Pistachio Pudding Cookies are easy to make and taste great. This recipe uses instant pistachio pudding mix to make soft, flavorful cookies loaded with additional pistachios and white chocolate chips. Add a little green food coloring to make them pop for St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas.

Three pistachio cookies with white chocolate chips stacked on top of each other. Box of pistachio pudding in the background.

Pudding in Cookies

Pistachio lovers will be swooning over these cookies flavored with instant pudding mix.

Not only does pudding add a nice flavor, the cornstarch helps tenderize cookies. Soft, chewy cookies. What’s not to love? I really like using pudding mix in these butterscotch cookies and pumpkin spice pudding cookies as well.

Plate full of green pistachio cookies with white chocolate chips and pistachio nuts.

Holiday Cookies

Pistachios are naturally green, but a tiny drop of food coloring is added to these cookies to make them more vibrantly green. This green color is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas.

Pistachio pudding cookies are also a great flavor for spring and Easter. Of course, you don’t need an excuse to indulge in these delicious cookies.

Baked pistachio pudding cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Ingredients in Pistachio Pudding Cookies

These pistachio cookies can be made with many ingredients you probably already have on hand if you’re a regular baker.

Ingredients for Pistachio Pudding Cookies: butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, green food coloring, flour, pistachio pudding mix, baking soda, salt, white chocolate chips, and pistachios.
  • Unsalted Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking so you can control the amount of salt.
  • Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cookies.
  • Light Brown Sugar – A little brown sugar adds moisture and richness to the cookies.
  • Egg – To bind the cookie dough together.
  • Clear Vanilla – Clear vanilla helps keep the color of the cookie lighter.
    • If you don’t have clear vanilla, almond extract would work wonderfully since it is already clear and compliments other nuts well. Only use 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract as it is quite strong and you don’t want it overpowering the pistachio flavor. (FYI: Jell-O Pistachio Pudding uses almonds and pistachios in it.)
  • Green Food Coloring – I like to use AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste. But any food coloring will work. Remember a little goes a long way.
  • All-Purpose Flour – For structure.
  • Pistachio Pudding Mix – Adds pistachio flavor, some color, and tenderizes the cookies.
  • Baking Soda – To leaven the cookies so they aren’t flat.
  • Salt – To bring out the flavors.
  • White Chocolate Chips – Adds a nice creaminess to the cookies.
  • Pistachios – For extra nuttiness.

*For the ingredient amounts and full directions for how to make these cookies, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post. If you want to see step-by-step photo instructions, keep reading.

How to Make Pistachio Cookies

After you’ve got the ingredients, it’s time to bake. Pistachio cookies are easy to make in a few simple steps.

How to make pistachio cookies. 1- Combine flour, pistachio pudding mix, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. 2- Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixer. Add egg, vanilla, and green food coloring. 3- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. 4- Gently mix in chopped pistachios and white chocolate chips.
  1. Whisk together the flour, instant pistachio pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and green food coloring. Mix.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix until just combined.
  4. Gently mix in the white chocolate chips and pistachios.

Scooping and Baking

After the cookie dough is made it can be scooped into balls and baked.

Collage. Top: Prepared cookie dough in a mixing bowl. Bottom: Pistachio cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.

I like to use a #40 or #30 scoop. Between 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of dough.

NOTE: You may want to round this cookie dough in your hand before placing it on the baking sheet, to help the nuts and white chocolate chips stay tucked inside.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. The edges and bottoms should be light brown.

Top view of cooling rack with pistachio pudding cookies.

Baking Tips and Storage

  • The thickness of these cookies will depend on the temperature of your butter. If it’s too soft, or you cream the butter and sugar too long, they will flatten like a pancake.
  • Butter should be room temperature for baking cookies — 68-72˚F. The temperature of your kitchen my not always coincide with “room temperature.” You’ll know it’s ready when the butter gives slightly (leaves a small indent) when touched. If you touch the butter and leave a major finger indent, it’s too soft. If the butter is extremely soft and you want thicker cookies, throw the dough in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before baking.
  • For thicker cookies, you can add more flour.* I would only add 1-2 Tablespoons more. I actually altered this recipe from my butterscotch cookies with pudding mix that called for 2 cups of flour, and it ended up being too much for these particular cookies. (Very dry and crumbly dough. Although my in-laws loved how thick the cookies were.) I made them again with 1/3 cup less flour and was happy with the results. It’s always better to start with less and do a test cookie before adding more flour.
  • Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Stack of pistachio pudding cookies on a cooling rack with a jello pudding box, pistachio nuts, and white chocolate chips nearby.

More Cookies to Try

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!

Stack of pistachio pudding cookies on a cooling rack with a jello pudding box, pistachio nuts, and white chocolate chips nearby.

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies

Pistachio Cookies flavored with pudding mix, white chocolate chips, and extra pistachios.

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
  • 1 small (3.4 oz) box instant pistachio pudding mix (dry, not prepared)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, gently packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp clear vanilla extract (or 1/2 tsp almond extract)
  • 1 drop green food coloring, optional
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line sheet trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    2. Whisk together the flour, instant pistachio pudding mix, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
    3. Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
    4. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and green food coloring. Mix until incorporated.
    5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix until just combined.
    6. Gently mix in the white chocolate chips and pistachios.
    7. Use a cookie scoop (a #40 or #30 scoop; about 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons) to scoop dough balls onto prepared sheet trays about 2 to 3-inches apart. You may want to round this cookie dough in your hand before placing it on the baking sheet, to help the nuts and white chocolate chips stay tucked inside.
    8. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. The edges and bottoms should be light brown. Allow cookies to rest on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 169mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.