Cranberry Pistachio Cookies (Dairy-Free)

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are soft and chocolatey with crunchy pistachios, chewy dried cranberries and dark chocolate chunks. They’re perfect for the holidays or any time of year!

*This recipe was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with new text and photos and tweaks to the recipe. Scroll to the bottom to see an original photo.

If you like cookies with plenty of texture, you’ll love these double chocolate pistachio cookies. They have a cake-like texture, with chewy cranberries and crunchy pistachios. Plus, they’re studded with dark chocolate chunks and dipped in melted chocolate. They’re not overly sweet, so the cocoa flavour shines through and pairs nicely with the tart cranberries.

Other reasons to love these chocolate pistachio cookies

• They’re dairy-free, so great for those with a dairy sensitivity.

• You don’t need any special equipment, just a few bowls and a whisk.

• They’re easy to make with no chilling time.

• They freeze well so you can make them in advance for the holidays.

Details on a few ingredients

Cranberries: Dried cranberries are key to the flavour and texture in these cookies. If you don’t have dried cranberries, you can try raisins as a substitute. You’ll be missing the tart flavour, but it will give you the same chewy texture.

Pistachios: The recipe calls for shelled, raw pistachios. If you only have salted and roasted, you can still use them, but just note your cookies will be a little saltier. While it can be pricey to buy shelled pistachios, it does save time. If you buy them in the shell, just factor in extra time for shelling them. 

Cocoa: I normally use unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa in these cookies for its darker colour and smooth flavour. You can make them with natural cocoa, but note the cookies will have a lighter colour and the cookie dough will be softer and stickier. 

Dark chocolate chunks: The recipe calls for dairy-free chocolate chunks which are added to the cookie dough and they’re used for melting and dipping the cookies in. If you don’t need these cookies to be dairy-free, you can use another type of dark chocolate chip or chunk.

How to make cranberry pistachio cookies

• Whisk together the oil and egg until thickened. Add in the sugar, almond butter and honey and whisk until combined. Stir in the almond milk and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. (Sift together if your cocoa is lumpy). Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a dough forms.

• Fold in the cranberries, pistachios and chocolate chunks.

• Use a cookie scoop to place mounds of the cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use the back of a spoon to flatten them slightly.

• Bake on 375F for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

• Line the same baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt together the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave. Dip the cookies in the chocolate, place them on the baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Let them firm up in the refrigerator before storing.

Frequently asked questions

How do you store these cookies? How long will they last? You can store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. 

Can you freeze them? Yes, once the chocolate has set, just place the cookies in a single layer in a freezer-safe container, or in between sheets of wax paper, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. 

Can you make these cookies with all-purpose white flour or a gluten-free flour? I’ve only tested these cookies with whole wheat flour so I can’t say for certain if flour substitutes will work in this recipe.

Additional recipe tips and substitutions

• If you don’t have almond milk, you can use another type of nut milk, or even dairy milk if you don’t need these cookies to be dairy-free.

• Make sure your almond butter is at room temperature so it mixes into the wet ingredients easily. If you don’t have almond butter, you can try using another type of nut or seed butter. Just note that this will change the taste of the cookies slightly.

• You’ll need to chop the pistachios to go in the cookie dough and crush them to sprinkle on top of the cookies. You can chop your pistachios with a knife or place them in a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to break them up. To crush the pistachios into a fine texture, you can use the rolling pin method or just pulse them in the blender or food processor.

• I use a 1.5-inch cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough, which results in about 26-28 cookies. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can just use a tablespoon.

• The cookies don’t spread very much so you’ll need to flatten them with a spoon, fork or your fingers before baking them.

• Dipping the baked cookies in chocolate is optional, but definitely recommended.

• If you happen to have a little melted chocolate leftover, don’t throw it out. Make a single serving of chocolate bark instead with any leftover pistachios and cranberries.

Other cranberry cookies you might enjoy

• Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies with fresh cranberries and dark chocolate chips.

• Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies with orange cranberry chia jam.

• Chocolate Almond Bark with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

If you make these pistachio cranberry cookies, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Cranberry Pistachio Cookies (Dairy-Free)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Leanne
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 90 minutes
• Yield: 26-28 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies are soft and chocolatey with crunchy pistachios, chewy dried cranberries and dark chocolate chunks. They’re perfect for the holidays or any time of year!

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons almond butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped raw pistachios
• 1/2 + 3/4 cups dairy-free dark chocolate chunks or chips (divided)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1/4 cup crush raw pistachios (for topping)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and egg until thickened. Whisk in the sugar, almond butter and honey, followed by the almond milk and vanilla.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture and stir until a thick dough forms.
4. Fold in the cranberries, pistachios and 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks.
5. Using a cookie scoop, place mounds of the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten the cookies with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Bake for 8-9 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
7. Line the same baking sheet with wax paper. Add the remaining chocolate chunks and coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl and microwave in two 30-second intervals, stirring in between and after until smooth. Dip the cookies in the chocolate, place them on the baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Let them firm up in the refrigerator before storing.
8. Store covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Notes

1. I normally use dutch-processed cocoa in these cookies for its darker colour and smooth flavour. You can make them with natural cocoa, just note the cookies will have a lighter colour and the cookie dough will be softer and stickier.
2. You can chop your pistachios with a knife or place them in a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to break them up. To crush the pistachios into a fine texture, you can use the rolling pin method or just pulse them in the blender or food processor.
3. I use a 1.5-inch cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough, which results in about 26-28 cookies. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can just use a tablespoon.
4. The cookies don’t spread very much so you’ll need to flatten them with a spoon, fork or your fingers before baking them.
5. The total recipe time includes time to bake two batches of cookies and let them cool before dipping in chocolate.
6. Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.