Chocolate Pistachio Cookies (No Gluten, No Eggs, No Dairy)

These Chocolate Pistachio Cookies are simple cookies made with no eggs, no dairy, no gluten, no refined sugar but full of taste!

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Chocolate Pistachios Cookies

These Chocolate Pistachio Cookies are simple cookies made with no eggs, no dairy, no gluten, no refined sugar but full of taste!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 22 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 cookies

Calories: 265.1 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 2 cups Almond Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Pistachios - unsalted, finely chopped or pulsed into a ground texture – set aside 1 tablespoon to decorate (note 2)
• ▢ ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt - optional (note 3)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Maple Syrup - (note 4)
• ▢ ¼ cup Mild-Flavor Olive Oil - (note 5)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Cold Water - (note 6)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - optional
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract - (note 7)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
• Place the pistachios in a food processor and blend until they form a fine powder. Or, place them on a chopping board and chop, but this takes a good 2-3 minutes, as you must chop them super finely to prevent the cookie dough from being fragile.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir almond flour, finely chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt if used. Whisk to evenly combine.
• Add maple syrup, oil, water, vanilla extract, almond extract, if used, and chocolate chips.
• Stir with a rubber spatula until it starts to look crumbly, then lightly oil your hands and squeeze the ingredients together to form a soft, sticky dough. If too dry, add a little more water. It should form a dough ball.
• Grab 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough, roll it into a ball, place it on the baking sheet, and repeat, leaving an inch of space between the dough balls. They expand a bit in the oven. Gently flatten the top of the cookie dough ball using the palm of your hand. It should form a 1/3-inch thick cookie (1 cm).
• Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until dry on top and darker on the edges.
• Let them cool down for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, without touching them at all. They firm up as they cool down. Then slide a spatula under each cookie, and let them cool down on a wire rack for 1 hour.

Notes

Note 1: I am using ultra-fine almond flour with a light golden color, which makes the best moist cookies. You can use almond meal, but the cookies will be drier. Cashew flour and hazelnut flour work too. You can’t use flour or oat flour. For a nut-free version, use sesame seed flour.

Note 2: Unsalted. Make sure the pistachios are finely ground or chopped. If you have big pieces, the cookie dough will be fragile and fall apart.

Note 3: This enhances the cocoa flavor, but you can skip it if you watch your sodium intake.

Note 4: Or agave syrup, coconut nectar, Yacon syrup.

Note 5: Or any low-flavor oil you like.

Note 6: Water brings the cookie dough together.

Note 7: Only if you like the light bitter taste of it.

Storage: Store the cookies at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can freeze the cookies in Ziploc bags and thaw them at room temperature the day before.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 265.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.8g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 20.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 120.9mg | Potassium: 137.6mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 9.7g | Vitamin A: 17.6IU | Vitamin B12: 0.02µg | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 84.1mg | Iron: 1.4mg | Magnesium: 20.2mg | Phosphorus: 43.5mg | Zinc: 0.5mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Almond Flour – This creates the base of the cookie and provides a moist, tender crumb without gluten. Cashew flour or hazelnut flour are great options that keep the texture similar.
• Pistachios – These add the signature crunch and nutty flavor to the recipe. You can swap them for hazelnuts or pecans if you want a different flavor profile, but pistachios look the best against the dark cocoa.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This brings the deep chocolate flavor. Cacao powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder work perfectly as well.
• Baking Soda – This helps the cookies rise slightly and softens the texture.
• Salt – It balances the sweetness and makes the cocoa flavor pop.
• Maple Syrup – This acts as the sweetener and the sticky binder that holds the gluten-free flour together. Agave syrup or coconut nectar are excellent liquid sweetener alternatives.
• Mild-Flavor Olive Oil – This adds necessary moisture and healthy fats. Melted coconut oil or avocado oil are suitable swaps if you want a neutral taste.
• Cold Water – This hydrates the almond flour just enough to bring the dough into a ball.
• Vanilla Extract – This rounds out the flavors and adds sweetness.
• Almond Extract – This intensifies the nutty flavor profile. You can skip it if you prefer a stronger chocolate focus.
• Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – These add melting pockets of chocolate. Chopped dairy-free chocolate bars or even cacao nibs are fun options to vary the texture.

How to Make Chocolate Pistachio Cookies (In Pictures)

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect cookie.

• Finely chop the pistachios – Make sure you chop the pistachios very finely, otherwise, the dough will be fragile. I recommend using a food processor to pulse them into a fine crumb; it is faster and creates the perfect ground texture.
• Vary the chocolate – If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can skip the chocolate chips or use finely chopped 85% dark chocolate. Dairy-free white chocolate chips also work well if you want a different look.
• Enhance the flavor – Adding salt to the dough is crucial as it really helps to bring out the rich chocolate flavor.
• Check your nuts – Ensure you use unsalted pistachios to keep the flavor balanced!

More Pistachio Recipes

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