These chocolate pistachio shortbread cookies are crisp, buttery slice-and-bake cookies packed with chopped pistachios and melty dark chocolate. For an extra special touch, dip the baked shortbread in melted chocolate.
These slice-and-bake shortbread cookies are a twist on my chocolate chip shortbread cookies, flavored with finely chopped chocolate and crunchy pistachios. Pistachio shortbread is sweet and buttery, with that irresistibly crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of traditional shortbread.
I love that shortbread cookie recipes (of all kinds) are so easy to make, perfect for last-minute holiday baking. The pistachio shortbread cookie dough freezes wonderfully, too, so you can make it weeks ahead if you’re entertaining this season.
These cookies are dipped in melted chocolate, like my espresso shortbread cookies, an easy extra step that lets this pistachio shortbread stand out on a holiday cookie platter. I think you’ll love it just as much as I do!
Ingredient Notes
You need only 7 ingredients to make these delicate, buttery pistachio shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate. Here are the ones to note. See the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Pistachios – Pistachios can be substituted with chopped pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds if preferred.
- Chocolate – Chopped chocolate becomes more melty than chocolate chips in these shortbread cookies. My favorite is Ghirardelli’s 60% dark chocolate bar, or semi-sweet chocolate. If you do use chocolate chips, I recommend mini chocolate chips so there’s more chocolate in every bite.
- Butter – Bringing the butter to room temperature helps it mix more smoothly with the other dough ingredients. I use unsalted butter. If you’re using salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt in the recipe so the flavors stay balanced.
How to Make Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
It takes one bowl and minutes to mix the dough, and you can chill the chocolate pistachio shortbread dough for up to 24 hours, or freeze it, before baking.
- Make the cookie dough. Use a knife to chop the pistachios and 6 ounces of chocolate into fine pieces. Meanwhile, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a mixing bowl. Once that’s light and fluffy, slowly add the flour, ½ cup at a time.
- Add the mix-ins. Fold the chopped chocolate and pistachios in with the final ½ cup of flour. Mix until the dough forms a crumbly mixture, then increase the mixing speed until the cookie dough starts to clump together.
- Shape and chill the shortbread dough. On a piece of parchment paper, press the dough together and shape it into a 6-7 inch log, about 1 ½ to 2 inches wide. Wrap the log in plastic wrap, and place it vertically in a tall glass. Place the glass into the fridge and chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
- Slice and bake. When you’re ready to bake the pistachio shortbread, unwrap the dough. Use a sharp knife to slice the log into rounds, about ⅜ inch thick. Then, arrange the cookies on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 375ºF for 9-12 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Afterward, cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Dipping the Shortbread Cookies In Chocolate
Once the pistachio shortbread cookies cool, they’re perfectly delicious as is. But for a festive finish, especially during the holidays, I love to dip these cookies in melted dark chocolate. You could also use white chocolate (as I do for my cranberry almond shortbread). It’s very easy to do:
- Melt the chocolate. Break up an 8-ounce chocolate bar and microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring in between until fully melted and smooth. See my in-depth guide on how to melt chocolate.
- Dip the cookies. One cookie at a time, dip one side into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off. If your cookies have loose crumbs around the edges, brush them off lightly before dipping.
- Cool. Place the dipped shortbread cookies on a sheet of parchment paper. If you’d like, sprinkle the tops with flaky salt and extra crushed pistachio nuts before the chocolate sets.
If you don’t feel like dipping them, you can also drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate instead, like my cranberry orange shortbread.
Tips and Variations
- Avoid dry shortbread. Measure the flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method, or by weight using a kitchen scale. Too much flour makes shortbread cookies dry and crumbly.
- Don’t overbake. The shortbread cookies should just be starting to brown at the edges when you pull them from the oven. They’ll continue to set up on the baking sheet while they cool. If you take them out when they’re already browned all over, they’re overbaked.
- For more depth of flavor, toast the pistachios in a dry skillet or in the oven before you chop them, following a similar method to toasting coconut.
- Chill the dough upright. Chilling the slice-and-bake cookie dough upright in a glass prevents one side from flattening and keeps the cookies perfectly round.
Do I Need to Chill the Dough?
Yes. Chilling the dough for these slice-and-bake shortbread cookies is essential to keep them from spreading in the oven.
If you’re pressed for time, or don’t want to wait to chill the dough, I’d suggest baking the chocolate pistachio shortbread in a greased and lined 9-inch square baking dish (or even a round pan) instead. Keep in mind that the cookies will be thicker and will need longer to bake. Follow the baking directions from my pecan shortbread cookies and bake at 375ºF for 18-22 minutes. After the shortbread cools, turn it out onto a plate and slice it into squares or wedges.
Storage and Freezing
- Store the cooled shortbread at room temperature. These pistachio shortbread cookies are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- To freeze the cookie dough, after shaping the pistachio shortbread dough into a log, double-wrap it in plastic wrap. Freeze the dough for up to 2 months.
- To freeze the baked cookies, transfer the cooled shortbread to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature. If you haven’t dipped them in chocolate yet, wait until the cookies thaw completely before dipping.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These buttery pistachio shortbread cookies are an easy slice-and-bake shortbread recipe packed with chopped pistachios and dipped in dark chocolate.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped pistachios
- 2 8-ounce (226g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (144 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Chop pistachios into fine crumbs. Separate 6 ounces of dark chocolate and finely chop.
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, extract, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy and well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Next, slowly add the flour ½ cup at a time. With the last ½ cup of flour, add the chopped chocolate and pistachios.
- Mix at a low speed until the dough is crumbly, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat only until the dough starts to come off the sides of the bowl and stick together.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper, press and shape into a log about 1 ½ -2 inches wide and about 6-7 inches long. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it vertically in a glass, and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and slice the cookies at least 3/8″ thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Take the second 8-ounce chocolate bar and break it into smaller pieces. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove any loose crumbs from the edges of the cookie by gently brushing them with your hand. Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate, tapping off the excess. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the chocolate to set.
Notes
I recommend using either dark or semi-sweet chocolate. The dark chocolate I prefer is a Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate bar. I like using a chocolate bar over chocolate chips because the chocolate in the bar melts just a bit more than chocolate chips. If you’d like to use chocolate chips, I’d recommend mini chocolate chips.
Freeze the dough once it’s been pressed into a log for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 239
- Sugar: 17.3 g
- Sodium: 49.8 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.1 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20.3 mg
