Gluten-Free Espresso Chocolate Pistachio Butter (Print Version)
Buttery gluten-free cookies with espresso, dark chocolate and pistachios — quick to mix and bake for a coffee-forward treat.
# List of Ingredients:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
02 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
03 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
05 - 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
08 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 large egg, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Mix-ins
11 - ¾ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
12 - ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (gluten-free certified)
# Step-by-step Instructions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, sea salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, beating until fully incorporated and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Using a spatula, gently fold in the chopped pistachios and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop 1 ½-tablespoon portions of dough and place onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain slightly soft.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The espresso does not just hint at coffee flavor, it grabs the dark chocolate by the hand and makes it sing.
- Nobody will guess these are gluten-free because the texture stays chewy in the center and crisp at the edges.
02 -
- Overbaking by even one minute will turn chewy centers into dry crumbles so pull them out when the centers still look dewy.
- I once forgot the espresso powder entirely and the cookies tasted fine but deeply forgettable, that one tablespoon is the soul of this recipe.
03 -
- Toast the pistachios in a dry skillet for three minutes before chopping to amplify their nuttiness tenfold.
- Press a few extra chocolate chips and pistachio pieces into the tops of each dough ball before baking for that professional bakery look.