Salted Honey Pistachio Cookies (Printable version)
Tender honey-kissed cookies loaded with crunchy pistachios and topped with flaky sea salt for a perfectly balanced sweet-and-salty treat.
# What you'll need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup honey
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Nuts & Topping
11 - 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
12 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
03 - Beat butter, honey, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract to butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in chopped pistachios, reserving 2 tablespoons for topping.
07 - Sop tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Press reserved pistachios onto each dough ball and lightly flatten with palm.
09 - Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are golden brown and centers are just set.
10 - Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The honey creates a tender chewiness you just cant get from sugar alone, and those pistachios add the most satisfying crunch in every bite
- That finish of flaky sea salt on top makes these completely addictive and balances all the sweetness perfectly
02 -
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes transforms these from good cookies to absolutely exceptional ones with better flavor development
- Overbaking is the enemy here, pull them out when edges are set even if centers look slightly underdone
03 -
- Weigh your honey instead of measuring by volume for the most consistent results, as it is notoriously tricky to measure accurately
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking time to ensure even browning on both pans