Pistachio Muffins

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/4/21
Pistachio Muffin

The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 muffins

Who doesn't love a muffin—be it for breakfast, an afternoon treat, or even to sweeten up a lunchbox? This pistachio variation is all of that plus more. The chopped pistachios add an ever-so-slight crunch to the sweet, buttery, light green muffins, along with a delicious nutty flavor.

Decorate the muffins as you wish. This recipe includes a simple sweet buttercream, but flavorings can be added or you can substitute your favorite frosting. For a simple treat, leave off the frosting altogether. Whatever your decoration, finely chopped pistachios sprinkled on top are a must.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pistachios, shelled and divided

  • 3/4 cup caster sugar, divided

  • 6 ounces butter, softened and divided

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

  • 4 tablespoons milk

  • 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper or silicone liners.

  2. Put 3/4 cup of the pistachios and half of the sugar into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped like coarse sand.

  3. Add the remaining sugar, 4 tablespoons of softened butter, and eggs to the food processor. Pulse again to create a smooth lump-free batter.

  4. Add the flour into the food processor and pulse again until all the flour of it is incorporated. Do this quickly, as all the flour needs to be incorporated, but be careful not to overmix.

  5. Divide the cake batter equally between the muffin cups. Tap the tray lightly onto the work surface to settle the batter. Bake for about 30 minutes on the bottom shelf of the oven until they have risen and are a golden brown.

  6. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Do not remove the paper or silicone liners until they are completely cooled.

  7. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Keep in the refrigerator for decorating the muffins later. Finely chop the 2 tablespoons of pistachios for decorating.

  8. Spoon a little of the buttercream onto the cooled muffins and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Tips

  • If using shell-on pistachios, you will need to remove the shell before measuring out the 3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons.
  • The pistachio muffins are seriously good on the day they are baked. If you cannot manage them all on one day, store in an airtight tin or box for up to five days. The muffins also freeze well, but don't decorate them until thawed and ready to serve.

Recipe Variations

  • You can switch out the frosting on these muffins to a cream cheese frosting or leave it out altogether.
  • Add a dash of lime, some orange zest, or some dried coconut flakes to the frosting. These tropical fruit flavors work well with the nuts.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
17g Fat
24g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 330mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 132mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)