These brown butter pistachio chocolate chunk cookies are made with dark brown sugar, toasted brown butter, salty pistachios, and gooey chocolate chunks. This recipe is made in one bowl, with no mixer required, so the dough comes together super quickly with minimal cleanup.
These pistachio chocolate chunk cookies are addicting. They are incredibly flavorful, rich in chocolate, salty from the pistachios, and even better when fresh, warm, & gooey from the oven. They have crispy edges, gooey centers, and you can literally see the golden bits from the brown butter in the cookie dough.
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Why you'll love these pistachio chocolate chunk cookies
- The brown butter. Brown butter in chocolate chip cookies makes them so flavorful! You are basically caramelizing the milk solids, leading to a toasted & nutty flavor. Plus, it's so simple to make!
- Dark chocolate & salty pistachios. The rich chocolate & salty pistachios are an amazing combination in these cookies. They add a nice crunch and the best flavor.
- No fuss recipe. This recipe does not require the use of a mixer and the dough comes together in one bowl, so it's easy cleanup!
Ingredient notes
- Flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice here for the best texture.
- Fine sea salt: salt is a flavor enhancer - it is needed in all dessert recipes!
- Leavening agents: baking soda and baking powder are used to help the cookies rise. Baking soda lets them spread, while baking powder results in those puffy centers.
- Cornstarch: cornstarch is added to the cookies for a tender and soft texture.
- Butter: I like to use European style butter in these cookies - it makes the brown butter soooo flavorful!
- Sugar: dark brown sugar is preferred in these cookies for added flavor and moisture. We also use granulated sugar which makes those crispy brown edges.
- Egg: one egg is used to bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: good quality vanilla extract is key for great flavor.
- Sour cream: a little bit of sour cream is added to replace the moisture lost from browning the butter. Yogurt can also be used as a replacement.
- Chocolate: I like bitter-sweet or dark chocolate (I used around 70% cacao!) in these cookies to offset some of the sweetness, but you can use whatever your preference is.
- Pistachios: if you love pistachios, these cookies are for you! Roasted & salted pistachios are used and they add a great nuttiness and crunch.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients & their quantities.
Recipe summary
Below is a condensed version of the recipe steps. See the recipe card at the end of this post for the full recipe instructions.
- Brown the butter. Melt the butter completely - it will begin to crack & sizzle. Let it do this while stirring occasionally. Once the butter stops rapidly bubbling, it will begin to foam up in the pan. Gently stir until you can see golden milk solids floating in the butter & the butter is golden brown. Remove from the heat.
- Chop chocolate & pistachios. While the butter is cooling, coarsely chop the chocolate and pistachios. Set aside.
- Whisk wet ingredients. Once the brown butter is cool, whisk it with the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Add the egg and sour cream and whisk until combined.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine. Then add the flour and fold until there are a few streaks of flour remaining.
- Add the mix-ins. Add the chopped chocolate & pistachios and fold until incorporated and the streaks of flour are fully mixed in.
- Chill the dough. Cover and chill the dough for at least three hours.
- Bake at 350F. Scoop the dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space each cookie a few inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are set & golden, and the centers are puffy.
- Enjoy! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until cooled enough to handle. Enjoy slightly warm or let come to room temperature.
FAQ
I used this cookie scoop - it's about three tablespoons or 45-50 grams. But you can really make these cookies any size; the baking time will need to be adjusted accordingly.
Yes! The dough can be made and left to chill in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking. Any longer than that and the dough should be frozen.
Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to bake. Bake immediately from the freezer, you might need to add an extra 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Baking in grams
I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.
Other cookie recipes to try
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Brown Butter Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 150 grams (¾ cup) bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped, I used about 70% cacao
- 90 grams (¾ cup) roasted and salted pistachios coarsely chopped
- 211 grams (15 tablespoons) unsalted butter (European style is preferred)* browned to 170 grams or ¾ cup
- 150 grams (¾ cup) dark brown sugar*
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 20 grams (1 heaping tablespoon) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 225 grams (about 1 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Once completely melted, the butter will crack/sizzle for a few minutes. Let it do this while stirring occasionally.211 grams unsalted butter (European style is preferred)*
- Once the butter stops rapidly bubbling, it will begin to foam up in the pan. Gently stir until you can see golden milk solids floating in the butter & the butter is golden brown.
- Remove from the heat & pour the butter into a different container. Since the butter is so hot in the pan, it will continue cooking. Transferring the butter to another container will stop it from browning further and potentially burning.
- While the butter cools, coarsely chop the chocolate & pistachios and set aside.150 grams bittersweet chocolate, 90 grams roasted and salted pistachios
- Once the butter is cool enough (it can be warm, not hot), whisk together the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.150 grams dark brown sugar*, 50 grams granulated sugar, ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the egg & sour cream and whisk until combined. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.1 egg, 20 grams sour cream, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Add the flour and fold until a few streaks of flour are remaining. Add the chocolate & pistachios and fold until fully incorporated & the flour is fully mixed in.225 grams all purpose flour
- Cover the bowl & chill the dough for at least three hours. Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons or 45-50 grams) and space them 2-3 inches apart on your baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until cool enough to handle or let cool completely.
Notes
- We need ¾ cup or 170 grams of browned butter. The three extra tablespoons of butter in the recipe should account for the moisture that is evaporated during the browning process. After the butter is browned, make sure you have ¾ cup or 170 grams.
- While dark brown sugar is preferred, light brown sugar works just as well!
Allison C
These are delicious! They are more flavorful than your standard chocolate chip cookie with the addition of browned butter and have the perfect texture. Nice and crispy on the edges but a little soft in the middle with a slight crunch from the pistachios. I ended up baking mine for 12 minutes because I prefer my cookies slightly more crisp. I also sprinkled Maldon salt on top immediately after pulling them out of the oven. Great recipe!
Jess Italiano
Glad you enjoyed!
Alma
This recipe is really good! I love it!!
Thank yu
Jess Italiano
Thank you!!