Take a break from traditional gingerbread and sugar cookies and mix things up with these Pistachio Cardamom Cookies! They’re crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle, with the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty, and nutty flavors.
‘Tis the season for cookies! When it comes to Christmas cookies, I have a tendency to go a little crazy. The holiday season always seems like the perfect excuse to bake tray after tray. This past weekend, I tried made recipes: eggnog sugar cookies that I’ll share next week and these pistachio cardamom cookies.
I first made these last year, and they’re definitely toward the top of my favorites list. They’re rich and buttery with a big punch of warm cardamom flavor that seems perfect for the season. They’re totally addictive and taste unlike anything else I’ve ever had.
Go ahead and give them a try – they’d make a great addition to your Christmas cookie repertoire!
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted and salted pistachios
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat.
- In a food processor, grind the nuts for about 45 seconds, or until the form a fine meal. With the motor still running, drizzle in the olive oil to form a paste resembling crunchy peanut butter.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the pistachio butter and butter until smooth. Beat in the sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cardamom. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Drop teaspoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown (the centers will still be pale and soft, but will collapse and darken slightly as the cookies cool.)
so good. I made them all in one bowl and they turned out great. thanks for the idea!
I love cardamom. It’s one of my go-to spices when I’m making, well–anything!
I have some pre-ground cardamom. How much should I put in? 1/4 teaspoon or so? I love it, but it can overpower other ingredients. Thanks!
Whoops – thanks for pointing out that I missed that word in the recipe! I just updated it in the post, but I use 1 Tablespoon of ground cardamom. It’s strong, but it’s definitely the star of these cookies.
I love cardamom in sweet things! It’s always so unexpected but totally delicious.
I have this thing with cardamom. Sort of like a love affair/siren song. It’s crazy. Love these cookies. Beautiful.