Chocolate Pistachio Cookies (Fudge Bakery-Style)

Chocolate pistachio cookie broken open with gooey pistachio cream filling and fudgy brownie-style texture.

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Pistachio Cookies (Fudge Bakery-Style)

These Chocolate Pistachio Cookies (Fudgy Brownie-Style) are rich, chewy chocolate cookies with a creamy pistachio filling and a soft brownie-like center. Easy to make, festive, and irresistibly indulgent!

Prep Time40

Cook Time13

Chill Time1

Servings: big cookies

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Filling

¾ cup (200 g) pistachio cream (sweetened pistachio spread, like Nutella)

Dry ingredients

1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (50 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz (115 g) semisweet baking chocolate (55% cacao)
½ cup (115 g) salted butter

Topping

½ cup (70 g) chocolate chunks
¼ cup (40 g) chopped pistachios

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Filling

Place the jar of pistachio cream in the fridge for 30–60 minutes until it thickens slightly.
👉 Cue: it should feel firmer and scoopable, not runny.
Line a tray with parchment. Scoop 12 of 1 tablespoon (20g) pistachio cream into rounded mounts. Freeze until solid.

Dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Wet ingredients

Melt semisweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl (microwave or double boiler). Let it cool to room temperature before using.
👉 Cue: looks glossy and pourable like melted Nutella, not hot or thickened.
In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar for 8-10 minutes on high speed, using a handheld whisk, until pale and slightly thick (ribbon stage). The mixture should lighten in color and fall back in ribbons.
👉 Cue: ribbons should sit on the surface for 4-6 seconds before dissolving. This step creates the crackly tops.
Slowly whisk in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the batter aerated.
Fold dry ingredients gently into the wet mix just until no dry streaks remain, using a spatula.
👉 Cue: thick, sticky, glossy batter, not scoopable like regular cookie dough.

Chill

Spread the dough up along the sides of the bowl, forming a thin, even layer. Chill for 30 minutes, or until just until firmer and easier to shape.

Assemble

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a tray with parchment paper.
Scoop 12 balls of 3 ½ tablespoons (70 g). Flatten 3 tablespoons (55 g) for the base, and the remaining ½ tablespoon (15 g) for the cap.
Place one pistachio mound on each base. Cover with the caps, pinch seams closed, then roll into a smooth ball.
Roll each ball on a few chopped pistachios and press some chopped chocolate chunks (or chips). Make sure they're slightly off-center toward the outer half so they stay visible after baking.

Bake

Arrange balls on parchment-lined tray, leaving 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) of space between them. Bake for 11-13 minutes on the middle rack. Pull when edges are set and matte, and the centers are puffed with a slight wobble.
Oven behavior timeline
0–4 min: Cookies hold shape, tops glossy and smooth.Edges just begin to relax.
👉 Check: if they flatten too quickly, dough was too warm. If they stay hard domes, dough was too cold.
5–8 min: Edges spreading outward evenly, tops losing their initial shine.
9–10 min: Tops glossy, puffed, centers look unset.
11–13 min (max): Tops start developing fine crackles; edges are firm, centers still glossy. Cookies puff high, then begin to collapse slightly as steam escapes.👉 Cue: perfect pull time if you want molten filling.
Leave on the tray for 10 minutes before moving to a rack. The cookies will flatten and settle deeper into their signature crinkles.

Notes

Pistachio cream: Use a sweetened pistachio spread (similar in texture to Nutella). If using unsweetened pistachio butter, sweeten and loosen it slightly with melted white chocolate.
Chilling: Chill only if the dough feels too soft to handle, and until just manageable.
Serving: Break them open while still warm (10–15 minutes out of the oven) for a molten pistachio ooze. Once cooled, the center turns into a creamy texture.
Reheat: To bring back the gooey center, warm a baked cookie for 20–30 seconds in the microwave or 3 minutes at 160 °C / 320 °F in the oven.

Nutrition