Soft, puffy, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies, crammed with pistachios and coconut flavor, and generously iced with coconut frosting, these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies are a fabulous, flavorful cookie! A batch of these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies feeds a crowd too!
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I LOVE coconut and pistachio together, though my recipes with that combo usually go over like a lead balloon. I keep featuring it anyway because it’s a personal favorite. Admittedly, it feels a bit more springtime and Easter appropriate, but you know, I was just in the mood for one of my favorite duos, so these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies were born!
Have you tried anything with this pairing yet??
To dip your toes in, check out this Coconut Pistachio Bundt Cake — one of my friends has made this a few times now for holidays, and her brother says it’s the best cake he’s ever had! I must agree that it’s terrific, and very easy too.
These Coconut Pistachio Bars are also wonderful. Soft pistachio cookie bars, loaded with toasted coconut and coconut frosting!
Or if you’re here because you like pistachio things, my Grandma’s Pistachio Bread is a classic, and so simple to make. This Amaretto Pistachio Cheesecake is super delightful too.
Anyway, a few years ago, these Amish Sugar Cookies were love at first sight for me. In a magazine photo, they looked so soft, puffy, and pretty. In real life, they look just like the picture! Amish Sugar Cookies are thick, puffy, and melt-in-your-mouth. Super easy to make too, and the recipe produces a big batch.
These Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies are my latest twist. These have coconut extract in the cookie dough, a thick layer of coconut icing on top, and are garnished with toasted coconut. Through and through, they are coconutty.
And totally chock-full of chopped pistachios. They leave no crevice unfilled. Think pecan sandies, but with pistachios, and with a slightly softer cookie then shortbread! Does that help??
In any event, coconut and pistachio were made for each other, but they’re a sleeper combo that I feel like we don’t see enough of in the baking world. Enter these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies.
And let’s back up for just a quick second to revisit the flavor/texture discussion. Amish Sugar Cookies remind me a lot of cut-out cookies, but a bit less crispy, and they’re thicker and puffier. But a lot like a cut-out cookie overall. So much easier to make though.
They feature an even split of butter and shortening, so you get all the flavor and richness that butter adds to cookies, but they stay thicker and don’t spread as much. Shortening produces a puffier, softer cookie. Best of both worlds.
So you’re starting with an excellent, top-notch cookie base, and building these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies from there!
While these Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies currently have a strong hold on my heart, I’ve loved many an Amish Sugar Cookies variation before them —
For springtime and summer, these Iced Almond Amish Sugar Cookies are gorgeous, and the almond flavor is so incredible. Same with these Toasted Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies. So pretty, and soooo addictive.
I adore citrus cookies, so if you’re the same, check out these Iced Lemon Amish Sugar Cookies and Iced Orange Amish Sugar Cookies.
I made a few that are great for fall/holidays, like these Cranberry Orange Amish Sugar Cookies, and these Peppermint Amish Sugar Cookies.
For any ol’ time at all, check out these Iced Vanilla Amish Sugar Cookies or Chocolate Chip Amish Sugar Cookies!
Pistachio Coconut Amish Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. coconut extract
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- 2 1/3 cups chopped pistachios divided
For topping:
- 4 tbsp. butter melted
- 1 tsp. coconut extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
For cookies:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil, and sugars until combined.
- Beat in eggs and extracts.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
- In two additions, add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix!
- Stir in 2 cups chopped pistachios. Again, do not overmix.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets.
- Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes, or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned.
- Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For topping:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine melted butter, extracts, milk, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar, if needed, to achieve desired consistency. Thick, but spreadable, and won't run off the cookie.
- Because this icing contains melted butter, it "sets". If you find that it's starting to get too thick while you're icing the cookies, you can pop it in the microwave for 5-6 seconds. That's it -- only a few seconds will thin it back out.
- Ice cookies, and immediately sprinkle with toasted coconut and remaining pistachios.
- Allow to set.
- Store cookies in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. Stack cookies with parchment paper or foil in-between layers. Cookies will keep for about a week.
Notes
I made these to send with birthday gifts. Living in Florida I wondered whether the frosting would hold up through the mail. These cookies were DIVINE! They were, as you say, puffy and light and just delicious. I’m interested in trying some of your other Amish cookies for Christmas.
Oh my! I made a half recipe of these to send off with a gift. These are AMAZING! They’re pretty and delicious and I loved how the quantity of frosting was exactly the amount I needed. All your recipes are great but these are superb.