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Close-up of Pistachio and Chocolate Leprechaun Cookies with vibrant green color.

Pistachio and Chocolate Leprechaun Cookies

These festive cookies are soft and chocolatey with pops of green from pistachios, making them a fun treat that is easy to prepare.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 150
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2.25 cups All purpose flour Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off.
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon Salt Salt is not optional; it enhances the chocolate flavor.
Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened Do not use melted butter.
  • 0.75 cup Granulated sugar Can reduce by 2 tablespoons for a lighter cookie.
  • 0.75 cup Brown sugar Can reduce by 2 tablespoons for a lighter cookie.
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 1 box Instant pistachio pudding mix (about 3.4 oz) Essential for the cookie texture.
Mix-Ins
  • 0.5 - 0.75 cup Chopped pistachios Reserve some for topping.
  • 1 - 1.5 cups Chocolate chips or chunks Save a handful for topping.
  • optional Green sanding sugar or sprinkles For extra decoration.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a larger bowl, cream the softened butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until smooth.
  5. Blend in the pistachio pudding mix until the dough turns green.
  6. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients in two additions to avoid flour puffing.
  7. Fold in the chopped pistachios and chocolate chips.
  8. Scoop approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
  9. Press a few extra chocolate chips on top for a prettier presentation.
Baking
  1. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
  2. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Do not overbake the cookies for a soft texture. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. To freeze, place baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 2 months or freeze dough balls and bake from frozen with an additional 1-2 minutes of bake time.