Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

These white chocolate dipped shortbread cookies with pistachios are buttery, tender, and absolutely irresistible with their elegant combination of nutty pistachios and creamy white chocolate! The rich shortbread base is loaded with finely chopped pistachios, then half-dipped in smooth white chocolate and dunked in more pistachios for a beautiful presentation that tastes even better than it looks.

My mom and I have been doing an annual Christmas cookie baking marathon together for over 20 years, and it’s become one of my favorite holiday traditions. When I was in middle school and high school, I’d often have a friend or two join in the fun with us, and since college it’s been an excuse to spend quality time together in the kitchen. We typically make at least a dozen different kinds of cookies, including a variety of family favorites and new cookie flavors we haven’t tried before.

Like our cardamom cookies, we first discovered these pistachio shortbread cookies when they were published as part of the Minnesota Star Tribune Cookie Contest winners, a tradition the newspaper has been doing since 2003 by publishing recipes for around 5 winners as well as recipes for several runners up each year leading up to Christmas. Since our first bake of these cookies, we loved them. As my family tends to do… we’ve played with and tweaked the recipe over the years, and this delicious shortbread cookie recipe has become part of our family’s holiday tradition.

If you’re like me and new cookie recipes are one of your absolute favorite things to bake, this slice-and-bake style cookie recipe is a delicious choice to try for the holidays or any time of year!

Ingredients for Pistachio Shortbread

• Salted butter, softened. Creates the rich, tender texture that shortbread is famous for while adding deep, creamy flavor that pairs beautifully with pistachios.
• Granulated sugar. Sweetens the cookies and helps create the classic shortbread texture without making them overly sweet.
• Vanilla extract. Enhances all the other flavors and adds depth of flavor to our cookies.
• All-purpose flour. Forms the structure of the shortbread, creating that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture when combined with the butter.
• Finely chopped salted and dry-roasted pistachios. Not only do pistachio’s green color really pop, they provide nutty flavor and a nice crunch throughout the cookies, including in an extra coating on top of the white chocolate-dipped half!
• White chocolate. Creates a smooth, creamy coating that pairs beautifully with the nutty pistachios and adds visual appeal. I highly recommend using bar chocolate instead of white chocolate chips because it will melt better (chips have stabilizers in it).
• Neutral oil. Helps the white chocolate melt smoothly and prevents it from seizing up, which white chocolate is prone to do.

All ingredient measurements and full recipe details can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Helpful Equipment

You’ll need cookie sheets for baking (I love my Nordic Ware ones and highly recommend them!) and a wire cooling rack is helpful for cooling. And don’t’ forget to grab a roll of wax paper for shaping the dough logs and to use as a mat where your dipped cookies will set up.

How to Make Shortbread Pistachio Cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high for 3-5 minutes, until light, fluffy, and pale yellow, scraping down the sides as needed.

Towards the end of creaming, add in the vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low, and slowly add in the flour.

Mix until JUST combined.

Gently mix in the chopped pistachios into the dough.

Split the dough in half (approximately) and transfer onto pieces of wax paper (or parchment paper). The dough will be a bit crumbly at this stage.

Shape each half of the dough into a log about 1.5” – 2” in diameter (we usually make these cookies rectangular) .

Wrap, continuing to shape the dough if needed, and refrigerate to chill for at least 2 hours (up to 2 days).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and set out cookie sheets (option to line with parchment paper if desired for easy clean up).

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge, unwrap, and use a sharp knife to trim off the uneven ends. Then cut the dough into ¼” thick slices.

Place the sliced cookie pieces at least 1” apart on your baking sheets.

Bake until JUST firm and beginning to brown on the bottoms, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on the pans for a few minutes before transferring.

Move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cookies are cooled, melt the white chocolate with the neutral oil (either on the stove or in the microwave in bursts).

Dip one half of each cookie into the melted white chocolate. Option to drizzle with white chocolate if desired.

Place the dipped cookies onto wax paper and sprinkle with chopped pistachios (if desired).

Allow the chocolate to set up completely before storing.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Variation Ideas

• Use different nuts. Try finely chopped almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts instead of pistachios for varied flavors and textures.
• Dark chocolate dip. Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate instead of white chocolate for a richer, less sweet coating.
• Milk chocolate option. If you’d like to keep it sweeter, but don’t want to use white chocolate, give milk chocolate a try! This will provide a sweeter, creamier alternative compared to dark chocolate.
• Add a pop of citrus. Add lemon or orange zest to the shortbread dough for a bright pop of flavor that complements the pistachios nicely.

How to Store Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Store fully cooled and set pistachio shortbreads in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week for best texture and flavor. Ensuring your dipped shortbreads are completely set before storing is necessary to prevent them from sticking together or having the toppings move off the cookies. Adding a layer of wax paper between each layer of cookies also helps to prevent them from sticking together.

You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months! For longer storage, place the fully cooled and set cookies into freezer-safe container and store in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving for best texture.

Shortbread Pistachio Cookies Recipe FAQs

Why is my white chocolate seizing up when I melt it? White chocolate is more temperamental than other chocolates due to it’s higher fat content. Make sure your bowl and utensils are completely dry, melt slowly at low heat, and add a little bit of neutral oil to help keep it smooth. Using bar chocolate instead of chips also makes a significant difference as bar chocolate does not have stabilizers in it like the chips do.

Can I make the dough ahead of time? Absolutely! The wrapped dough logs can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.

How do I get clean slices from the chilled dough? Use a sharp knife and clean it between cuts if the dough starts sticking. If the dough is too hard (like if you set it out in your garage, aka the walk in freezer during the winter, and it froze…) let the dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly before slicing.

Can I skip the chocolate dipping? If you don’t want the chocolate dip, no problem! These shortbread cookies are delicious on their own too.