Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (2024)

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This recipe for Italian Pistachio Cookies uses only 5 ingredients. The cookies are soft and share the tastes of pistachio and lemon. They are great for a quick cookie recipe any time of the year, and the green color also makes them a great fit for Christmas dessert!

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (1)

Recipe Origin

When I was living abroad in Italy I developed a very bad/wonderful habit of walking into random bakeries every time I went anywhere. I couldn’t help myself! I would always order something I had never tried before, trying to expand my horizons as much as possible when it came to Italian food.

There was one bakery that stood out to me above all the rest. I don’t remember the name of it, but take me back to Roma and I could walk you there with my eyes closed. And inside this bakery, there was one cookie that crowned every other cookie.

I found myself buying this cookie whenever I walked by Campo Dei Fiori (which happened frequently) and savoring every single delicious bite.

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (2)

Once I came home I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to buy the cookie whenever I wanted, and was absolutely devastated.

Harnessing the power of the internet, I took to my blog. On my Instagram Stories I described the cookie…. The taste, the color, the shape, the deliciousness.

People around the world were sending me links and photos of cookie recipes that might fit my description, but none of them matched my beloved cookie.

Finally, one of my followers from India messaged me. He had a friend that was studying to be a pastry chef in Italy and he had asked her about the cookie.. She used my clues and gave her best guess; I looked it up. She was right!!

Finally, I had what I needed. I could only find recipes for this cookie with almond flavoring, but, in my opinion, the pistachio is what makes the cookie great.

I adapted the recipes I found and came up with this beautiful creation…. My Italian Pistachio Cookies. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Why Make this Recipe

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  1. Soft Italian Cookie: It’s very rare to find an Italian cookie that is soft instead of crunchy. And while I love the flavors of Italian cookies, I’m not always a fan of the crunchiness (except with biscotti… those are always delicious). This cookie takes the taste of Italian Pistachios and pairs it with a soft, delicate cookie that you will love.
  2. 5 Ingredients: No need to buy a million extracts or flavorings for this cookie. Simply use the 5 ingredients in this recipe and have a delicious cookie in no time!
  3. Great for Christmas: Want a unique and delicious cookie for Christmas? This recipe is perfect, especially for it’s green color!

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Recipe

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  1. Pistachios: You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
  2. Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse.
  3. Lemon Zest: The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not).

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How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Make the Dough

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (5)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the pistachios into a fine flour.

In a bowl, combine the pistachio flour with the almond flour. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest.

Mix to combine.

Step 2: Form Cookies

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Break cookie dough into pieces a little bigger than a walnut shell. Coat hands in powdered sugar and rub on the outside of the cookie dough ball until the dough is covered in powdered sugar.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving indents with your fingers on the dough.

Step 3: Bake

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (7)

Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough should still be soft, like marzipan.

Bake for 18-22 minutes for a crunchier cookie.

Expert Tips

  • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor.
  • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out.
  • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15.
  • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested.

Recipe FAQs

Can I Buy Pistachio Flour?

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (8)

You certainly can buy pistachio flour if you’d like, however I wouldn’t recommend it. Pistachio flour is incredibly expensive and not typically found in stores. You’d likely need to buy it off of the internet and have it shipped to your house. If you want to do this, you can buy Pistachio Flour here.

However, I recommend buying pistachios and simply grinding them into flour yourself. It is far easier than searching high and low for pistachio flour or paying a large amount of money for a single pound.

Did you like this Pistachio Cookie Recipe? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve picked out just for you:

  • Pecan Snowball Cookies
  • Fast and Easy Maple Cookie Recipe
  • Cocadas: Coconut Cookies from Bolivia
  • Easy Cucumber Salad Recipe with Pistachio

Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (9)

Traditional Italian Pistachio Cookies

This recipe for Italian Pistachio Cookies uses only 5 ingredients. The cookies are soft and share the tastes of pistachio and lemon. They are great for a quick cookie recipe any time of the year, and the green color also makes them a great fit for Christmas dessert!

5 from 90 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 21 cookies

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

Ingredients

  • 200 g 1 ⅔ cup shelled, unroasted, unsalted pistachios, (shelled means no shells on the pistachios!)
  • 175 g 1 ¾ cup almond flour
  • 175 g 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Extra powdered sugar, for coating

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the pistachios into a fine flour.

  • In a bowl, combine the pistachio flour with the almond flour. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix to combine.

  • Break cookie dough into pieces a little bigger than a walnut shell. Coat hands in powdered sugar and rub on the outside of the cookie dough ball until the dough is covered in powdered sugar.

  • Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving indents with your fingers on the dough.

  • Bake for about 15 minutes. The dough should still be soft, like marzipan. Bake for 18-22 minutes for a crunchier cookie.

Notes

Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only.

  • Pistachios: You can buy these in bulk in the health section of your grocery store. Make sure they are shelled (for ease) and unsalted (for taste). Do not roast your pistachios.
  • Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found in your grocery store, typically with the rest of the organic flours. I use Bob’s Red Mills. Make sure you buy super-fine flour as opposed to coarse.
  • Lemon Zest: The easiest way to zest a lemon (in my opinion) is to run it across the medium setting on a cheese grater. You can also use a lemon zester if you are lucky enough to have one (I am not).
  • When processing the pistachios into flour, make sure to use a high powered grinder. I would recommend a food processor.
  • You may need to open the food processor, stir the pistachios, and continue processing. Make sure that the flour is very fine and that there are no hard pistachios left in the flour. You can even run the flour through a sieve to ensure you’ve gotten all of the hard pieces out.
  • The cookies are meant to be softer cookies. However, if you want them to be a bit crunchier, like normal Italian cookies, feel free to bake them for about 20-22 minutes instead of the recommended 15.
  • If you want a less strong lemon flavor, use about ½ of the lemon zest suggested.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

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Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which of the following is a very popular cookie from Italy? ›

Biscotti: Perhaps one of the most famous Italian cookies, biscotti are crispy, twice-baked treats that are perfect for dipping in coffee or wine. Traditionally flavored with almonds and fragrant anise, these long-lasting cookies are a staple in every Italian household.

What is the name of the Italian cookie? ›

This is the proper name for the biscuit we know as biscotti, which in Italian just means “cookies.” Twice-baked and sliced, these ultra-crunchy, not-too-sweet biscuits are usually studded with nuts and simply beg to be dipped in coffee, tea, or a glass of vin santo.

How to enhance pistachio flavor? ›

Orange flower water works as an aromatic to amplify the inherent flavors and aromas in pistachio. Roasted pistachio oil intensifies the overall flavor, and improves the texture of the paste.

Are pistachios Italian? ›

The ancient Romans were the first to import the seeds of the pistachio tree to Italy from their Middle Eastern colonies, and knew the nut by its Greek name, “pistakion”. But it was the Arabs who conquered Sicily in the Middle Ages that began extensive cultivation of the trees there.

What is the best selling cookie in Italy? ›

In Italy, one of the most popular types of biscuits is called "cantucci" or "biscotti di Prato." Cantucci originated in the Tuscan city of Prato and have gained widespread popularity throughout the country.

What is the number one cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the most famous dessert in Italy? ›

Tiramisu

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

What cookie originated in Italy? ›

Today, I want to share a little bit about Italian cookies called Biscotti. Biscotti, also known as cantuccini or mandelbrot (Mandel bread), are traditional Italian cookies with a long history and rich cultural significance.

What is the word for hard Italian cookies? ›

Biscotti (/bɪˈskɒti/, Italian: [biˈskɔtti]; lit. 'biscuits') or cantucci ( Italian: [kanˈtuttʃi]) are Italian almond biscuits that originated in the Tuscan city of Prato. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a drink, traditionally Vin Santo.

Which country has the best pistachios? ›

Iranian pistachios are vastly considered the best pistachios in the world. If you are looking for high-quality Persian pistachio, you can check out Kourosh foods website as one of the best suppliers of all kinds of Iranian pistachio.

What complements pistachio? ›

While pistachio is great all on its own, it really shines as part of a complex flavor system. Naturally tart fruit flavors such as raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, orange, pineapple, and passionfruit perfectly complement pistachio's distinctive taste profile.

What is the famous Italian pistachio? ›

The Bronte Pistachio

Fresh or dried, the pistachio is one of the most precious ingredients of Sicilian cuisine and is also the symbol of the city of Bronte, in the province of Catania, and its economy, so much so that for its value this fruit has earned the nickname "green gold".

Why do Italians love pistachio? ›

One reason that could explain why the Italian staple pistachios are so incredibly popular is that their sweet, delicate, and oily taste is excellent and perfect as a flavouring for sauces, sweets, pastries, and gelato.

What are the popular Italian cookies brands? ›

Explore Italy's Favourite Cookies

We have brands like Sapori, Pan Ducale, Dolciaria Monardo, and more. Try Sapori Cantuccini Almond Biscotti, Chiostro di Saronno Cantuccini Almond Biscotti, or Dolciaria Monardo Honey and Almond Biscotti.

What is the most popular cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one. Ever the crowd-pleaser, the chocolate chip cookie is renowned for its balance of richness and sweetness.

Are Italian rainbow cookies from Italy? ›

Though many Italian confections have an almond paste or almond flour base, rainbow cookies are a decidedly Italian-American creation.

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