Eggless Wholewheat Pistachio Cookies are simple butter cookies that are studded with a hint of chopped pistachios and pistachio essence – super delicious, nutty and crunchy! I bet you can’t eat just one!
If you love pistachios, then you’re going to enjoy these incredibly soft pistachio cookies that will just melt-in-your-mouth. These cookies are relatively simple to cook and makes a perfect after-school snack. Treat your kids with these yummy and delicious cookies, and they will devour them with a smile.
If your kids don’t have a liking for pistachios, no worries, feel free to experiment with whatever nuts they like – almonds, cashews or pecan.
I have to admit that growing up, I never liked pistachios, because of its distinctive flavor and texture. My mom used to sub pistachios with cashews or walnuts to suit my taste buds.
But now I always have a bag of pistachios tucked away for snacking in my pantry. To curb my midafternoon hunger prangs, I prefer to snack on these low-calorie nuts.
How to make Eggless Pistachio Cookies?
Start the recipe by blending sugar and butter. Add the remaining ingredients and knead a soft dough.
If the dough doesn’t bind well or feels dry, then add a teaspoon of extra milk.
Shape it like logs, wrap the dough and refrigerate. Make sure the dough is chilled for at least 30 minutes to an hour before baking.
COOKIE DOUGH THAT IS CHILLED BEFORE BAKING –
- will retain their shape much better and
- butter will not melt as soon as the cookies hit the oven.
Whereas, an un-chilled dough will make the cookies to spread causing a distorted shape. So, chilling a cookie dough is a significant step. Shape and bake as directed.
Recipe Contd…
After the dough is chilled, unwrap and cut the logs into 1-inch thick rounds.
Arrange on a baking tray and bake as directed. After 12 minutes these cookies turn out amazing – crispy around the edges and soft and chewy on the inside. Addition of chopped pistachios is what makes these cookies crunchy and irresistible!
But if you prefer crispy cookies then cut them thin. The thinner the cookies the crispy they will turn out to be.
Possible Substitutes!
I have experimented a couple of times with this recipe and here is what I recommend –
- Substitute whole wheat flour with maida (all purpose flour).
- Custard powder is an excellent substitute for milk powder.
- Feel free to use brown sugar instead of superfine sugar though brown sugar will impact the color of these cookies.
Word of advice, what could possibly go wrong!
- Bake the cookies for 10- 15 minutes ONLY.
- The color of the cookies will be light brown and will look under-cooked but do not over-bake them. If comfortable, you can broil the cookies for a few seconds to attain a deep rich color.
- Cookies will be soft when fresh out of the oven. Cookies will firm as they cool.
- There is no replacement for butter in this recipe. I did try with oil and spreadable butter, but the cookies couldn’t hold its shape and went flat.
I hope you give these yummy cookies a try. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Eggless Wholewheat Pistachio Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Whole Wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ cup Milk Powder
- – – A pinch of Baking Soda
- – – A pinch of Salt
- ½ cup Chopped Pistachios
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- ⅓ cup Soften Unsalted Butter
- 1½ teaspoon Milk (add more if the dough doesn't bind)
- 1 teaspoon Pistachio essence or any essence
INSTRUCTIONS
- Assemble all the ingredients.
- Sieve the dry ingredients together: flour, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
- Combine butter and sugar until it forms a grainy mix. To this mix, add rest of the ingredients and create soft cookie dough.
- Shape the dough like logs and refrigerate it for an hour (1 hour ).
- Do not bake the un-chilled dough because the un-chilled mixture will make the cookies to spread and the result would be thin flattened cookies.
- I have chilled cookie dough logs. Unwrap the cookie dough and cut them into pieces — Preheat oven @350 degree F.
- Place dough rounds on a baking tray and space them at least 1.5 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for bake for 10- 15 minutes. For me, the total baking time is 12 minutes. Depending on the oven temperatures, cooking time may vary.
- Rotate the cookies midway during the total cooking time. This way cookies will cook and brown evenly.
- Allow the cookies to cool down completely. Cookies will be soft when out of the oven, they will firm as they cool.
- Store them in an airtight container and good for 4-5 weeks, only if they last that long.
Neha says
Tried this recipe today. I used brown granulated sugar and almonds in place of pistachios. But my cookies came out very chewy and there was no crunch. Please guide where I need to improve.
Earlier I have tried your coconut cookies recipe many times….and everytime it came super crispy and tasty.
Ruchi says
Neha, these cookies are chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. You ended with a chewy texture because of brown sugar. Brown sugar contains some molasses, and when it blends with butter, it produces soft and chewy cookies. Next time try with regular sugar, and you will get perfect results. 😊
So glad to hear that you are enjoying eggless coconut cookies.
Neha says
Thanks a lot really for helping out. I am so keen to learn baking and your recipes are a great source of encouragement for me. Very simplified and workable recipes you share!!
Ruchi says
Thank you so much, Neha, for your kind words.
Glad to hear you are finding my recipes helpful.
Yogini says
When baking cookies in otg. Both grill on ?? Or only one below grill is on while baking cookies ?? Pl guide me .
Ruchi says
Yogini, please turn on the bottom element (grill).
Garima says
Is milk powder necessary?
Ruchi says
Milk powder gives the cookies a very creamy texture. But feel free to experiment.
Rineetha Charles says
Hi Ruchi,
I have tried baking cookies for the first time with your coconut cookies recipe. They were amazing.
Tried this recipe in my second attempt and they are absolutely mind blowing. All my family members loved it.
Thank you for making me fall in love with baking 😍
Ruchi says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Rineetha!
Glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed the cookies. 😊
Manisha says
Hi Ruchi- I cant wait to try these cookies during this holiday season, thank you very much for sharing this recipe! These cookies take me to my childhood in Delhi!
I have a question on the milk powder- is it available as ‘instant Dry Milk’ ? That is what I find in Walmart ( I live in US). Also does it matter if it is non-fat or whole dry milk?
Wishing you very happy holidays!
Manisha
Ruchi says
Instant Dry Milk Powder, is the correct one. It doesn’t matter if it is non-fat or whole dry milk.
Happy Holidays to you too dear!!
Hope you like the cookies. 🙂
Sugarna Anantha krishnan says
Hi Ruchi…After turning the cookies, should I need to preheat the oven again and set time? I have tried your eggless coconut cookies. Opening oven in between, was not satisfied with result. Setting correct time and baking once gave me good result… opening and turning cookies is a compulsory step??
Ruchi says
Sugarna, it’s not compulsory. You can skip through it.
Manisha Periwal says
Pistachios used are the salted one or the dry one?
Ruchi says
Pistachios are unsalted and dried.
Hemangini Sankhla says
Can we use maida instead of whole wheat flour
Ruchi says
Sure you can!
Abraiz says
Can i use dalda or vegetable shortenings instead of butter
Ruchi says
I would not suggest substituting dalda or vegetable shortenings for butter because dalda has a different aroma and consistency. Also, this recipe requires creaming of butter and sugar together and other substitutes will fail to do so.
Shilpa says
Hi Ruchi, i want to make different shapes out of dough..so should i refrigerate the dough first and then cut out shapes or vice versa , pls guide!!
Ruchi says
Shilpa, you can shape and then refrigerate.
This way the cookies will maintain their shape beautifully.
Amu says
The cookies turned out awesome!! My 2year old daughter made shapes out of play dough cutter, so now we have cookies of all shapes 🙂 how I wish I could post a picture!
Ruchi says
Thanks for your lovely feedback Amu. 🙂
Would love to see your darling daughter’s creation. Mail me the pictures at [email protected]
Anju says
Is it okay if you don’t add semolina therefore increase the wheat flour quantity
Ruchi says
Anju, these cookies are made without semolina.