also go the traditional route of chopping board and heavy knife. Simply chop everything suuuuuper finely and then mix in a bowl with a spoon by pressing it all together.
Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips - (optional)
Instructions
- If your dates are old and dry, place them in a heatproof container and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak for about 10 minutes in the hot water, then drain well. If your dates are super fresh, you can omit this step.
- Add pistachios to a food processer and pulse about 10 times or until the pistachios resemble very coarse flour.
- Add the dates to the coarse pistachios and process about 3 minutes or until everything sticks together and a ball forms inside the processor. The dough will be easily moldable and shouldn't stick to your fingers much.
- Use a measuring spoon to make uniform size cookies (or not) and form half-moons or balls or flat circles or whichever shape you love.
- Now you can eat them just like this OR....
- Melt some chocolate and dip the pistachio cookies half or completely into the chocolate, then place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes for the chocolate to harden again.
- Keep in the refrigerator for optimal freshness and eat within 4 days.
Nutrition
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April says
This is absolutely brilliant. I added a little bit of cinnamon, ginger and rose water to give it that Mediterranean kick and my Middle Eastern husband absolutely loved them.
ATTAgal says
These are DELICIOUS! My partner said it was a better snack than candy.
I found 1 cup of dates was way too many, I had to add about half a cup more pistachios and it is still very date heavy – still delicious though!!
Val says
Taking a chance on leaving a comment. Could you use another nut? Pistachios are pretty expensive. Thanks
Lorena Grater says
Absolutely! Any nut will work in this recipe.
Mona says
These are absolutely healthy and delicious. Thank you! My husband and I scarfed down two of them immediately after they came out of the freezer. He didn’t even know what they were made out of.
KM says
This recipe looks amazing; can’t wait to try it!
Suggestion: Take a look at the sentence in your third paragraph that says, “You can see, all these recipes call for raw pistachios and require any baking.” You may want to add the word “don’t”!
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Lorena Grater says
Thank you so much for pointing that out. Just corrected the mistake :)
Kiki says
Do I count out 100 shelled pistachios, or did you mean 100 grams?
P.S. I know this comment is more than a year later, but you could check out @thekitchenmccabe and @grainandfeather on Instagram for dark and moody photography! I think they’re really good :)
Lorena says
Hahaha, yes, it’s 100 g. Just corrected it. Please don’t waste time ounting pistachios ? I just checked out the Instagram accounts. Thank you for sharing. Beautiful photography! I’ve decided to go lighter instead, it brings out the food’s texture better. Will follow those accounts now though, just to enjoy the photography.
Leslie | Bessie Bakes says
Oh my god, this recipe is brilliant!! Just three ingredients and you’re done. I have been on a huge pistachio kick lately so I am definitely trying these, especially because there is no added sugar except for what’s in the chocolate. Oh and nice job on the dark and moody pictures. I have no clue even where to begin with those, so you are off to a good start.
Lorena says
Hahaha, you are too sweet Leslie. I even “hid” this post on my blog so it wouldn’t appear on the first page, that’s how horrible I feel the photography is on this one. I was super close to not posting it but the recipe was really good that’s why I posted it. I’m sure you’ll love it :)