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TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: A chewy, spiced cookie loaded with sweet chocolate chips and roughly chopped pistachios, flavored with the classic flavors of ground cinnamon and warm cloves.
- Why you’ll love it: Ready in under an hour, these wicked-good cookies combine a zippy, spiced warmth with the rich, buttery crunch of pistachios and tons o’ chocolate. What’s not to love?
- How to make it: Cream the butter, sugars, and spices, blend in the eggs, stir in the flour and mix-ins, shape into balls, and bake.
Way before pistachio and chocolate became the world’s Taylor-Travis flavor obsession, this cookie was the OG Dubai chocolate combo. Of course, that’s no surprise. It’s from the beloved cookbook author and Great British Bake Off favorite, Chetna Makan.
I’ve been making this since 2021, and I have a feeling it’ll still be in regular rotation long after the Dubai chocolate trend goes the way of Pop Rocks. That’s because it has something more interesting: spice. Specifically, cinnamon and clove.
Clove is a spice we don’t give nearly enough credit to in American baking. Think about it: you’ll find it in mulled wine and mince pies every Christmas, but it rarely gets to be the star. Travel a little further, and you’ll see clove doing serious work in Indian kitchens too, forming the backbone of garam masala and turning up in rich, warming curries. Pair it with cinnamon, chocolate, and pistachio, and, well, get ready to be the It Baker at your bake sale or cookie swap.
Chow,
Your spiced chocolate chip cookies questions, answered
There are a few types of cinnamon but let’s focus on the ones that are most readily available. Sri Lankan (also known as Ceylon) cinnamon is widely regarded as the “best” cinnamon, because of its sweeter and less bitter taste, and finer texture. However, Cassia cinnamon is easier to find, less expensive, and likely what you have on hand. It’s made from a thicker bark and so the texture isn’t as fine, but it won’t be noticeable in cookies.
Muscovado sugar can still be hard to find, so if you can’t, you do have a few options. An unrefined or partially refined cane sugar with a strong molasses flavor and high moisture content, it has a slightly coarse texture and feels sticky to the touch. The best sub is to stir 2 tablespoons of molasses into 1 cup of white sugar until it’s the texture of wet sand. Dark brown sugar, Demerara, and turbinado sugars aren’t as moist but will still work too.
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Write a review
If you make these pistachio chocolate chip cookies or any cookies on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
I wanted complex flavors, and the recipe for pistachio chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon and clove intrigued me. We had to use turbinado sugar because we could not locate muscovado. Then, after running out of pistachios, we decided to add espresso powder. The pistachios and spice perfectly tempered the chocolate! I used a scoop to keep the cookies a uniform size. I think I shall make the batter, freeze the dough balls ahead of time, and bake them fresh…
Mary Kay
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies with Spice
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened sticks (1 1/2 sticks)
- 7 ounces dark muscovado sugar, (about 1 cup)
- 2 3/4 ounces superfine sugar, or blitz granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 9 ounces self-rising flour, (about 1 cup)
- 6 ounces chocolate chips, (about 1 cup)
- 6 ounces pistachio nuts, roughly chopped, (about 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, beat the 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 7 ounces dark muscovado sugar, 2 3/4 ounces superfine sugar,1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the whole 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk.
- Stir in the 9 ounces self-rising flour, 6 ounces chocolate chips, and all but a handful of the 6 ounces pistachio nuts and mix to bring the dough together.
- Roughly shape a big tablespoonful of the mixture into a ball and put a few of the reserved chopped pistachios on top. Place this ball on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough, leaving enough space between them for the cookies to spread during cooking.
- Bake until the cookies start to color but are still chewy in the middle, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
These pistachio chocolate chip cookies with clove have a perfect blend of warm, spicy sweetness with the crunch and chewiness I crave when I want to enjoy a good cookie (or three) with a cup of hot tea and a good book, preferably in front of a fireplace.
Delightful served warm from the oven, I baked half of the batch when I mixed them up and refrigerated the second half to bake the next day. So you could make them a day in advance and greet your friends with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies.
If dark muscovado sugar is hard to find, I found an acceptable substitute to be dark brown sugar. I added a tablespoon of molasses to amplify the intensity of flavor. Whatever nut you prefer could be substituted for the pistachios. I used walnuts because I had them on hand. I also used the “blitz” technique to grind my granulated sugar to a finer texture.
These spiced pistachio chocolate chip cookies are different from the good ole’ chocolate chip cookie. These have a nice crisp crust and delicate chewy innards. The clove and cinnamon are not overpowering, and I’ll double those portions for my next batch to really get those holiday flavors more prominent with each bite! I used my smallest cookie scoop for these as I prefer the uniformity of size for each cookie.
What do you do when your 20-year-old niece is coming to visit and she loves to cook with you? Inspiration strikes, and you go to your always-dependable source—David Leite.
I wanted complex flavors, and the recipe for pistachio chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon and clove intrigued me. Alas, I am not a big chocolate or sweets fan, but I love spice!
We tag-teamed the baking but had to use turbinado sugar because we could not locate muscovado. Then, after running out of chopped pistachios for the tops of the cookies, we decided to add espresso powder to the rest of the batch.
Oh my goodness! These are amazing! My husband and mom declared them a triumph. The pistachios and spice perfectly tempered the chocolate for me.
Our minds started racing, so the next day we made another batch. This time, I increased the cinnamon to 3/4 tsp (keeping the same amount of cloves) and added 1/4 tsp nutmeg, along with chopped walnuts, chopped dried tart Montmorency cherries, and orange extract.
Oh dear lord! These were grabbed off the baking sheet right out of the oven and declared to be off the charts.
I used a scoop to keep the cookies a uniform size. I think I shall make the batter, freeze the dough balls ahead of time, and bake them fresh for the holidays! 🤪😁❤️
I am already contemplating other flavor combinations!
MaryKay, first, it’s great to see you back on LC. You’ve been missed. Second, why am I not surprised you started riffing at the moment you started baking?! I’m so delighted that you and your niece had some bonding time over these cookies. And I love that your husband and your mom loved them also. Don’t be a stranger. What will you bake next?