For those who’re on the lookout for a festive crimson and inexperienced dessert to deliver to a celebration, I’ve the recipe for you. These Pistachio Pudding Cookies are really easy and so fairly! They don’t seem to be made with a cake combine, so that you could be assured they’re delightfully chewy within the center and crisp on the sides, like an amazing cookie needs to be.

These vibrant inexperienced pistachio pudding cookies are so festive for the vacations! I wish to stir in Maraschino cherries for the crimson and inexperienced look, however they’re completely optionally available. The flavour of the cookies on their very own is sufficient with out them.
These cookies use one small field of pistachio pudding combine. Whenever you add pudding combine to dough, you get a softer, fluffier end result. It is because the combination comprises cornstarch. Additionally, you will love the layers of taste occurring in these pistachio pudding cookies!
This is not the primary time we have added cornstarch to a dessert earlier than. My Chocolate Chippers recipe comprises cornstarch in order that the result’s a smooth, chewy texture.
Learn how to Make Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Many recipes that use a field of pudding additionally use a cake combine, nonetheless, this is not a kind of recipes. This can be a commonplace recipe to which we’re including a field of pudding. I discover all cake combine cookies to be overly fluffy and smooth, much like muffins. My methodology beneath produces a significantly better end result.
For the attribute vacation really feel, I am including further inexperienced meals coloring to the recipe. It helps make the ultimate end result a brighter inexperienced.
The feel of those cookies is similar to my Gooey Butter Cake Cookies. It is because we’re including a small quantity of cream cheese to the dough. Cream cheese does unbelievable issues to dough–it makes it thicker and chewier.
For those who love one of these recipe, attempt my Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake Cookies, too!
The Substances

- Pistachio Pudding Combine. One small field is 3.4 ounces. Don’t use the bigger one. There are not any substitutions for this ingredient. If you do not have it or do not wish to use it, please choose one other recipe to bake.
- Butter. Simply half a stick of butter that has been softened to room temperature. I like to recommend unsalted butter, however when you solely have salted, use it and omit the salt from the recipe.
- Cream Cheese. You want 2 ounces of cream cheese for this recipe, which is ¼ of a 8-ounce brick of cream cheese. I want to bake by weight, however you do not have a scale, use 4 packed tablespoons of cream cheese. Don’t use whipped cream cheese as a result of it comprises milk and stabilizers, which is able to soften within the oven.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar, simply ¾ cup as a result of the pudding combine comprises sugar. These pistachio pudding cookies have simply the correct amount of sweetness.
- Almond Extract. A really small quantity of almond extract (¼ teaspoon) will mimic the nuttiness of pistachios. Do not skip this ingredient for the last word taste!
- Inexperienced Meals Coloring. I begin with 5 drops of inexperienced meals gel, and add extra from there. It relies upon in order for you the cookies a vibrant inexperienced or a boring inexperienced.
- Eggs. We’d like one complete egg plus one egg yolk. The explanation we’re doubling up on the egg yolk however omitting the egg white is as a result of these are chewy and delightfully dense. The additional tablespoon of fats from the egg yolk helps us obtain the perfect texture.
- Flour.
- Baking Powder.
- Maraschino Cherries. About 10-12 Maraschino cherries from the jar. Take away the stems, chop, and blot them dry between a stack of paper towels. For those who add overly moist cherries to the dough, it can muddy the intense inexperienced colour.
- Powdered Sugar. We’d like a small quantity of powdered sugar (simply ⅓ cup) to roll the cookies in earlier than baking.
The Directions
Place the softened butter, cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electrical mixer till gentle and fluffy. Add the inexperienced meals coloring, almond extract, complete egg, egg yolk and blend once more.
Subsequent, add the flour, pistachio pudding combine, baking powder and salt to the inexperienced dough. Beat till largely blended, but in addition watch out to not over-mix.
At this level, the pistachio pudding cookies dough wants to relax for one hour within the fridge. Because the dough comprises cream cheese, the dough actually must be agency earlier than going into the oven.
In the meantime, chop 10-12 Maraschino cherries from the jar, and place them on a number of paper towels to empty extra moisture.
As soon as the dough is completed chilling, you’ll be able to preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Then, stir the cherries into the dough. Alternatively, you too can keep away from stirring the cherries in, and press 3-5 items of cherry into every dough ball earlier than baking.
Utilizing a cookie scoop that holds 2 tablespoons of dough, make 12 dough balls. Roll every cookie in powdered sugar earlier than evenly spacing them on the baking sheet. Bake the pistachio pudding cookies for 11-13 minutes, till the sides of the cookies are simply turning golden brown.

Make-Forward Pistachio Pudding Combine Cookies
You can also make the dough by way of step 4, after which and chill it within the fridge for up 3 days earlier than baking. I might not stir within the cherries till you are able to bake, as a result of their crimson colour will seep out into the dough and the cookies will not be as vibrant inexperienced. It’s also possible to freeze the dough, after which defrost till scoop-able. For those who freeze or chill the dough for longer than an hour, it is best to press the cherries into the cookies along with your fingers simply earlier than baking. Have a look at the photographs and see which you could press 3-5 items of chopped cherries into the floor of every cookie earlier than baking.
As soon as the pistachio pudding cookies have been baked, they maintain for two days on the counter, 5 days within the fridge, or a number of months within the freezer. Defrost at room temperature earlier than serving.
Different Inexperienced Desserts for Christmas:
Yield: 12
Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Pistachio pudding combine cookies with Maraschino cherries.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Prepare dinner Time
11 minutes
Extra Time
1 hour
Complete Time
1 hour 21 minutes
Substances
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 5 drops inexperienced meals coloring
- 1 giant egg + 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 ounce) bundle of instantaneous pistachio pudding combine
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon
- ¼ cup maraschino cherries, chopped and dried (about 10-12 cherries)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Directions
- Place softened butter, cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat collectively till gentle and fluffy with an electrical mixer on HIGH for about 2 minutes.
- Add almond extract, meals coloring, egg and egg yolk, and beat once more till blended.
- Add flour, pistachio pudding combine, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Beat till completely blended, however watch out to not over-mix.
- Chill the cookie dough within the fridge for at the very least 60 minutes. Don’t skip this step.
- In the meantime, drain and chop the cherries. Place them on paper towels and blot them dry.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Have powdered sugar prepared in a small, shallow bowl.
Take away dough from fridge, stir within the cherries gently. It’s also possible to simply press 3-5 items into every dough ball earlier than baking as an alternative of stirring them in. - Scoop into dough balls which can be roughly 2 tablespoons every, and roll in powdered sugar. Evenly house on cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, or till cookies are beginning to flip flippantly golden brown on the sides. Let cool on baking sheet for five minutes earlier than shifting to a cooling rack to chill fully. Serve when cool, as a result of they could be a bit crumbly when too sizzling.
Notes
Make Forward Suggestions: You can also make the dough by way of step 4 and chill it within the fridge for as much as 3 days earlier than baking. Don’t add the cherries till you are able to bake, as a result of their crimson colour will seep out into the dough and the cookies will not be as vibrant inexperienced. It’s also possible to freeze the dough, after which defrost till scoop-able. For those who freeze or chill the dough for longer than an hour, it is best to press the cherries into the cookies along with your fingers simply earlier than baking. Have a look at the photographs and see which you could press 3-5 items of chopped cherries into the floor of every cookie earlier than baking.
Storage: As soon as the pistachio pudding cookies have been baked, they maintain for two days on the counter, 5 days within the fridge, or a number of months within the freezer. Defrost at room temperature earlier than serving.
Vitamin Info:
Yield:
12
Serving Dimension:
1
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 167Complete Fats: 7gSaturated Fats: 4gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 2gLdl cholesterol: 46mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g