These Pistachio Cherry Cookies are small, chewy, buttery delights with bright cherry pops and a hint of almond. They’re a soft pastel green, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar — ideal for the holidays or any time you want a pretty, nostalgic cookie.
This recipe is one of my favorites. I used to bake these with my grandmother every December. We’d stain our fingers with cherry juice and sneak bits of dough when she wasn’t looking. The instant pistachio pudding keeps the cookies incredibly tender, and rolling them in powdered sugar right after they cool gives a melt-in-your-mouth finish.
Table of contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Instructions
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and Chewy Texture: The pistachio instant pudding keeps the dough tender and slightly cakey for a pleasant chew.
- Festive Look: The green dough with red cherry specks makes these cookies visually joyful and holiday-ready.
- Simple Method: No complicated techniques — cream, mix, fold, chill, and bake.
- Warm Nostalgia: Classic flavors that remind many of childhood holiday baking but with an adult-friendly almond note.
Ingredients
Below is a concise list of ingredients needed for this batch. Quantities are shown in the recipe card further down if you prefer a printable format.
These cookies use pantry staples plus a few highlights: pistachio instant pudding for color and flavor, maraschino cherries for sweet bursts, and almond extract to deepen the profile. Powdered sugar gives the final snow-kissed finish.
Variations
- White chocolate dip: Once the cookies are completely cool, dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate and let set on parchment.
- Chopped pistachios: Fold in 1/4 cup of finely chopped pistachios for added texture and a more pronounced nut flavor.
- Different pudding: If you don’t have pistachio pudding, vanilla or cheesecake pudding will still give softness though the green tint and pistachio taste will be absent.
- No extra coloring: The pudding already gives a hint of green, so food coloring is optional if you prefer a subtler hue.
Instructions
This overview covers the essential steps. Full step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe block below so you can print or save them.
- Cream softened butter until pale and fluffy, then beat in about half the powdered sugar.
- Slowly mix in the all-purpose flour and the pistachio pudding mix until combined.
- Add almond extract and, if using, green food coloring. Mix until the color is even.
- Drain cherries well, chop them, and pat dry. Gently fold the cherries into the dough.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then roll into 1–2 tablespoon balls and place on baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool, then roll them in the remaining powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Dry the cherries thoroughly: excess juice will make the dough too soft and may cause color bleed.
- Use a cookie scoop for consistent cookie size and even baking.
- Chill the dough: cold dough is easier to shape and helps cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Wait until cookies are completely cool before dusting with powdered sugar so the coating stays intact.
- If you want a stronger pistachio flavor, fold in a small amount of finely chopped toasted pistachios or a dash of pistachio extract sparingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to common questions about making these cookies.
Yes. Shape the dough into balls or leave it as a single log, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking for best results.
You can substitute vanilla instant pudding for softness, but the distinctive pistachio taste and green tint will be missing.
Yes. Baked cookies keep well in an airtight container for about five days at room temperature. You can also freeze baked cookies for longer storage.
Enjoyed the recipe? If you try it, consider leaving a rating or a note in the comments so others know how it turned out for you.
📖Recipe
Print or save the recipe details below for easy reference when you bake.
Pistachio Cherry Cookies
Soft, chewy cookies dusted in powdered sugar with bursts of maraschino cherry and a hint of almond. Makes about 36 cookies.
Course: Cookies | Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 57 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies | Calories (approx.): 113 kcal per cookie
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Cookie scoop (optional)
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 ounces Jell-O Pistachio Instant Pudding
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon green food coloring (optional)
- 10 ounces maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter in a mixer on medium-high for 3–4 minutes until pale and slightly fluffy.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and beat 2–3 minutes more until incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour and pistachio pudding mix, mixing on low just until combined.
- Add the almond extract and food coloring, if using, mixing until the color is even with no streaks.
- Drain and finely chop the maraschino cherries. Pat them dry on paper towels to remove as much juice as possible.
- Gently fold the dried cherries into the dough, taking care not to overmix to avoid color bleed from the cherries.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll the chilled dough into 1–2 tablespoon balls and place them on baking sheets, spaced slightly apart.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Once cooled, roll each cookie in the remaining powdered sugar to coat.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie — Calories: 113 kcal; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 5 g; Sugar: 12 g. Nutritional values are approximations and will vary by brands and portion sizes.