Dark Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Cookies
Vegan, Dairy Free and can easily be made Paleo + Gluten Free
Jump to RecipeThese Dark Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Cookies are exactly what you need this time of year! Before we spring forward and lose an hour of sleep I suggest enjoying a few of these sweet and salty cookies. Mainly because the two key ingredients contain magnesium and melatonin, which are essential for a goodnights sleep.
Enjoy with your favorite glass of milk and don’t feel bad if you have more than one. If I’m being honest, my toddler and I ate an entire batch to ourselves in one day. Yeah….. they’re that good. They’re also made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour (or almond flour + coconut flour if gluten free), flax seed, coconut sugar, pistachios and quality dark chocolate. Trust me, you’re going to want to make a double batch because they go fast.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
Sweet and Salty Flavor
- This recipe is the perfect balance of sweet meets salty. I personally enjoy these cookies right out of the oven once they’ve cooled for about 5 minutes. They’re a little crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I also have to mention the salty crunch from the pistachios pairs perfectly with the melty puddles of rich dark chocolate in each cookie. Finish these cookies off with a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt and you’ll experience nirvana.
Hello Nourishing Ingredients!
- Believe it or not, these cookies are full of clean, wholesome ingredients. They’re refined sugar free and dairy free. They contain whole wheat flour, (which by the way, is great for women’s hormone health as long as you aren’t celiac or gluten intolerant. However, if you’d rather make these cookies gluten free, please refer to the notes section at the end of the recipe card) flax seed, coconut oil, coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, chopped pistachios and dark chocolate.
- Pistachios are an amazing source of vitamin B6, protein, healthy fats and melatonin. A study conducted by Losso and Yeboah-Awudzi at LSU concluded pistachios contain a significant amount of melatonin. Yes people, that means if you eat these wonderful tree nuts, they can potentially help with falling and staying asleep.
- It’s no secret that dark chocolate has some pretty amazing health benefits. That’s why they’re considered a “super food.” One of my favorite health benefits of dark chocolate has to be the amount of magnesium it contains. Consuming a moderate amount of dark chocolate can help boost your levels of magnesium (not to mention it makes a delicious snack). Magnesium is an essential mineral in the human body that’s responsible for many functions so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough of it in your diet. I love this article by Aviva Romm, Yale MD, midwife, herbalist and activist. She does a beautiful job outlining magnesium and how it affects women’s health. Click here to read.
To make these sweet and salty cookies you’ll need:
- Flax egg (1 tablespoon flax seed + 3 tablespoons room temp. water)
- Whole wheat flour (*If GF replace with 1 cup almond flour + ¼ cup coconut flour)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Melted coconut oil, COOLED
- Coconut sugar
- Maple syrup
- Pure Vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate bar, chopped
- Pistachios, shelled + chopped
How to make?
This recipe is rather simple and the cookie dough doesn’t require any chilling. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While oven is preheating, line a cookie sheet with reusable silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
Next, make your flax egg. Combine flax seed with water and whisk until well combined. Let sit to congeal for about 5-10 minutes.
If you didn’t buy shelled pistachios then now’s the time to crack each one open, removing the nut from the shell until you fill a 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios. Pour pistachios onto a cutting board and begin chopping with a large knife until finely chopped. Set pistachios aside, grab your dark chocolate bar and begin to chop until the entire bar is finely chopped. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk together your flour(s), baking soda and salt, set aside. In another small mixing bowl combine your flax egg, melted then cooled coconut oil (*do not skip the cooling step*), coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined and slowly pour into the mixing bowl with dry ingredients. Slowly mix dry and wet ingredients until just combined and then fold in your chopped pistachios and dark chocolate.
Using a tablespoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough and roll into balls. Place each ball a few inches apart onto your lined baking sheet. Place in oven to bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Removed from oven and sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for up to one week. *To ensure freshness, I recommend wrapping in parchment paper and then sealing in an airtight container. But you don’t have to do this step.
Dark Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- rubber spatula
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon flax seed + 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (sub 1 cup almond flour + 1/4 cup coconut flour if gluten free)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup melted then COOLED coconut oil (do not skip cooling step)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 dark chocolate bar, finely chopped I use HU dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
- 2 pinches flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While oven is preheating, line a cookie sheet with reusable silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside. Next, make your flax egg. Combine flax seed with water and whisk until well combined. Let sit to congeal for about 5-10 minutes and melt your coconut oil so it has time to cool. I like to melt mine in a small sauce pan on stove top, but you can also use the microwave. Once melted, sit in fridge for 5 minutes.
- If you didn’t buy shelled pistachios then now’s the time to crack each one open, removing the nut from the shell until you fill a 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios. Pour pistachios onto a cutting board and begin chopping with a large knife until finely chopped. Set pistachios aside, grab your dark chocolate bar and begin to chop until the entire bar is finely chopped. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Whisk together your flour(s), baking soda and salt, set aside. In another small mixing bowl combine your flax egg, melted then cooled coconut oil (*do not skip the cooling step*), coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined and slowly pour into the mixing bowl with dry ingredients. Slowly mix dry and wet ingredients until just combined and then fold in your chopped pistachios and dark chocolate. (If the dough seems dry, keep mixing for an extra 30 seconds, sometimes it takes extra mixing for the wet ingredients to soak into the dry).
- Using a tablespoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of cookie dough and roll into balls. Place each ball a few inches apart onto your lined baking sheet. Place in oven to bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Removed from oven and sprinkle cookies with flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for up to one week. *To ensure freshness, I recommend wrapping in parchment paper and then sealing in an airtight container. But you don’t have to do this step.*
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I appreciate each and every one of you!
Until next time,
stay sweet.
-Ashley