Candied pistachios. Brown butter. CHOCOLATE. What more could I say to entice you? These cookies are my favorite. Brown butter in anything is in my top favorites, really. These candied pistachio & brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are magic.
Browning butter sounds intimidating, but it’s as easy as melting butter. Just melt it a little longer. It will add such a complexity of flavors that will enhance everything else in your cookie batter. And anything else that you bake. Try it in any of your baked goods.
How to brown butter
- Cube a stick of butter and add it to a saucepan on low heat
- Melt the butter down and whisk or stir frequently. The whole process will take about 5 minutes
- Once the butter starts to smell nutty and the color turns to an amber color, take it off the heat and pour into bowl. There will be specks of brown throughout. Totally fine.
I mostly used softened butter when making cookies, so allow the butter to firm back up in the fridge or freezer if you’re pressed for time. You can do this step in advance.
The candied pistachios add the perfect buttery crunch to the cookies and a delicious flavor. You can also make these ahead and store them at room temp.
How to: candied pistachios
- Add sugar and butter in a non-stick pan along with your pistachios. Low to medium heat.
- Let the butter and sugar melt down. It will become grainy. Stir until it melts down again and turns a deep amber color.
- Pour the mixture into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and allow them to harden. Store at room temperature until ready to use.
These candied pistachio & brown butter chocolate chunk cookies are salty, sweet and nutty. They are baked until the edges are crisp and the centers are just set. Perfectly gooey and so chocolatey! I like to use a semi-sweet chocolate bar and chop it into chunks. Dark or milk chocolate would also be delicious.
To shape the cookie dough batter, I like to scoop them out using an ice cream scooper, or 2 tablespoons as a measure. Roll them into balls and top with leftover chocolate & candied pistachios. Flaky salt goes on top of all my cookies, but totally optional.
Candied Pistachio & Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Sauce pan
- Spatulas
- Parchment Paper
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
Candied Pistachios
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup pistachios shelled
Cookies
- 1 cup +3 tbsp flour spooned + leveled
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 10 tbsp salted butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped into chunks
- ⅓ cup candied pistachios
Instructions
Pistachios
- Add your pistachios, sugar and butter to a nonstick pan. On low heat, allow the mixture to melt and stir to cost all then nuts. The mixture will become grainy and then melt down again. Once it melts down again and turns a rich Carmel color, remove from the heat snd pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Allow them to set at room temperature. About 10-15 minutes.
Brown butter
- Add your butter to a sauce pan and melt it on low heat. Continuously stir until the mixture turns a golden brown color and will start to smell nutty. You will notice brown specks throughout. This will take about 5-7 minutes.Pour the butter into a bowl and allow it to solidify again in the fridge or freezer.
Cookies
- In a bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the softened brown butter and sugars until combined and smooth. Add in your vanilla and egg. Mix until incorporated. Add in your dry mixture and continue to mix until absorbed. Fold in the chocolate using a spatula and half of the pistachios. Reserve the rest of topping. Chill the dough for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°Using an ice cream scooper or 2 tablespoons as a measure, scoop out you cookie batter and form the dough into a ball. Place them onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Add chocolate chunks, and the rest of your nuts on top. A sprinkle of flaky salt is optional but SO GOOD. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow them to cool for 8-10 minutes out of the oven. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any type of nuts will work for this recipe. Walnuts and almonds are so delicious!
- You can make these up to 3 days in advance. Just let the dough balls rest in the fridge overnight and bake when ready. They’ll taste even better!
