Last December, a friend and I exchanged Christmas gifts. Since we live on opposite sides of the country, we sent them by mail instead of swapping in person, and her present for me arrived early, the same day I started wrapping hers and safely tucking the gifts for her in a UPSP box with plenty of soft packing peanuts.
Inside of the box she mailed me, I found two gift bags and a card. I started with the card, and as I peeled open its envelope, I found the cutest little image on the front: a small mouse holding an old-fashioned hand-operated mixer with the words “Maybe somebody was stirring after all…” above the mouse. So perfect for two baking obsessed people like us!
When I flipped open the card, I read her message wishing me a merry Christmas and instructing me what to do with the bags. She told me to wait until Christmas to open one bag, but the other I could open that very minute.
I reached for the second bag and gently tugged out the tissue paper to reveal a big bag of homemade cookies. I smiled and immediately pulled one out, noticing nuts and white chocolate chips and a sprinkling of sea salt, but I couldn’t quite identify the cozy spice smell coming from the cookies. Still, I took a bite…
And fell head over heels in love! Even though I’m not a big fan of nuts in cookies, those homemade holiday ones changed my mind—the nuts paired so well with the sweet white chocolate and warm spices!
And as soon as I figured out the secret ingredient my friend added, I scribbled down the cookies’ description in my recipe brainstorming notebook so I could recreate a healthier version for you! So here they are… Healthy Secret Ingredient White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies!
They’re supremely soft and chewy, even with no eggs or refined flour, and have lots of sweet and warm and cozy and rich flavors. I think they even look a little festive, with their bright green pistachios and white chocolate chips! And even better, they’re only 98 calories!
I actually had to hide these from myself so I’d be able to share them with my family… With how delicious they taste, it was nearly impossible to keep myself from eating the whole batch! ?
Let’s go over how to make these healthy spiced white chocolate pistachio cookies!
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour and secret ingredient. Although the original cookies mainly included one secret ingredient, cardamom, I added it plus a few more… Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg! Cardamom is a spice commonly found in chai (my mom’s favorite tea!), and it has a deep richness that makes these healthy white chocolate pistachio cookies so irresistible. I promise it’s worth the purchase! (And you can use it to make these cinnamon rolls and these cookies and this apple crumble and this zucchini bread too!)
And yes… White whole wheat flour actually exists, and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour! Instead, white whole wheat flour comes from a special variety of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour is made from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the soft and chewy texture of your healthy spice white chocolate pistachio cookies truly shine!
Next, you’ll need a little bit of melted butter. Just a small amount—only 1 ½ tablespoons! That really helps keep these healthy cookies low calorie… Compared to traditional cookie recipes with a full stick or two of butter! Melted butter does two things: (a) makes your healthy spiced white chocolate pistachio cookies much chewier and (b) makes preparing them and clean-up even easier (no mixer to wash!).
Because I wanted to share these cookies with my entire family, I actually left out the eggs. (My brother is really allergic!) To replace the eggs, you’ll add a few tablespoons of milk. Any kind will work—just make sure it’s at room temperature because cold milk will re-solidify your melted butter!
Then to make your healthy spiced white chocolate pistachio cookies taste just as indulgent as traditional recipes, you’ll add another special ingredient… Extra vanilla extract! Vanilla actually enhances butter’s rich flavor, so adding a bit more than in traditional recipes makes your healthy cookies taste just as rich and buttery!
To minimize the amount of refined granulated sugar, you’ll actually sweeten your cookies with coconut sugar instead. Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like: an unrefined sweetener that comes from coconuts! However, it does not actually taste like coconuts. It has a rich caramel-like flavor similar to brown sugar, and you can often find it on the baking aisle right next to the granulated sugar!
Time for the mix-ins! You’ll use white chocolate chips and chopped pistachios. Again, normally I’m not a big fan of nuts in cookies… But the pistachios tasted absolutely amazing, especially paired with the white chocolate! (Maybe I’m just not a fan of walnuts or pecans in cookies?… But I love them plain or in salads!)
Because the cookie dough is pretty soft and sticky when you first mix together all of the ingredients, chilling the cookie dough is mandatory. Chilling stiffens the cookie dough, which means your cookies won’t spread out into one giant blob on your baking sheet!
But once you transfer your cookie dough to your baking sheet, I still recommend using a spatula to flatten it a bit and shape it into circles. The cookies do spread some, just not a ton, so flattening the cookie dough gives your healthy spiced white chocolate pistachio cookies a spreading “head start!”
And of course, I also recommend saving some white chocolate chips and pistachios to press into the tops of the cookie dough just before sliding your pan in the oven… How pretty does that little finishing touch make these cookies??
I think they look gorgeous… Almost too good to eat! Almost. But not quite. ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy secret ingredient white chocolate pistachio cookies!
| Healthy Secret Ingredient White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 3 ½ tbsp (52mL) unsweetened cashew milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp (28g) white chocolate chips, divided
- 2 tbsp (14g) chopped pistachios, divided
- flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional but highly recommended!)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, cashew milk, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 1 ½ tablespoons of white chocolate chips and 1 ½ tablespoons of pistachios. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon and a spatula. Slightly flatten using a spatula. (The cookies should spread if there isn’t too much flour in the dough!) Gently press the remaining white chocolate chips and pistachios into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. If using the flaky sea salt, sprinkle it on top as soon as you remove the cookies from the oven. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Oat flour will also work, but be extra careful when measuring it!
For the gluten-free option, I recommend the following: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cookies turn out cakey or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.
Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
For a “clean eating” option, substitute chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips in place of the white chocolate chips.
Any nuts may be substituted for the pistachios.
For a vegan version, use the coconut oil (or Earth Balance sticks, my favorite!) and vegan-friendly white chocolate chips.
This recipe is easily doubled!
{gluten-free, clean eating option, vegan option, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
♡ Healthy White Chocolate Cranberry Pound Cake
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
♡ Healthy White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Omg I am so excited to try. I love chocolate with pistachios 😍. I wonder if using a 1:1 sugar replacement like “swerve” would work as well. I do have coconut sugar as well, but just thinking about options. Let me know if you have any thoughts on sugar substitutes.
Can’t wait to make and tag you!
I’m so honored that you’d like to try this recipe of mine, Brynn! Erythritol-based sweeteners that are a 1-to-1 substitute for sugar, like Swerve, can work, but your cookies will have a different taste and slightly different texture. (You can usually detect slight mintiness of the erythritol, and the cookies tend to have a bit of a granular texture from the erythritol too.) You’ll also need to add an additional 2-3 tablespoons of milk because erythritol doesn’t absorb or dissolve the same way as coconut sugar or brown sugar. But if you’re already used to the taste and texture of erythritol, then I’m guessing you won’t mind or notice too much! 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them! (I’m always SO excited whenever someone wants to try this particular recipe! 😉 )
Hi Amy,
Thank you for sharing your gift, and for helping people make healthier choices <3. Your passion for baking is contagious!
I’m really curious what your thoughts are on substituting oat flour for the white whole wheat flour?
Thanks again for all you do!
You’re so kind — that truly means a lot, Chandra! 🙂
Oat flour will work as a substitute for the white whole wheat flour in these cookies (as well as my other cookie recipes and brownie recipes!). However, be really careful when measuring it because it tends to be a bit more absorbent than wheat-based flours! Your cookies may not spread quite as much as a result, but they should still have the same flavors.
I’m really excited to hear what you think of these cookies!
Thanks so much for answering my question, Amy. I’m excited to try this recipe! I’ll let you know how it goes. 🙂
It’s my pleasure, Chandra! I can’t wait! 🙂