Pistachio cherry cookies have a soft texture with a pop of sweetness from the maraschino cherries, making them a uniquely flavorful and festive holiday treat.

Make your holiday baking extra festive with these vibrant pistachio pudding cookies with cherries.

These red and green Christmas cookies are as delicious as they are beautiful, perfect for sharing with family and friends.

overhead view of several pistachio pudding cookies with cherries, dusted with powdered sugar.

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During Christmas cookie season, we make ALL the holiday cookies.

My family loves to bake—it’s our way of getting into the holiday spirit and spreading a little joy.

There’s nothing quite like sharing a plate of homemade cookies with friends, coworkers, and neighbors, especially when they’re as festive as these pistachio cherry cookies.

While we adore classic recipes like easy Bisquick sugar cookies and old-fashioned molasses cookies, we also like to mix things up with fun, festive options.

Pistachio pudding cookies with cherries are a fun twist on our favorite Pistachio Pudding Cookies, which are always on our holiday baking list.

The green color, studded with bright red cherries, makes them the perfect red and green Christmas cookies.

These cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. When I see the vibrant green dough dotted with cherries, it just screams Christmas to me.

They add a cheerful splash of color to any cookie platter, making them ideal for holiday parties or family gatherings.

The holidays are all about creating memories, and these red and green Christmas cookies are sure to become part of yours!

More Festive Pistachio Recipes:

several pistachio cherry cookies on a white plate

Tips for Making Pistachio Cookies with Maraschino Cherries

When you whip up a batch of these cookies, your kitchen will be filled with the scent of pistachio and cherry, heightening the anticipation of that first warm bite.

They definitely top our list of the best Pistachio Pudding Dessert Recipes.

Over the years, we’ve learned some tips and tricks that make our Christmas cookie-baking sessions go a bit smoother.

Pat the maraschino cherries dry before adding them to the dough to prevent excess moisture from affecting the texture.
Coat the cherries in flour before mixing them in. This helps keep the red juices from bleeding into the dough.
When folding in the cherries, be gentle to avoid squishing them. If it’s tricky, you can scoop the dough first, then press a few cherries into each ball.
Chill the dough for at least an hour. This step helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much during baking.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
If desired, dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar for an extra-sweet finish that looks a bit like snow!

More Holiday Cookie Recipes:

Supplies for Gifting Pistachio Cherry Cookies

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a few pistachio pudding cookies full of maraschino cherries, stacked on a wire cooling rack.

How to Make Pistachio Pudding Cookies with Cherries

It’s really easy to make these simple yet delicious cookies for the holidays.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Butter
Granulated Sugar
Egg
Almond Extract
Flour
Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
Baking Soda
Salt
Maraschino Cherries
Pistachios, Chopped
Optional: Powdered Sugar for Dusting

several pistachio cherry cookies, one of which has a bite taken out of it.

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Cream butter and sugar. First, you’ll use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Add in the egg and almond extract and beat until combined.

two photos; one shows butter and sugar creamed together in a mixing bowl; the other shows an egg and almond extract added to the mixture.

Prepare the cherries. Next you’ll slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour, the pudding mix, baking soda, and salt, until well-incorporated. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine maraschino cherries and remaining 1/2 cup of flour, tossing to coat.

Two photos; one shows dry ingredients added to wet ingredients; the other shows cherries to be tossed in flour.

Finish the cookie dough. Next, you’ll add floured cherries and chopped pistachios to the cookie dough and carefully fold in by hand, trying not to smash the cherries.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

two photos; one shows coated cherries and chopped pistachios added to pistachio pudding cookie dough; the other shows the dough mixed well, ready for scooping.

Bake the cookies. Last, you’ll scoop cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Place evenly on the baking sheet, allowing a couple of inches space between them.

Bake for 9 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.

overhead view of a parchment-lined baking sheet with rounds of cookie dough on it.

Notes and Adaptations:

Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
These cookies are great for sharing and gifting!

overhead view of several pistachio pudding and cherry cookies on a wire rack.

Recommended Equipment

Yield: Approx. 20 Cookies

Pistachio Pudding Cookies with Cherries

Name: Pistachio Pudding Cookies with Cherries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 1 h 14 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup butter, softened; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 egg; ½ teaspoon almond extract; 1 ½ cups flour, divided; 3.4 ounces instant pistachio pudding mix; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup halved maraschino cherries, patted dry; ¼ cup pistachios, chopped; Optional: powdered sugar, for dusting

These pistachio cherry cookies are the perfect flavor pairing! Their lovely colors make them a fantastic Christmas cookie, but they can certainly be enjoyed year-round.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 14 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 ½ cups flour, divided
3.4 ounces instant pistachio pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup halved maraschino cherries, patted dry
¼ cup pistachios, chopped
Optional: powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg and almond extract and beat until combined.
Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour, the pudding mix, baking soda, and salt, until well-incorporated. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine maraschino cherries and remaining 1/2 cup of flour, tossing to coat.
Add floured cherries and chopped pistachios to the cookie dough and carefully fold in by hand, trying not to smash the cherries.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Place evenly on the baking sheet, allowing a couple of inches space between them. Bake for 9 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.
If desired, dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Store in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Coating the cherries in flour is a very important step to ensure that the red juices don't bleed into the cookie dough.
If you’re having a hard time folding the cherries into the dough without squishing them, you can scoop a ball of dough then carefully press a few cherries into each ball.
Chilling the dough ensures that the cookies don’t spread or flatten too much while baking.