Make delicious Pistachio Muffins without pudding mix, all you need is 30 minutes, a few easy steps, and some common ingredients! With real pistachios both inside and on top this is a super moist muffin with a crispy, top.
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Pistachio Muffins was a big surprise for me - I didn't really get the point. Then I came up with this recipe and oh wow, it's probably my best muffin recipe yet. Or at least my recipe testers (read: co-workers) were all agreed on this.
And what's not to love? This is a super moist muffin with lots of pistachio taste - not to mention, that crispy top...
Why you will love this recipe
- It's quick and all done in under 30 minutes
- It's easy with just a few simple steps
- Super moist muffins with a crispy, chunky, top - better than any bakery!
- Lots of pistachio flavor from pistachios both inside and on top
- All natural ingredients - no need for instant pistachio pudding mix
- They keep well for days - if you manage to have any leftovers, that is
What you need to make Pistachio Muffins
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. You can use salted butter as well, but then skip the salt.
- Flour: I use all purpose flour
- Vanilla extract can be swapped for vanilla powder or vanilla sugar. Add it with the sugar and butter if using a liquid product, otherwise with the dry ingredients.
- Milk: I use reduced fat milk, you can use both whole milk and skim milk
- Shelled pistachios should be roasted but not salted
How to make Pistachio Muffins
- Place flour, baking powder, salt and ground pistachios in a small bowl
- Mix well
- In a separate, large, bowl, add the sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Mix until fluffy and creamy.
- Add eggs and mix again until very fluffy
- Add dry ingredients and milk
- Mix until just well combined - no more!
- Scoop into a lined muffin pan, and sprinkle over the chopped pistachios
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18-20 minutes, until a tooth pick or cake tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out dry
Tips & tricks
- Use a food processor or high powered blender to ground the pistachios
- To make them super green - add green gel food coloring to the batter
- Use room temperature ingredients to avoid the batter breaking
- If the batter breaks just keep going - it will resolve itself in the oven
- Mix butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy for the moistest muffins
- Avoid overmixing after adding the dry ingredients, or your muffins might end up dry
- Use muffin liners for easy cleanup
- Store leftovers in room temperature in a muffin tin or plastic bags for up to 5 days
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months
Recipe FAQ
Pistachio muffins get their very green color from the use of pistachio instant pudding mix in the batter, or because green food coloring has been added. These pistachio muffins are made with all natural ingredients, which is why they are not as green.
If you want to make them super green, add gel food coloring to the batter.
To make muffins light and fluffy, make sure to use fresh baking powder in the right amount, mix the butter and sugar really fluffy, and don't overmix after adding the dry ingredients.
No, you don't have to use muffin or cupcake liners. It just makes clean-up easier.
If you're not using muffin liners - let your muffins sit for 30 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin, to avoid them breaking apart.
More quick & easy muffin recipes
Looking for more quick, easy, delicious muffin recipes?
- Cinnamon Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Lemon Muffins
- German Muffins
- Cinnamon Apple Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Pistachio Muffins
Print RateIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, cut in small pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder / vanilla sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1¼ cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup shelled pistachios ground
- ½ cup shelled pistachios roughly chopped
- 1 cup milk at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Place room temperature butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bow. Mix until fluffy and creamy.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the eggs and mix well.2 eggs
- In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and ground pistachios.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1¼ cups flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup shelled pistachios, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, and mix until just well combined.1 cup milk
- Scoop your batter into the muffin liners. Don't fill them more than ¾ of the way as they will rise.
- Top with chopped pistachios.½ cup shelled pistachios
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes. They are done when a cake tester or tooth pick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out dry.
Equipment (may contain affiliate links)
- Measuring cups (metric or US)*
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Butter: I use unsalted butter. You can use salted butter as well, but then skip the salt.
- Flour: I use all purpose flour
- Vanilla extract can be swapped for vanilla powder or vanilla sugar. Add it with the sugar and butter if using a liquid product, otherwise with the dry ingredients.
- Shelled pistachios should be roasted but not salted
Tips & tricks
- Use a food processor or high powered blender to ground the pistachios
- Mix butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy for the moistest muffins
- Avoid overmixing after adding the dry ingredients, or your muffins might end up dry
- Use muffin liners for easy cleanup
- Store leftovers in room temperature in a muffin tin or plastic bags for up to 5 days
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Begum
I used 1 stick of unsalted butter and added some olive oil. It turned out to be delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Stephanie
Way to much butter for me. Did you mean a cup or a stick?! I would cut it in half to one stick next time and I think they would be a lot better. My liners were soaked with butter and messy.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Stephanie! I think the excess fat actually comes from the pistachios. If you do try them with less butter I would love to hear how they turn out and I can give that as an option.