Homemade pistachio butter is just roasted pistachios blended until they turn into a smooth, spreadable paste, with a little salt. This recipe uses 2 cups of raw shelled pistachios roasted at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes and ½ teaspoon of sea salt, takes about 20 minutes, and makes about 1½ cups.
Oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla are all optional. What matters is the roast and a bit of patience at the machine. Most batches that look stuck are a few minutes away from smooth.
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- Nuts: 2 cups shelled raw pistachios, unsalted
- Salt: ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional: 1 to 2 tablespoons light olive oil or a neutral oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Machine: a food processor or a high speed blender
- Time: 10 minutes prep, 10 minutes roasting, plus 5 to 10 minutes of blending
- Makes: about 1½ cups
Avocado oil is a good neutral choice if you add oil. It keeps the butter soft in the jar and does not separate as quickly. Using lightly salted roasted pistachios instead? Cut the salt down or leave it out.
Roasting at 350°F: Flavor, Color and Bitterness
Spread the pistachios in a single layer and roast for 7 to 9 minutes, until they smell toasty and look lightly golden. Too short and the butter tastes flat and a little grassy. Too long and it turns bitter.
The roast also decides the color. Pull them nearer 7 minutes and the butter stays greener. Closer to 9 gives deeper toasted flavor and a more olive shade. The thin papery skins blend right in and darken it slightly, so there is no need to peel them. Dark brown edges and a sharp, bitter smell mean they went too far.
I roast raw pistachios myself instead of buying them pre roasted. You control the color, and freshly roasted nuts tend to need less added oil.
From Crumbs to Smooth Pistachio Butter
Let the nuts cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then blend them while they are still warm. Warm pistachios let go of their oil faster. Straight out of the oven they are mostly a strain on a small motor.
Expect the mixture to change in stages:
- First minute: dry, sandy crumbs.
- 2 to 3 minutes: the crumbs clump into a stiff ball that knocks around the bowl. It looks as if nothing is happening. Keep going.
- Around 5 minutes: a thick, matte paste that clings to the sides.
- Up to 10 minutes: it loosens and turns glossy, creamy and spoonable.
Scrape the sides down every minute or so. If the machine feels hot, stop for a few minutes and let it rest. I have made this in a high speed blender and in a basic food processor, and both get there; the cheaper machine just needs longer. A food processor is easier for one batch, because a blender jar can trap the nuts under the blade.
Salt, Oil and Sweetener Go In Last
Add the salt and any oil, sweetener or vanilla only once the butter is completely smooth, then blend again to mix. If it is thicker than you like, add oil 1 teaspoon at a time.
Liquid sweeteners carry a little water, and water makes nut butter tighten. If the butter suddenly turns stiff and dull after the honey or maple goes in, it has seized. Blend in oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it loosens again.
Maple Syrup or Honey?
Maple syrup is thinner and blends in smoothly, so I use it for a spread. It sits nicely with the roasted flavor. Honey makes a thicker, stickier butter that firms up more in a cool kitchen, which is handy for frosting and fillings or stirred into yogurt. You can also use half of each.
Pistachio Butter vs Pistachio Paste vs Pistachio Cream
These three get mixed up all the time, and they behave differently in recipes.
- Pistachio butter: nuts and salt, unsweetened unless you add the optional tablespoon of maple syrup or honey. Thick, nutty, savory enough for toast.
- Pistachio paste: the pure, very smooth nut base pastry kitchens use to flavor gelato, macaron fillings and buttercream. It is usually unsweetened too, just ground finer.
- Pistachio cream: the sweet spread, made with sugar and dairy. My homemade pistachio cream cooks pistachios with milk, cream and sugar.
So if you searched for a sweet pistachio butter, add the full tablespoon of maple syrup or honey. For a dessert spread that tastes like the Italian jars, make the cream instead.
Why Your Pistachio Butter Is Stiff or Grainy
- Stuck as a thick ball: it needs more time, not more oil. Scrape and keep blending; add oil 1 teaspoon at a time only after 10 minutes.
- Grainy: the nuts went in cold or it has not blended long enough. Keep going; the warmth from the motor smooths it out.
- Bitter: the pistachios roasted too long. There is no fix for this batch, so watch the 7 to 9 minute window next time.
- Dull khaki color: a longer roast. Roast nearer 7 minutes for greener butter.
- Oil on top in the jar: normal separation. Stir it back in.
How Long Homemade Pistachio Butter Keeps
Let it cool to room temperature before you seal the jar, or condensation forms inside and shortens its life. Use a clean, dry glass jar.
The plain version keeps about a week in a cool cupboard and about a month in the fridge. If you added maple syrup or honey, keep it in the fridge. It also freezes for up to 3 months in a jar with a little headroom; thaw it in the fridge and stir. Cold butter is firm, so leave it out for 15 minutes before spreading.
Recipes Using Pistachio Butter
I spoon it over porridge, spread it on toasted sourdough with strawberries, or swirl it into yogurt with chopped pistachios on top. Spread it on a slice of pistachio bread, or thin it with a little oil or warm milk and drizzle it over pistachio ice cream.
For baking, beat a few spoonfuls into buttercream, fold it into whipped cream, or use it to sandwich cookies. It goes well alongside pistachio macarons, a no bake pistachio cheesecake and pistachio fluff. I have also layered it into babka dough. Tell me in the comments how yours turned out, or ask if the texture is giving you trouble.
Pistachio Butter Recipe
This pistachio butter is a smooth homemade nut butter made with roasted pistachios and sea salt, with optional oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla. It takes about 20 minutes and makes about 1½ cups from 2 cups of raw shelled pistachios roasted at 350°F (175°C) for 7 to 9 minutes. The nuts are blended while still warm, through crumbs and a stiff paste, until the oils release and the butter turns creamy, and the salt and sweetener go in only at the end so it does not seize. Spread this homemade pistachio spread on toast, swirl it into yogurt or porridge, beat it into buttercream, or drizzle it over ice cream. For a sweet pistachio butter add the maple or honey; keep it a week in a cool cupboard, a month in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled raw pistachios (unsalted)
- 1–2 tablespoons light olive oil or neutral oil (optional, for smoother texture)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (optional for sweetness)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- ROAST THE PISTACHIOS: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 7–9 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5–10 minutes.
- BLEND THE NUTS: Place the roasted pistachios into a high-speed blender or food processor. Start blending; the mixture will first become crumbly and then begin forming a thick paste as the oils release.
- PROCESS UNTIL SMOOTH: Continue blending, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. The mixture will gradually transform into a smooth, creamy butter. This can take 5–10 minutes depending on your machine’s power—keep blending until fully smooth.
- ADD SEASONING AND OPTIONALS: Once the pistachio butter is smooth, add the sea salt and, if using, the oil, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Blend again until everything is fully incorporated.
- ADJUST TEXTURE: If the butter is thicker than preferred, blend in oil 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- STORE: Transfer the pistachio butter to a clean, airtight glass jar. Let it cool to room temperature before sealing. Store in a cool, dry place or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Notes
Blend the pistachios while still warm after cooling 5 to 10 minutes; warm nuts release their oil faster. The mixture goes from crumbs to a stiff ball to a thick paste before it turns smooth, which can take 5 to 10 minutes; scrape often and rest the machine if it gets hot. Add salt, oil, sweetener and vanilla only once it is smooth. Maple syrup or honey can make the butter seize and stiffen; blend in oil 1 teaspoon at a time to loosen it. Roast closer to 7 minutes for a greener butter and closer to 9 for deeper flavor; dark edges and a bitter smell mean over roasted. For lightly salted roasted pistachios, reduce or omit the added salt. Cool before sealing the jar. Keeps about 1 week in a cool cupboard, 1 month in the fridge (keep sweetened batches in the fridge), or 3 months frozen. Stir if oil separates.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 839Total Fat 88gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 74gCholesterol 0mgSodium 534mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 0gSugar 15gProtein 0g
Can you use this in cold drinks like lattes?
Yes, Janice, you can definitely use it in cold drinks like lattes, but it helps to prep it a certain way. Because pistachio butter is thick and a bit oily, it doesn’t fully dissolve in cold liquid on its own. What I usually do is blend a spoonful of it with a bit of milk (or your base of choice) until smooth, then pour it over ice and top it off like a regular iced latte. You get a creamy texture and that subtle pistachio flavor throughout