My Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chocolate Pistachio Cookies are an easy and healthy plant-based recipe made with only 7 clean, real food ingredients. They're made without flour, white sugar, butter or eggs and can be prepared in under 10 minutes!
Why You'll Love my Chocolate Pistachio Cookies!
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- 100% Gluten-Free + Vegan: made without eggs, dairy, gluten, butter, white flour or refined white sugar!
- One-Bowl Recipe! they can be prepared in under ten minutes -simply add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl then they're ready to go into the oven!
- Made With Clean, Real Food Ingredients: you only need 7 clean ingredients to make this healthy plant-based rccipe!
Karielyn
Jump to RecipeYou can feel good about making my healthy, plant-based flourless chocolate cookies because they're gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly, and contains no refined sugar!
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Frequently Asked Questions
Just so you know what to expect from a flourless and vegan cookie, these will be very delicate (might not hold up well in a lunch box or on-the-go) but will hold together well once they are -completely- cooled off for enjoying at home.
If you try to sneak one before they are completely cooled, they will crumble apart...I may or may not know this from experience!
Either will work fine!
Just make these adjustments depending on which type of pistachio you use:
Unsalted Pistachios: Use the ⅛ teaspoon of salt listed in the ingredient list
Salted Pistachios: Omit the ⅛ teaspoon of salt shown in the ingredient list
Yes! Not only can you make them without traditional S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) white bleached flour, but you can also even make them without healthier flours almond flour or coconut flour!
I found that when I tried to make these using almond flour, they tended to be a little on the dry side, so I created these without using any flour at all.
Yes! Either type will work fine in this recipe.
Unfortunately, no...this would not be a good recipe to use if you need it to be 100% nut-free.
Although you could try to substitute the cashew butter with sunflower seed butter (I haven't tested this substitution), the primary ingredient in this recipe is pistachios which couldn't really be substituted without changing the entire flavor profile of the cookies.
Karielyn's Expert Baking Tips
Here are my best tips to help you make the best gluten-free vegan chocolate cookies. These small adjustments can make a big difference in the flavor and texture.
Expert Tips for Perfect Flourless Cookies
- Use room temperature cashew butter for easier mixing
- Don't overbake - flourless cookies will firm up as they cool
- Chop the pistachios finely for even distribution
- Add flaky sea salt on top for a gourmet-style finish
- Chill the dough if it feels too sticky to shape
Ingredient Substitutions
Cashew Butter: Try to use a "runny" or smooth cashew butter so it will be easier to mix with the other ingredients. I used cashew butter because it is a neutral-tasting nut butter. I haven't tested the recipe with other nut butters but almond butter and peanut butter *might* work as a good substitute.
Pistachios: You can use either raw + unsalted or roasted + salted, whichever you prefer. You may want to adjust the ⅛ teaspoon of salt depending on which type of pistachios you use. Make sure the pistachios are finely chopped because they will help hold the dough together better than having big chunks. You can chop them with a knife or add them to a food processor to break them down easily.
Enjoy-Life Chocolate Chips: I like to use these because of their clean ingredients and because they are dairy-free. The mini chips would work best in this recipe because the cookies are small in size and won't overpower them. Feel free to use dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
Cacao Powder: Can be substituted with regular cocoa powder in the same amount.
Maple Syrup: I used this to sweeten the cookies and also because it is a liquid sweetener that helps when mixing everything together. Feel free to substitute with your favorite unrefined liquid sweetener such as organic date syrup.
Vanilla Extract: If you have some, substituting this with organic vanilla bean powder gives them an extra deep vanilla flavor.
Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, feel free to use your favorite sea salt. The salt is important because it helps bring out the rich chocolate flavor. However, if you use roasted + salted pistachios, I would omit the ⅛ teaspoon of salt in the recipe.
Struggling To Eat Vegan Without Relying on Processed Ingredients?
If you rely on packaged vegan food and ingredients or feel overwhelmed trying to eat healthier, this recipe shows how easy real food vegan meals can be...without sacrificing flavor or comfort.
The Method Behind All My Recipes
If you love clean, real food vegan recipes like this one, you'll love the method behind them.
The Real Vegan Method™ 14-Day Reset helps you:
- Move beyond processed vegan substitutes
- Cook with clean, real food ingredients
- Make plant-based eating simple + consistent
All my recipes - including this one- are based on the Real Vegan Method™.
Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic cashew butter
- 1 cup organic pistachios (chopped finely)
- ½ cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup organic raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup organic maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.
Prepare the pistachios:
- Using a knife or food processor, finely chop the pistachios very finely.
Prepare the cookies:
- Add all ingredients to a medium-size bowl and gently stir until everything is well combined (the mixture should be slightly firm).
- Take out a spoonful at a time and roll into a ball shape then gently pat them down into a small round cookie shape.
- Place each cookie onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 10 minutes (keep an eye on them so they don't overbake).
- IMPORTANT: Make sure they -completely- cool before removing from the baking pan or serving. They will be very soft right when they come out the oven and will break apart. They will firm up after they've cooled off completely.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
More Healthy Vegan Pistachio Recipes
- Pistachio and Matcha Truffles
- Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls
- Chocolate Avocado Pistachio Truffles
- or my Real Vegan Method™ 14-Day Reset with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Abby says
I have recently decided to cut refined sugar from my diet, and have been hunting around for good snacks between meals. These were so amazing!! Pistachios are my all time favourite and I can't wait to make them again and again!
Karielyn says
Hi there Abby! Congratulations for cutting out refined sugar! You will find there are many healthier replacements and you won't miss it at all.
Thanks for trying out my recipe and for letting me know how much you liked it! 🙂
Melissa K. says
Never thought about putting pistachios in chocolate cookies, but WOW!! They were sweet and salty and super easy to make!
Karielyn says
Hi there Melissa! Yes! They do have a sweet and salty taste (which I LOVE!) especially if you use the roasted/salted pistachios.
Thanks so much for trying out my recipe and for letting me know you enjoyed it! 🙂