Looking for more delicious and colorful cookies? These Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies are heavenly, or you might fall in love with these divine Lemon Cooler Cookies. Grab an extra box of pistachio pudding to make this tender Watergate Cake!
If you’re a fan of pistachios, you’re clearly in the right place. These beautiful pistachio cookies have a delicious pistachio flavor enhanced with some almond extract to really bring out the nuttiness.
Thanks to the addition of the boxed pudding mix, these chewy pistachio pudding cookies have the best texture. They’re chewy without being too hard and soft without being cakey. I promise you won’t be able to eat just one!
Plus, look at that beautiful green color! These perfect pistachio pudding cookies would be perfect for serving on St. Patrick’s Day or Easter. They make lovely Christmas cookies, too!
What are Pistachio Pudding Cookies?
These chewy pistachio cookies are like regular cookies, but even better. Pudding mixes are a professional baking secret. They contain modified cornstarch that helps absorb moisture without making the cookies too wet or floppy. You can add pudding mixes to cakes, cookies, and other bakes to get a moist, tender crumb every time.
These cookies get a pale green color and mellow pistachio flavor. Since the pudding mix isn’t quite strong enough to flavor these cookies alone, we’ll add a little green food coloring and almond extract to make these cookies sing!
Pistachio Pudding Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – Butter is the secret to perfect cookies every time. Use unsalted butter and let it soften at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar will absorb extra moisture and enhance the soft texture.
- Instant pistachio pudding mix – Instant pudding mix adds the right amount of flavor without splurging on expensive pistachio extract.
- All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour will hold this dough together and create a chewy crust.
- Green food coloring – Although the pudding mix already has a green color, it helps to add a little green food coloring to get the perfect shade.
- Almond extract – I love how almond extract adds nuttiness to every batch of cookies. It really makes these cookies taste just like pistachios!
- Vanilla extract – Don’t skip the vanilla. It helps balance all of the flavors in your baked goods.
How to Make Pistachio Pudding Cookies
- Cream the butter – In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add everything except flour – Add in the powdered sugar, pudding mix, vanilla, almond extract, and green food coloring. Mix well.
- Add flour – Mix in the flour and combine.
- Chill – Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.
- Heat the oven – Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Roll the cookies – Using a dough scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Place dough on the prepared pan.
- Bake – Bake. Allow to cool on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Tips for Success
- Allow the butter to come to room temperature. It shouldn’t be overly soft or goopy, but if you gently press your finger into it, it should hold its new shape.
- If you’re using a stand mixer to mix your cookie dough, use the paddle attachment.
- Adjust the green coloring to your liking. It’s always best to add less and add more as needed to get the vibrant color you’re looking for.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. This is the best way to bake your cookies evenly without too much spreading.
- These cookies are soft, so it helps to let them firm up on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Recipe Variations
- Use these cookies to make ice cream sandwiches! Add a scoop of pistachio ice cream between two cookies and press them down. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
- Mix in some mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios before baking for a nice crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people add pudding mixes to cookies? Boxed pudding mix makes super soft cookies every time! Instant pudding mixes contain modified cornstarch, which helps absorb moisture. It allows you to add extra moisture, flavor, and color to cakes and cookies without making them too heavy or dense.
Can you use powdered sugar in cookie dough? Depending on the type of cookies you are baking, you may be able to use powdered sugar in your recipe. Some recipes, like chocolate chip cookies, require a balance of white sugar and brown sugar for the perfect texture. However, many other types of cookies, including shortbread and pudding cookies, can use powdered sugar in addition to or instead of regular sugar. It helps create an incredibly soft and tender cookie and is a perfect sweetener for this easy recipe!
How to Store & Reheat
How to refrigerate pistachio cookies made with pudding mix? These cookies can be stored at room temperature for approximately 1-2 weeks. Straight from the fridge, these soft cookies will have more of a chewy texture. You can let them come up to room temperature on the counter for a few hours before family gatherings or events.
How to keep at room temperature? Store these pistachio pudding cookies in an airtight container for 5-7 days at room temperature. After this time, they may begin to taste somewhat stale.
Can I Freeze Pistachio Pudding Cookies?
How to freeze pistachio cookies? Cool the baked cookies to room temperature. Then, add them to a freezer-safe bag and place them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. To eat, thaw them overnight in the fridge. This makes it easy to portion out one batch of cookies over a few months.
Try these other cookie recipes!
- Snowball Kiss Cookies
- Fluffernutter Cookies
- No Bake Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies
- Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
- Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Blossom Cookies
If you’ve tried this pistachio pudding cookies recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes!
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Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spoon and level method, do not scoop the flour
- 4-5 drops green food coloring
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and beat until light and fluffy.
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Add in the powdered sugar, pudding mix, vanilla, almond extract, and green food coloring. Mix well.
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Add in flour and combine.
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Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
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Using a dough scoop or 1 ½ tablespoons, scoop dough and roll into balls. Place dough on the prepared pan about 1 inch apart.
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Bake for 11-15 minutes until just barely turning light brown on the edges. Leave on cookie sheets for 3-5 minutes to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
- Allow the butter to come to room temperature. It shouldn’t be overly soft or goopy, but if you gently press your finger into it, it should hold its new shape.
- If you’re using a stand mixer to mix your cookie dough, use the paddle attachment.
- Adjust the green coloring to your liking. It’s always best to add less and add more as needed to get the vibrant color you’re looking for.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. This is the best way to bake your cookies evenly without too much spreading.
- Cookies will last about 5-6 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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