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These are the best pistachio thumbprint cookies and will easily become a favorite Christmas cookie! Sweet pistachio topped with a cheesecake filling or raspberry jam are the perfect bite and look festive for your Christmas cookie swaps or platters.
And I’m sharing 15 other delicious Christmas treats for you from some of my most favorite bloggers. Scroll down to see all of their recipes.
If you’re coming from Michele at Vintage Home Designs, welcome! I hope you will stick around here and continue to follow along. Also how delicious do her shortbread cookies look?
The best pistachio thumbprint cookies
One of my favorite things that I used to have every Christmas is my grandmother’s pistachio ambrosia. I loved it so much and it just wasn’t Christmas without it. This recipe combines my favorite flavors of pistachio with my favorite Christmas cookie – my sister’s almond raspberry thumbprints.
I made a yummy cheesecake filling for these cookies but you can also fill with raspberry jam too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (I used unsalted)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 package instant pistachio pudding mix
- 2 cups nuts chopped (I used walnuts/pecans)
For the filling
- 1/2 cup cream cheese.
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- or raspberry jam (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Directions:
1.) Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
2.) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3.) Beat in the eggs, salt and extracts.
4.) Add in the flour and pistachio pudding mix, beating together until combined.
5.) Roll the batter into individual balls, about 1 inch. Roll some or all of the balls into the chopped nuts and place on a prepared baking sheet.
6.) Using your thumb, make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie.
7.) Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You want to take them out just before the edges start to get golden.
8.) Using a spoon or your thumb, re-shape the thumbprint if necessary as sometimes it changes shape after baking.
9.) Allow the cookies to cool.
10.) While the cookies are cooling, start to prepare the cheesecake filling. In a mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
11.) Beat in the vanilla and make sure there are no lumps.
12.) Fill in each cookie with either the cream cheese filling or raspberry jam. I chose to do some of each.
13.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt some chocolate chips, stirring at 30 second intervals.
14.) Once melted, use a fork to drizzle some chocolate over each cookie.
15.) Allow the chocolate to cool before eating.
These also freeze really well so you can make ahead of time! I line some parchment paper in an airtight storage container and freeze until the day of.
Enjoy!!!
I served them on this snowglobe tray that I made! Click here for the easy DIY.
Linking some cute things to serve your cookies below
For more of my favorite Christmas treats check out
My homemade Irish Cream
These boozy chocolate hazelnut truffles
The best Christmas tree dip
Now head on over to Stacy at Bricks ‘n Blooms for her decadent fudge!!!
Pin for later
Christmas Cookies and Holiday Treats
Are you looking to add some new recipes to your holiday rotation this year? Click on the links below to go to each post and see more.


Midwest Life And Style – Peanut Butter Balls | Cottage On Bunker Hill – Double Chocolate Oreo Bark | White Lilac Farmhouse – No Bake Christmas Cookies | Cottage In The Mitten – Holiday Peanut Butter Cookies


My Family Thyme – Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies | Eleanor Rose Home – Christmas Monster Cookies | Pasha Is Home – Christmas Fudge | Tatertots And Jello – Holiday Dipped Oreo Cookies


The Ponds Farmhouse – Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bark | Vintage Home Designs – Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies | Our Tiny Nest – Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies | Bricks ‘n Blooms – Tiger Butter Fudge


The Tattered Pew – Daddy’s Molasses Cookies | Open Doors Open Hearts – Cinnamon Sugar Pecans | WM Design House – Cinnamon Popcorn | She Gave It A Go – Holiday Punch
18 Comments
Brendt Blanks
December 6, 2022 at 7:00 amNicolle,
Thank you so much for sharing; I’ve never tried these before!
I cannot wait to make this holiday season…pinned.
xoxo,
Brendt
Tammy
December 6, 2022 at 8:17 amThese pistachio thumbprint cookies look so delicious. I have printed out the recipe and saved to Pinterest!
stacy
December 6, 2022 at 8:31 amthis looks delish! Can’t wait to try it!
Michele - vintage home designs
December 6, 2022 at 9:25 amThese sound delcious Nicolle and look so beautiful! I can’t wait to try them!
Jen
December 6, 2022 at 11:36 amOh my word, Nicolle. These look so good! I’ve never had these cookies before, but I can’t wait to try them. I pinned your recipe to my holiday dessert board, so I can remember it when I start my holiday baking. Thank you for joining me on today’s hop.
Merry Christmas!
Kelly Radcliff
December 6, 2022 at 11:47 amOh these look so good! I am excited to try these. Have a wonderful week my friend!
Rachel Harper
December 6, 2022 at 12:14 pmOh I’ve never heard of these but can’t wait to try them. They look delicious.
Wendy McMonigle
December 6, 2022 at 12:26 pmNicolle, these are beautiful and pistachio happens to be my favorite. I cannot wait to try them. I am just afraid I may eat them all.
Jennifer Howard
December 6, 2022 at 5:58 pmOK, these look really yummy! I bet that sweet cream cheese filling is delish with the pistachio flavor.
Kim
December 6, 2022 at 6:10 pmI love pistachio and these look and sound so yummy! Merry Christmas!! Pinned!
Rachelle
December 8, 2022 at 10:02 amNicolle, your cookies look festive and delish~! I love the flavor of pistachio, and cream cheese makes me weak in the knees.
Merry Christmas sweet lady!
Rachelle
Mike & Donna Reidland
December 8, 2022 at 6:08 pmThese look beautiful and sound absolutely delicious!
Nicolle
December 9, 2022 at 6:14 amOh thank you! My kids said they are like grinch cookies! I hope you have a great rest of your week!
Eli Angelly
December 9, 2022 at 11:01 amThank you! I can’t wait to try these out!
Joanne
December 10, 2022 at 11:24 amThose look delicious!!
Nicolle
December 11, 2022 at 7:41 amThank you Joanne! They are so good either with the jam or cheesecake filling but I prefer the cheesecake filling!
Deb
December 11, 2022 at 7:26 amThese look delicious!
Can you tell me how many they made ?
I’m trying to decide how many batches I should make for a cookie swap.
Merry Christmas
Nicolle
December 11, 2022 at 7:30 amHi Deb! Yes this recipe should make about 2 dozen, depending on how big you make them! Enjoy!!!