St. Pattys Pistachio Pudding Cookies (Printable Version)

Soft, chewy treats with pistachios and natural green color from spinach and vanilla flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
03 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Pistachio Mixture

04 - 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh baby spinach leaves

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
08 - ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

11 - ½ cup chopped pistachios
12 - ½ cup white chocolate chips, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, blend 1 cup pistachios with baby spinach until finely ground and vibrantly green.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Stir in the pistachio-spinach mixture until evenly combined.
07 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
08 - Fold in chopped pistachios and white chocolate chips, if using.
09 - Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
10 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges are set and centers remain soft.
11 - Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • The natural green color comes from real pistachios and a whisper of spinach, so you're serving something genuinely good without food coloring guilt.
  • They're soft and chewy in the middle but with just enough structure to handle, making them the kind of cookie that disappears from the plate before you meant to eat three.
  • Real pistachio flavor shines through every bite, turning a holiday treat into something you'll want to make year-round.
02 -
  • If you bake these cookies straight from cold dough, they'll spread unevenly and bake faster on the outside before the centers have a chance to cook through; letting the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes helps them bake evenly.
  • The spinach color fades slightly when baked, so don't panic if the cookies are a shade less vibrant than your raw dough—they'll still be gorgeously green and unmistakably pistachio flavored.
03 -
  • Don't skip the food processor step for blending the pistachios and spinach; a blender works in a pinch, but the food processor creates a finer, more evenly green powder that colors your dough better.
  • If your cookies spread too thin and bake too quickly, your butter was probably too warm; chill the dough for 20 minutes next time before scooping and baking.
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