Pistachio and Chocolate Leprechaun Cookies – Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Cookies
I can’t believe St. Patrick’s Day is almost here! I love to celebrate the holiday because I love any excuse to throw a party. These pistachio cookies were perfect to celebrate along with some of this pistachio bread recipe and a rainbow fruit platter.
While I love my pistachio cookies with cherries, these ones chocolate chips, M&M’s and nuts can’t be beat.
They are my family’s favorite St. Patrick’s day treat. They’re full of decadent dark chocolate chips, crunchy walnuts, green M&Ms and pistachio! I created these leprechaun cookies to have a hint of green (no pinching here!) as well as have irresistible in flavor.
How to Make Pistachio and Leprechaun Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl. Add extracts and pudding mix then eggs one at a time. Beat for 1 minute.
- Make cookie dough. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt then add to sugar mixture a little at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add a drop or two of green food coloring, if desired. Stir in chocolate chips, green M&Ms and chopped walnuts or pistachios.
- Bake. Using a medium cookie scoop or Tablespoon, drop cookies on baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are turning slightly golden.
- Enjoy. Let cool on the pan a couple minutes then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day cookies!
Mix-in’s for Cookies
A few notes on the mix-ins for these leprechaun cookies below!
- Pudding: I include pistachio pudding because it gives a subtle pistachio flavor and hint of green, we use it in this pistachio pudding dessert, too! I use vanilla pudding in these chocolate chip pudding cookies, so that is an option as well.
- Green food coloring: You can also add a drop or two of green food coloring to the batter for even more green coloring.
- Nuts: I love the crunch that the chopped walnuts give to these cookies but of course they can be left out or swapped for another favorite.
- Chocolate: Dark chocolate chips really contrast the sweet pistachio flavor but milk or white chips would be fabulous as well. Just be sure to include green chocolate candies, the leprechaun loves those!
These St. Patrick Day cookies don’t take hours to make, in fact they’re ready within one hour so it’s the perfect after-school snack recipe!
Consider packaging these up with a fun black and white striped bow and green shamrock gift tag to give as teacher’s gifts, neighbor’s gifts, party favors, etc!
Or just make a big ol’ batch for your family to enjoy during movie night along with a homemade shamrock shake for St. Patrick’s Day! However you enjoy these leprechaun cookies, they are a real treat.
More fun St. Patrick’s Day favorites include chocolate mint brownies, Irish soda bread and rainbow cupcakes.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
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Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3.4 ounces package instant pistachio pudding (dry mix)
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¼ cups cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup green M&Ms
- ½ cup chopped walnuts , or pistachios
- green food coloring , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add extracts and pudding mix and eggs one at a time. Beat for 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to sugar mixture one a little at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Add a drop or two of green food coloring at this point if you want a stronger green color. Stir in chocolate chips, green M&Ms and chopped walnuts or pistachios.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or Tablespoon, drop cookies on baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are turning slightly golden.
- Let cool on the pan a couple minutes then move to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe Contributed by Courtney Whitmore from Pizzazzerie
Categorized as: American, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
These were delicious. I’m about to make a big batch and am wondering if the dough can be frozen? Thanks
Hi Summer! Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough balls. Pull out and put on the pan while the oven warms up. You may just need to add a couple minutes to the bake time.
YUMMY!
Substituted butter flavored Crisco for butter. Used walnuts and no food coloring.
Made with walnuts. Made them for a party. They ate them all! Going to make with pistachios next. Just to compare. But we really like these. Easy recipe. Love that. Thanks from the group. 🧙♀️🧙♂️🧚♀️🧚♂️🌷🌱☘🍀
I dyed mine green and I did not care for the way they looked, so I would not do that again.
Also did you press some M and M’s on top of the cookie before baking as most of mine when baked you cannot see the M and M’s on top.
All I could find was mint flavored green M&M’s, will they work in this recipe?
Yes they will if you enjoy mint flavoring :)
Mine came out flat. I read that pudding helps with that problem. Do you know why mine spread?
Hi Rebecca! It’s hard to say without being there. My guess is it could be altitude or maybe not enough flour was added. You can always mix more flour in if they are falling or try refrigerating the dough balls for 30 minutes prior to baking.
Thank you ever so much, awsome!!!!! simple!!!!
I buy extra red and green M&M’s at Christmas, then separate them out for Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day baking!
That’s a great idea!
Yummmmmmmmmmmmy 😊
Best cookies ever. I’ve changed the recipe. For different flavors, lemon pudding, white chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, mint m &m’s, dark chocolate, pecans, walnut in whatever combination I have. Never met one that wasn’t a hit!
I’m happy to hear that the different flavor combinations have been successful! Those sound delicious!
These cookies are Great!
Happy to hear you enjoyed them, Jeanie :)
I found green M&Ms but they are mint flavor. Going to try it and will let everyone know how they were.
Let us know how they taste! :)
I got my green m&m’s at party city and it was 1 lb of them
These are tasty and look so festive!
So glad you enjoyed them, Jeani!
Where do I get green m&m’s? Probably not enough green in an m&m bag
I’ve found them at Target in the past or specialty candy stores that sell m&m’s by color.
Only 1/4 cup of green ones in a bag…
I also used the brown ones to make up difference
Party city or Michaels
Yes I am baking them right now…
Yes we do the cookies are really good…
Best cookie recipe ever. My family absolutely enjoyed it.
Yay, so glad it was a hit! :)