Bakery Style Pistachio Muffins

The first time I had a pistachio muffin was from a bakery that sold mix and match muffin six-packs. The green color called to me and seemed new and interesting from the muffins I’d eaten before, so I tried one. It quickly became one of my top 3 favorite muffin flavors, and I knew I had to find a way to make them myself.

A lot of recipes call for pistachio pudding mix, which is great too, but I wanted the flavor to come from pistachios themselves. Using a bunch of pistachios both coarsely chopped and pulverized into a flour consistency tended to make the muffins too dense, so I had to keep tweaking the recipe until I find just the right balance between flavor and a tender crumb.

Ingredients for Pistachio Muffins

All-Purpose Flour – The bulk of the batter for structure

Corn Starch – Just a little bit to help keep the muffins tender

Baking Powder – Gives the batter the needed rise in the oven

Salt – Can omit if you’re using salted pistachios

Cinnamon – optional

Nutmeg – optional

Lemon Zest

Pistachios – both finely and coarsely chopped to add flavor and texture

Butter – room temperature

Sugar – adds moisture and sweetness

Eggs – room temperature

Sour Cream – helps to add moisture to the batter and richness in the flavor

Vanilla and Almond Extract

Whole Milk

Green Food Coloring – optional

Coarse Sugar – optional for topping

The best tweaks I made to my original recipe was the addition of corn starch and sour cream. Replacing a small amount of flour with corn starch helped to lessen the formation of gluten and made the muffins more tender in the crumb. The sour cream added moisture and flavor without resorting to oil. I also used a little less pistachios and finely ground half of them to be added to the flour, and coarsely chopped the rest and folded them into the batter just before baking. This ensures a great pistachio flavor and texture within each bite.

How to Make Pistachio Muffins

Preheat your oven to 425-degrees F / 220-degrees C.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly, reserving the coarsely chopped pistachios until the end.

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs one at a time until fluffy. Add the extracts and food dye if using and then the sour cream.

Starting with the dry mixture, add a little of that and a little bit of milk to the wet ingredients and mix briefly. Alternating the dry mix and milk until you’ve used all of both.

Fold in the reserved pistachios and then scoop the batter into a prepared muffin tin. Use either liners or a non-stick baking spray. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if using.

Place muffin tin into the oven and close the door. Immediately turn the heat down to 375-degrees F / 190-degrees C and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven when the tops begin to brown, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (This is for 6 jumbo muffins, reduce time for 12 standard muffins)

How to Store Your Muffins

At room temperature: Allow the muffins to cool fully, then place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

In the refrigerator: Place fully cooled muffins in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

In the freezer: You can also freeze the muffins after they have cooled, and you have covered them with plastic wrap or placed into an airtight freezer container. They will keep well for about 3 months in the freezer.

📋 Recipe