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With pistachio pudding in the batter and chopped pistachios on top, these pistachio muffins are delicious for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
We love pistachio desserts around here. Whether it’s my layered pistachio pudding dessert, white chocolate pistachio cookies, or pistachio pudding cake, I can’t get enough of the nutty, slightly sweet, earthy flavor pistachios add to these recipes.
And since I’m also kind of the queen of treating myself to bakery muffins, it was finally time to make some gorgeous bakery-style pistachio muffins.
Of course pistachio recipes are always popular around St. Patrick’s Day for their pretty green hue, but believe me: there’s no bad time to enjoy these pistachio muffins.
Bakery-style pistachio muffins
These pistachio muffins have a whole lot going for them: They have beautiful domed, slightly crunchy tops with a perfectly moist, tender muffin underneath.
Thanks to a package of pistachio pudding mix, there is nutty pistachio flavor in each bite. I also like to add some extra chopped pistachios to the batter for texture and even more flavor.
A bit of almond extract also helps round out the nutty flavor of these muffins.
Make these for a special spring brunch, enjoy them for a weekend breakfast, or snack on them with an afternoon cup of iced shaken espresso or a cinnamon dolce latte for a delicious pick-me-up.
How to make these moist pistachio muffins
This pistachio muffin recipe comes together quickly, so you can count on these as a quick and easy addition to any brunch menu.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make these muffins, you will need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup roughly chopped shelled pistachios, plus extra for topping (if desired)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Coarse sugar, for topping
Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your muffins turn out perfect every time.
If you’re out of brown sugar, mix together a quick brown sugar substitute. If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, check out my tips for how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the store.
I recommend using unsalted pistachios if possible. Salted pistachios will still work, but will add a bit of saltiness to the tops of the muffins.
Using a combination of sour cream and instant pudding mix helps keep these muffins super moist and delicious.
If you’re making these muffins for St. Patrick’s Day and you’d like a bolder green color, you can add 1-2 drops of green food coloring to the batter as well.
Making this recipe
This recipe makes 12 standard-size muffins. Grab your favorite muffin tin and line it with paper liners or spray the wells with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, pudding mix, granulated and brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chopped pistachio nuts and set this aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth: vegetable oil, egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and almond extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick!
Divide the batter between the prepared muffin wells. I like using an ice cream scoop to do this – you’ll add about 1/4 cup of batter to each well for big bakery-style muffins.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with some coarse sugar and, if desired, some more chopped pistachios.
Bake the pistachio muffins at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick or tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the muffins rest in the pan until they are cool enough to handle, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Storage tips
Store these pistachio muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. As they sit, the tops will lose some of their crisp texture, but they will still be delicious.
You can also freeze these muffins if you like. Place them in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to a month.
When you’re ready to enjoy one of the muffins, microwave it for 30-60 seconds to thaw it and warm it through.
FAQs
Yes, plain yogurt will work great in this recipe. I recommend using plain greek yogurt.
Any neutral oil will work fine in these muffins, so feel free to use your favorite alternative.
Pistachio Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package instant pistachio pudding mix 3.4 ounces
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup roughly chopped shelled pistachios plus extra for topping (if desired)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease (1) 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pudding mix, both sugars, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the chopped pistachios. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. An ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop makes this quick and easy. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coarse sugar and additional chopped pistachios, if desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Let rest in the pan until cool enough to handle, then move the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
