Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios: Easy Recipe for Vegan Cookies

These vegan chocolate chip cookies with pistachios are crispy on the edges, soft in the center, and packed with flavor. A delicious plant-based twist on a classic!

After having a heart attack in December, I’ve been slowly getting used to a more active lifestyle. While I wouldn’t say I’ve become a marathon runner overnight, I have been walking more, paying attention to what I eat, and taking better care of my heart. One of the biggest changes? I’m turning some of my planned vegan cookie book recipes into blog posts instead. And what better way to celebrate that than with a batch of vegan pistachio chocolate chip cookies?

Now, I know what you’re thinking—talking about heart health while putting pistachios into cookies might seem ironic. But stay with me! Pistachios are nutrient powerhouses, and when combined with the right techniques, they make for some of the best, bakery-style vegan cookies you’ve ever tasted. 

Why Pistachios? Nutritious & Delicious

Pistachios are more than just a delicious addition to cookies; they’re also one of the healthiest nuts you can eat. They’re packed with heart-healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants, and they have more protein than most other nuts. Plus, they add an irresistible crunch and a subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate.

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

That being said, I fully acknowledge the irony of using pistachios for heart health and then immediately mixing them into cookie dough. But hey, life is all about balance, right? Besides, if I’m going to eat cookies, I might as well sneak in some nutrition where I can!

The Perfect Egg Replacement for Vegan Cookies

One of the trickiest parts of vegan baking is replacing eggs without sacrificing texture. The best solution I’ve found for chewy, bakery-style vegan cookies is a combination of:

• Aquafaba (chickpea brine) – The liquid from canned chickpeas acts as a magical egg replacement.
• Xanthan gum – This helps bind everything together and gives structure.
• Whisking or blending – Beating the aquafaba with xanthan gum until foamy mimics the consistency of egg whites.

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If you don’t have xanthan gum, cornstarch works as a substitute, though it’s not quite as perfect. But trust me, once you try the aquafaba-xanthan gum method, you’ll never look back.

The Secret to Bakery Style Vegan Cookies

So, what makes these vegan pistachio chocolate chip cookies different from the rest? It’s all in the details. Here are the game changing techniques I use to make bakery-worthy vegan cookies at home:

1. Use Vegan Butter Sticks – I swear by vegan butter sticks over all other options for the perfect fat-to-water ratio that mimics the makeup of dairy butter.
2. Ghirardelli Non-Dairy Chocolate – It happens to be vegan and has the best taste and consistency.
3. Bread Flour for Structure – Higher protein makes cookies chewier and thicker. If you don’t have bread flour, supplement your all-purpose flour with vital wheat gluten or unflavored protein powder.
4. Cream Butter & Sugar Correctly – Creaming vegan butter and sugar together properly aerates the dough, creating that perfect light-but-chewy texture.
5. Refrigerate the Dough – Chilling for at least an hour keeps the fats solid, preventing overspreading and ensuring thick, puffy cookies.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Recipe
• Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies – Unique Vegan Recipe
• Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – Amazing Upgraded Recipe
• Dairy Free Hemp Heart Ranch Dressing: Low Sodium Vegan Recipes

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios

If you notice the white chocolate chips in the picture above, you’re not crazy. I initially wanted these to be a vegan white chocolate chip cookie, but these little morsels didn’t make the grade. For the most part, they were just too tiny for the job. Their size meant that they mostly get lost in the cookie dough, but they also were prone to browning excessively where they were exposed.

• vegan butter baking sticks
• light brown sugar
• organic white sugar
• aqufaba
• xanthan gum or corn starch
• almond extract
• bread flour
• unflavored protein powder or vital wheat gluten
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• pistachios
• Ghirardelli non-dairy chocolate chips (use a good vegan white chocolate if you like)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Instructions for Making Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios

1. Make one cup of pistachios finely ground in a bullet or food processor, and another half a cup of coarsely chopped or crushed pistachios and set aside
2. Sift the flour, protein powder or cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together

Making Egg Replacement For The Vegan Cookie Recipe

3. Whisk the almond extract and xanthan gum into the aquafaba to make the egg replacement

Creaming Plant Based Butter and Sugar

4. The ultimate key to making great vegan and plant based cookies is to cream the butter and sugar together well. Usually, butter is left to come to room temperature for creaming in a cookie recipe. The fat and moisture in plant based butters don’t handle the same. (I found that the plant based butter creams best cold, and if you take the extra step of blending the sugar fine beforehand it creams even quicker and easier.) 

Assembling The Cookie Dough

5. Being careful to not overwork the dough, lightly fold egg replacement and dry ingredients into the creamed butter
6. Reserve enough chocolate chips for two or three to go on the top of each cookie
7. Fold the pistachios and the remaining chocolate chips into the dough by hand

8. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least one hour

Baking The Cookies

9. Preheat oven to 350F
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and space out 2oz scoops at least a couple of inches apart
11. Without flattening the scoops of dough, apply two or three of the reserved chocolate chips to the top of the cookie

12. Bake in the upper rack of the oven for 15-18 minutes
13. Allow to cool an additional 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack

Substitutions

This recipe uses bread flour similar to other celebrity chefs with expert cookie tips such as Christina Tosi, now owner of Milk Bar that I’ve also done a copycat cookie from. Switching up to bread flour from all purpose flour is transformational, avoid substituting the AP flour you have on hand. If you don’t have any, you can add some unflavored protein powder or vital wheat gluten to increase the protein content to get the same bakery style texture.

The Ghirardelli Non-Dairy chocolate chips have a melt and texture much closer to good milk chocolate chips. Other brands use sugar alcohols or erythritol and they don’t melt the same. Substituting for your preferred or available brand won’t harm the recipe though. I originally was wanting a white chocolate chip here but mine didn’t work out well enough to recommend to you.

You can also adjust the ratio of white and brown sugar to achieve your desired texture if you keep the total amount the same. I made this a less chewy cookie by reducing the amount of brown sugar and increased the white instead. There is some moisture from the ground and crushed pistachios that will make up for it. Lastly, make sure that your sugar is organically sourced to make sure that it hasn’t been purified with a bone char method.

Variations Of This Vegan Cookie Recipe

If you don’t have pistachios try adding chopped pecans, the combination of ground and crushed pecans works similarly to make a Pecan Sandy cookie texture that is heavenly.

I really wanted a vegan white chocolate chip cookie, but the brand I tried wasn’t very great. If you have the option of a good vegan white chocolate chip you should give it a try, the combination is a classic!

For soft chewier cookies, add two tablespoons of corn syrup to the wet ingredients that you mix in with the creamed butter.

Storage and Serving Suggestions

To store your vegan chocolate chip cookies, allow them to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. This will help maintain their chewy texture and prevent them from becoming stale. If you want to keep them extra fresh, you can also wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap before placing them in the container.

If you want to enjoy your cookies warm and gooey, simply pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. This will help soften the chocolate chips and create a melty, heavenly experience.

For a special treat, try serving your vegan chocolate chip cookies with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream on top. The combination of warm, chewy cookies and cold, creamy ice cream is absolutely divine.

If you’re hosting a party or gathering, consider creating a vegan cookie platter with a variety of flavors. Include these vegan chocolate chip cookies along with other favorites like peanut butter cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and snickerdoodles. This will ensure there’s something for everyone and showcase the deliciousness of vegan baking.

So, whether you enjoy them straight from the oven, at room temperature, or with a scoop of ice cream, these vegan chocolate chip cookies are sure to be a hit. Indulge in their sweet, chocolatey goodness and share them with your friends and family. They’ll be impressed by how delicious and satisfying vegan cookies can be.

If you’re after a cookie with texture, flavor, and a little flair, this one’s your golden child. Want to lock down the basics first? Study Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe: How to Bake Without Eggs. Then branch out with the buttery flavor of Vegan White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies: How To Bake Without Eggs, the crisp-and-chew combo in Raisin Oatmeal Cookies Vegan Recipe: How to Bake Without Eggs, or take a crunchy detour with The Best Vegan Biscotti Recipe with Almonds: Eggless Biscotti Recipe.

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