A Moment for The Pistachio
Ever since I was young, I loved pistachio flavored sweets and desserts. I was obsessed with any pistachio flavored gelato or ice cream and those neon green pistachio muffins you find at the grocery store bakery. To be honest, I was kind of confused as to why pistachio was such an overlooked flavor. At the same time, I also felt like a grandma that my favorite flavor for desserts was a nut. But long at last, pistachio is finally having its moment and I am so here for it! I love seeing everyone creations of pistachio cookies, pistachio filled chocolate bars, pistachio tiramisu and more. So I thought I’d throw these Pistachio Cream Muffins into the mix because they’re too damn good not to share. Fluffy pistachio muffins made from real pistachios are filled with a delicious pistachio cream.
Au Naturale
One thing I really wanted was to use real pistachios for these muffins. After doing some research, I realized that many pistachio muffins are actually made from pistachio pudding mix. This is how a lot of the grocery store bakeries make them and why they have that neon green color. Instead of following this route, I decided to use a combination of ground pistachios and pistachio cream spread to enhance that nutty flavor naturally.
So add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer all of the ground pistachios into a medium sized bowl. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk until evenly combined.
Makin’ Muffins
In a separate large bowl add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Mix with a whisk until combined then add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Pour in the pistachio cream spread and milk. Whisk the ingredients together. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly combined.
Line a muffin tin with muffin liners but only use every other space. Having more space around each muffin will allow the them to spread and rise more. Fill each muffin liner ¾ of the way up. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and raw sugar onto each muffin. This will create a slightly crisp exterior on top. Bake them at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. Insert a chopstick or skewer 1 inch into the center of the muffin and create a hole. Fill a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with the remaining pistachio cream spread. Cut off the tip and fill the center of the muffins with the cream until it slightly pops up out of the hole.
Sweet and Nutty
These Pistachio Cream Muffins may be one of the best things I’ve baked, which is saying something because I’ve baked a lot. These are definitely reminiscent of the Olympic Chocolate Muffins but the pistachio version. The muffins themselves are moist, fluffy, and not too sweet. They have the perfect level of nutty pistachio flavor, which is then enhanced with the buttery and creamy pistachio filling. I shared these muffins with friends and family and they still rave about them to this day. So if you’re a pistachio fiend as well, get you hands on some pistachio cream spread and get baking!
Pistachio Cream Muffins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Shelled and Salted Pistachios
- 1 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Pistachio Cream Spread
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- ¼ cup Pistachios (roughly chopped for topping)
- 2 tbsp Raw Sugar (for topping)
- ⅔ cup Pistachio Cream Spread (for filling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line every other muffin tin with a muffin liner, spacing them apart will help them rise more.
- Add the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer all of the ground pistachios into a medium sized bowl. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Mix with a whisk until combined then add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Pour in the pistachio cream spread and milk. Whisk the ingredients together. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly combined.
- Fill each muffin liner ¾ of the way up. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and raw sugar onto each muffin. Bake them at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 13-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. Insert a chopstick or skewer 1 inch into the center of the muffin and create a hole. Fill a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with the remaining pistachio cream spread. Cut off the tip and fill the center of the muffins with the cream until it slightly pops up out of the hole. Enjoy!
