Last updated on September 19th, 2025.
Crumbly, buttery, and just the right amount of nutty, all ground Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are a simple yet a classic and elegant treat, kind of like your little black dress. The dough can be made-ahead, refrigerate then slice and bake when ready.
These cookies are melt in your mouth filled with the unique flavor and delicate crunch of pistachios. These are the perfect cookies next to your cup of coffee (or tea) also for, gifting and as an addition to your holiday cookies lineup.
They are very similar to these Pistachio Linzer Cookies, but they call for less ingredient, and if your in the mood for something a bit different, try these Chewy Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients
The complete recipe, including measurements is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card. Here is a quick overlook on the ingredients.
- Shelled Ground Pistachios. Grounding to a fine texture releases the oil from nuts, and giving the cookies a more intense pistachio flavor. Best to use toasted pistachios with the skin on for ultimate pistachio flavor. Use which ever you have at hands, raw and salted are also great options (but not flavored).
- Flour and granulated sugar. This is a very classic shortbread recipe, which includes flour, sugar and butter. The flour creates the firm yet crumbly structure, and the sugar adds the sweetness, tenderness and crispiness.
- Unsalted butter, cold. Cold butter is what makes the dough easy to handle. It is the heart and soul of any good shortbread cookie, in this recipe we cut the butter in the flour and sugar coating them with the cold butter’s delicious fat and flavor and creating the famous tender, melt in the mouth texture.
- Vanilla extract. It is optional but always a good idea.
Make it
This recipe is made using the reverse method, meaning, instead of creaming the sugar with the butter then adding the flour, we cut the butter in the flour and sugar. Using cold butter is the best way to coat the flour with fat and prevent the dough from becoming chewy.
Below are step by step images for a visual guidance as well as my tips and notes I recommend reading carefully for best result (every time!).
- Do not over process the pistachios, or they will become pasty and the dough will be too oily to roll and handle. To prevent that, process the nuts with a tablespoon of the flour.
- Once you added the butter, process until you have soft dough that comes together easily, but is not sticky. It can take as short as 20 seconds, and up to one minutes depending on the strength of your food processor.
- Use your hand to shape the dough into a 10-inch cylinder, then place it on on end of a large piece of parchment paper and start rolling it towards the second end. As you roll the dough, use the parchment paper to smooth the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 45 minutes, or up to three days.
- Rolling the dough in chopped pistachios is optional.
- To make the cookies extra tender, mix in 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder with the flour, and make sure to leave 1-inch space between each cookies before baking.
Yields and Storage
This recipe makes 24 2-inches round cookies.
Store at room temperature in a cookie jar, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks. The dough can be made ahead up to two days in be refrigerated.
Slice and Bake All-Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup (75g) Shelled pistachios
- 1 1/2 Cup (180g) All-purpose flour
- 1/4 Cup + 2 teaspoons (60g) Granulated sugar
- 10 Tablespoons (140g) Unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 Egg white, or water for brushing the dough. If using water, make sure shake the pastry brush from any access water.
- 1/2 Cup (75g) Chopped pistachios for coating (optional)
Instructions
- Place the first amount of pistachios in a bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground.
- Add the flou and sugar and process to incoporate.
- Add the butter and process until you have a soft dough. It should not be sticky, but if it is, that's ok.
- Roll the dough into a 10 inch cylinder, then place it on top of a large pieces of parchment paper, rolling it as you smooth it from one end to the other. The dough will stretch to about 12 inches as you roll it and smooth it.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to three days. Until the dough is cold enough to slice.
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line one large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the oven and brush it with an egg white, or water.
- Roll the dough in the chopped pistachios, then slice it to 1/2-inch thick cookies.
- Line the cookies oven the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes over the middle oven rack.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to chill and set in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing them. When out of the oven the cookies are very soft and will break and crumble if moved.
