I think of Pistachio butter like the underappreciated, sultry cousin to Nutella. Pistachio butter is like a silky pistachio creme that is possibly one of the most addictive of all the nut butter recipes.
This butter is better to be eaten in moderation if you’re watching your weight! I’d also say that this homemade Pistachio butter recipe is an excellent option for a DIY holiday gift. Who doesn’t love an edible Christmas gift, after all? I’ve included a list of pistachio butter uses below as well! And flavoured pistachio butter suggestions.
In terms of price, Pistachio nuts certainly aren’t easy on the purse strings. However, when looking at the cost of store-bought jars of pistachio butter and the price of making your own – It’s still much more cost-efficient to make your own. I tend to buy my pistachios in bulk (usually a 1kg bag shelled raw pistachios) since I’m using them ALL the time – For pistachio pesto, in vegan tart bases etc. Buying in bulk makes this recipe even more cost-efficient over store-bought versions.
How to make homemade pistachio butter
Just like all homemade nut butter recipes, this pistachio butter is ridiculously simple to make and takes only two ingredients: Pistachios and salt. I started with pistachios in shells because I had a lot on hand, but if you can manage NOT to do this, then I’d suggest buying shelled pistachios. We don’t all need blisters on our fingers from shelling pistachios for twenty minutes!
To begin, you need to roast the pistachios in the oven at 165ºC (fan assisted) for 10 minutes, turning them halfway.
This will give the pistachio butter a delicious, toasty roasted taste. Leave these to cool entirely before starting the next step.
Note* It’s worth noting that pistachio butter will naturally be a brown-green shade. If you want it to be more vibrant green colour, one way to get the colour greener is to remove the pistachio skins after roasting by rubbing the roasted pistachios in between a cloth like I did in this peanut butter butter recipe .
Next, you blend the pistachios in a high-speed processor or blender. Depending on how powerful your blender is, this is best done in intervals. This will stop the nuts (and the machine) from overheating. The longer you blend them, the runnier in consistency your butter will be. I always aim to make my homemade nut butter recipes oil-free, because I think they don’t need the additional oil. The blender / food processor you use does all the work for you. As the nuts are blended, their oils are released, and this helps to make a smooth paste.
Once you’ve reached your desired consistency (for me, the smoother, the better!), then add the salt to the blender. Give a final quick blitz to combine thoroughly. This homemade pistachio butter can then be kept in an airtight glass container in the fridge for a month. Alternatively, freeze it for up to 3 months.
I usually avoid additional ingredients to my homemade nut butter recipes because it will affect the shelf-life of the nut butter. If I do want to flavour this pistachio butter for any reason, I tend to only flavour a small batch.
Pistachio Butter flavour combinations
Here are some pistachio butter flavour combinations you could try, especially if making for a DIY holiday gift:
To make a delicious, sinful pistachio spread you can mix some melted white chocolate into this spread. Alternatively, blend some white chocolate directly into the blender when making the pistachio butter, with some water. Pop in some homemade Vanilla extract or Vanilla Powder. For a delicious chocolate pistachio butter, add some cocoa powder and your favourite natural liquid sweetener of choice. The cocoa will dry the mix so the liquid is needed to avoid having to add oil. Add a cheeky 1 tsp of matcha for a delicious matcha pistachio butter blend This isn’t one I’ve tried, but you can always experiment with flavours such as pumpkin spice with some maple syrup. If you try it, let me know how it goes! A dash of Cinnamon could be lovely too! For a delicious middle eastern twist try adding some rose water and natural sweetener of choice.
How To Use Pistachio Butter/Pistachio Butter Uses
Not a word of a lie – there are tons of homemade pistachio butter uses. Not only can you use this like any other nut butter and pop it on your morning toast. You can also whip up a batch as a special DIY holiday gift (just label and ribbon the jar and this homemade pistachio butter works amazingly as an edible Christmas gift!).
Homemade pistachio butter can also be used tons of recipes including homemade pistachio ice-cream, pistachio macaron filling, to make a pistachio ‘frosting’ filling for cakes and tarts. For other pistachio butter uses, you can drizzle some over your morning porridge (or ice-cream), add a spoonful into your smoothies etc. The options are plentiful!
Other Recipes you may like
As always, if you give this recipe a go then let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.
