
These salty and sweet bite-sized Pistachio Cookie Cups are so good you won't be able to stop at just one! They're packed with brown butter, chopped chocolate, and creamy pistachio filling. Perfect for parties or when you want a fancy dessert that's actually pretty easy to make.
The brown butter, white and dark chocolate, and real pistachio cream make these cookie cups taste like they came from a bakery. They disappear fast and always have everyone asking for the recipe!
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Pistachio cookie cups taste even better the next day - perfect for making ahead!
- They're really satisfying with the perfect mix of sweet and salty flavors, plus that chewy texture. The brown butter gives them a nutty flavor that's totally addictive.
- While these cookie cups are great for special occasions, don't let that stop you from making them whenever you want something sweet!
If you love chocolate chip cookies, you need to try these pistachio cream cookie cups. One bite and you'll be hooked. Everyone loves them and they keep really well too!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the pistachio cream in chocolate cookie cups' ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Unsalted butter - You'll brown this for extra flavor. Don't skip this step - it's what makes these cookies special.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt - Basic baking ingredients you probably already have.
- Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar - The combo gives you the best chewy texture. Don't substitute!
- Egg and vanilla extract - Use room temperature egg for easier mixing.
- White chocolate and dark chocolate - Buy good quality bars and chop them yourself. Chips don't work as well here.
- Salted roasted pistachios - The salted kind is key for that sweet-salty thing. You can find them in the nut aisle.
- Pistachio cream - This is the star! Look for it in the baking section or order online. It's totally different from pistachio butter.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the cookie cups filled with pistachio cream instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Once it turns golden brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat. Pour into a bowl and chill until solid, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and sift together all the dry ingredients.
- Beat the chilled brown butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla, beating until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in white chocolate, pistachios, and ¼ cup of the dark chocolate.
- Knead the chocolate and pistachios into the dough until well incorporated.
- Roll dough into 24 balls and place in a mini muffin tin.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are set but centers are still soft.
- Press down centers with a teaspoon while warm to create wells.
- Cool in tin for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cookie cups from the muffin tin and cool completely on a wire rack, 20-30 minutes.
- Fill each cup with about 1 teaspoon pistachio cream.
- Melt remaining chocolate in microwave for 45-55 seconds.
- Drizzle your pistachio cream cookie cups with chocolate, and sprinkle with pistachios. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to set the chocolate.
🥫 Storage
Keep leftover pistachio cream cookie cups in a container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days if you want to make it ahead.
Put the filled cookie cups in the fridge for about 5 minutes to set the chocolate before storing.
📚 Variations
- Other Fillings: Nutella, almond butter, or even cream cheese frosting work great instead of pistachio cream.
- Bigger Size: Use a regular muffin tin to make larger cookie cups if you want bigger treats.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of regular flour.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Brown the butter until it smells like toasted nuts and the bottom bits turn golden. This is what makes these cookies amazing - be sure not to let it brown too much!
- Make sure the brown butter is completely cool and solid before you use it, or your dough will be a mess.
- Don't bake them too long. The centers should still look a little soft when you take them out.
- Press down the centers right after baking while they're still warm. If you wait too long, they'll crack.
- Get the sweetened pistachio cream, not the plain pistachio butter. They're completely different things!
🤔 FAQs
Pistachio cream has sugar and oil added to make it sweet and smooth. Pistachio butter is just ground pistachios and tastes completely different.
Check the baking aisle first. If your store doesn't have it, you can order it online. Brands like Pistacchiosa are really good.
Yes! These actually taste better the next day. You can make the cookie cups and fill them the day before you need them.
You can make them on a regular baking sheet, but they won't have that cute cup shape. Just press your thumb into each cookie before baking.
📗 Related Recipes
If you love pistachios, you have got to try my Chocolate Drizzled Pistachio Cookies, Savory Pumpkin Pistachio Bread, and Classic Watergate Salad!
For more cookies and small bite treats, check out these recipes:
🍽 What to serve with Pistachio Cream Cookie Cups
I love serving (and eating!) these cookie cups with a cup of hot coffee, chai, or a cold glass of milk.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- 24-cup mini muffin tin - This is what gives you the perfect cookie cup shape.
- Sharp knife and cutting board - For chopping the chocolate and pistachios.
- Electric mixer - Makes beating the butter and sugar way easier.
- Small saucepan - For browning the butter.
- Wire cooling rack - So the cookies cool evenly.
- Rounded teaspoon - The perfect tool for making those little wells.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
I have to tell you, these Pistachio Cream cookie cups are more than just a treat—they're a little bit of amore. Pistachios were my parents' favorite noce (nut). I can still hear the satisfying crack of the shells as we sat around the table talking after cena (dinner). When I began thinking of cookie recipes for the season, I wanted to make something that honored those sweet memories.
The chewy chocolate chip cookie base, the creamy pistachio center, and the drizzle of dark chocolate make each cup feel like a warm hug. It has a touch of modern flair. They are festive for holidays and elegant for regali (gifts). They are also perfect with a cup of espresso, tea, or chai. Every bite reminds me of home and the simple joys that come from sharing something sweet with the people you love.
If you want a new cookie recipe, this is the one. It’s also a great way to use that jar of pistachio cream in your pantry. Make a batch and share them with your favorite people (or not—I won't judge!). Enjoy the sweet crunch of pistachio love in every cup. 💚
Grazie mille for joining me—see you soon for more delicious chiacchiere (kitchen chats).
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Pistachio Cream Cookie Cups
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped white chocolate from 1 [4.4-ounce] bar
- ¼ cup chopped salted roasted pistachios plus more for sprinkling
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate about 70% cacao, divided (from 1 [3.5-oz.] bar)
- ½ cup pistachio CREAM spread such as Pistacchiosa— this isn’t Pistachio BUTTER (see notes)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low.
- Cook and stir occasionally until the butter is foamy. The milk solids at the bottom of the saucepan should turn brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Immediately pour into a small heatproof bowl; cover and refrigerate until solidified, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat the chilled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. If you use a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Mix at medium to high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined, about 15 seconds.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Beat it until combined, which takes about 1 minute.
- Fold in white chocolate, pistachios, and ¼ cup of the dark chocolate until evenly distributed. Portion dough into 24 pieces, about 1 tablespoon each; roll dough into 1-inch balls and place in a 24-cup non-stick mini muffin tray.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Using a rounded 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, press down the center of each cookie to create a well.
- Let cool in a muffin tray on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully remove the cookie cups from the muffin tray. Let cool completely on the wire rack, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Microwave the remaining ¼ cup of dark chocolate in a small bowl. Use HIGH power for 45 to 55 seconds. Stir until it is completely melted. Set aside.
- Spoon pistachio cream into cooled cookie cups, about 1 teaspoon each. Drizzle melted chocolate over the filled cookie cups. Sprinkle with pistachios.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, until the chocolate is set, about 5 minutes.
Marisa Franca
Cookie cups are always a hit at our house, and this pistachio version is the next level. One bite and everyone was hooked!