Pistachio Cherry Cookies
These Pistachio Cherry Cookies are sweet little bundles of chewy, buttery magic with pops of bright cherry and a whisper of almond. They’re pastel green, sugar-dusted, and perfect for the holidays—or honestly, whenever you’re craving something nostalgic and pretty.
This one’s a personal favorite. I used to make these with my grandma every December. We’d stain our fingers with cherry juice and sneak dough when she wasn’t looking. The pudding mix makes them super soft, and the powdered sugar coating? Total melt-in-your-mouth moment.
If you love these, you might want to check out our Cherry Pie Cookies, Cherry Danishes, or the classic Cherry Snowball Cookie.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and Chewy Texture: Thanks to the pistachio pudding, these cookies are cloud-like and tender.
- Festive Colors and Flavors: That green and red combo is holiday-perfect.
- Quick and Easy: No complicated steps or fancy tools needed.
- Nostalgic and Unique: Like your favorite childhood treat, but all grown up.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
These cookies come together with pantry staples plus a few stars: pistachio pudding for that dreamy green color and nutty flavor, maraschino cherries for sweet pops of color, and almond extract to tie everything together with a little depth. The powdered sugar coating adds that final snow-kissed touch.
Variations
- Dip in white chocolate: Once cooled, dip half the cookie in melted white chocolate and let set.
- Add chopped pistachios: Fold in 1/4 cup of crushed pistachios for a nutty crunch.
- Use different pudding mix: Try vanilla or cheesecake flavor if you’re not into pistachio.
- Skip the food coloring: The pudding adds a hint of green already, so it’s totally optional.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in half the powdered sugar.
- Slowly mix in flour and pistachio pudding.
- Add almond extract and green food coloring. Mix until even. Drain and chop cherries, then dry thoroughly.
- Gently fold cherries into the dough. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Roll into balls and bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
- Let cool, then roll in remaining powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip drying the cherries, extra juice will mess with your dough.
- Use a cookie scoop to get even-sized cookies.
- Chill the dough so it’s easier to handle and bake evenly.
- Let them cool completely before rolling in sugar or it’ll melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes! Wrap it tightly in plastic and freeze for up to a month. Let it thaw in the fridge before baking.
Vanilla works in a pinch, but you’ll miss that nutty pistachio flavor.
Absolutely. They keep well in an airtight container for about 5 days.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Pistachio Cherry Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- plastic wrap
- Cookie Scoop – Optional
- cookie sheets or baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar separated
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 ounces Jell-o Pistachio Instant Pudding
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon green food coloring
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries drained and chopped
Instructions
- Begin by whipping the salted butter by using a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a medium bowl.
- Whip for 3-4 minutes at a medium-high level until the butter has turned a pale yellow and is slightly fluffier.
- Add in the powdered sugar and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add in the flour and pudding mix, stirring slowly.
- Add in the almond extract and food coloring.
- Mix until the food coloring has spread throughout the dough to create a solid color with no streaks.
- Drain and chop the cherries.
- Fold the cherries into a double layer of paper towels, pressing down to get any extra juices out. If needed, move to another pair of paper towels if the first becomes too saturated in the cherry juice.
- Fold the chopped and dried cherries into the dough. Be careful to not overmix as the color from the cherries can still spread.
- Wrap the dough in saran wrap for half an hour and refrigerate.
- After the dough has refrigerated, roll 1-2 tablespoons of dough into a ball per cookie until you fill a cookie sheet. Separate slightly.
- Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before tossing in the other cup of powdered sugar to coat each cookie.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
I’m so in love with these! They were super easy to make, and that pistachio flavor is so perfect with the cherries.
These are so yummy and so soft. They just melt in your mouth. I’ll be putting these out for Thanksgiving and Christmas.