This is your ultimate guide for how to make pistachio butter - the kind used in the recipe for Dubai chocolate and many sweet pistachio butter desserts such as these chocolate pistachio cookies with flavor boost. Whether you go for the easy one-step method or the more labor-intensive approach, you'll get perfect results every time! And if you've ever struggled with grainy texture, dull color, or bland flavor, don't worry-we're fixing all that today!
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Why Make Your Own Pistachio Butter?
Store-bought pistachio butter is pricey and often loaded with additives. Homemade is cheaper, with control over ingredients, texture, and flavor. As with everything in life, if you choose the easy way you may sacrifice a thing or two. Fortunately, with homemade pistachio butter the only thing you're sacrificing is a bit of color.
The hard way will give you a more vibrant, smoother result, BUT you'll lose a few hours from your life. Plus, there are mistakes to avoid, which is why I've included a troubleshooting guide at the end.
I usually go for the easy method, but for this article, I tried both.
✏️ If you're searching for how to make the sweet version of this pistachio recipe (a.k.a. spread or cream) please see this 2-ingredient Pistachio Cream Recipe.
For more recipes with pistachio butter, don't miss these Chocolate Pistachio Cream Balls with a crunchy kadaifi/kunefe filling and this Chocolate Pistachio Cake inspired by the Dubai chocolate bar.
📋 Ingredients
For this pistachio butter recipe, you'll only need one ingredient: Pistachio nuts.
✏️ You may also need 1-2 tablespoons of a neutral tasting vegetable oil such as corn oil, avocado oil or sunflower oil. This is optional.
What kind of pistachio nuts should you use?
✅ My personal preference is shelled, roasted and unsalted pistachios because they're ready to be used!
✅ If you choose unshelled pistachios you'll need approximately double the quantity in weight (shells make half the weight of the nuts) and some extra time to shell them.
✅ If you choose raw pistachios, you'll need to roast them in the oven to get rid of the extra moisture and develop their flavor. Roasting the nuts will make them less green, but will also make them taste 10 times better.
How to roast raw pistachios:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F or 150°C (I prefer a low temperature to protect their delicate flavor).
- Spread raw pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until they start to smell nutty. Stir once halfway through.
- Cool completely before eating, storing or using in recipes.
✅ I don't recommend salted pistachios, but if this is your only option, you'll have to rinse them with water to get rid of the extra salt and then completely dry them in the oven.
🔪 How to Make Pistachio Butter
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the best pistachio nut butter every time!
Equipment
- High-powered food processor or blender.
The Easy Way (Just Blend!)
This method is straightforward - just like making homemade almond butter (or any other nut butter) - and requires minimal effort.
What to do:
- Blend shelled, roasted pistachios until they turn into a smooth, creamy butter. Scrape the bowl with a spatula 1-2 times halfway through.
Depending on the power of your food processor this will take from 15 to 20 minutes. If you want this nut butter extra smooth, transfer it to a high-powered blender and blend for 5 more minutes.
👉 Want to make your nut butter crunchy?
Blend the nuts for 1 minute or until they're very finely chopped and reserve ¼ of the quantity. Continue blending until smooth and add the reserved chopped nuts at the end.
The Hard Way (without the Skins)
If you're aiming for a more vibrant green color and ultra-smooth texture, this method is for you.
❗ However, according to this study about the antioxidant activity and phenolic profile of pistachio seeds and skins, pistachio skins show stronger antioxidant activity than the seeds due to their higher phenolic content (meaning that the butter made with the skins is healthier).
What to do:
- Soak the pistachios in boiling water to loosen the skins.
- Peel off the skins - a time-consuming but essential step for a bright green color.
- Dry them in the oven to remove excess moisture.
- Blend them into butter for an ultra-smooth consistency.
⚠️Some pistachio paste recipes soak the pistachios, blend them and then add water to the paste to make it creamy. I don't suggest doing this because:
1. What water does is seize the pistachio paste, something that can cause problems when you add it to recipes.
2. It can decrease the shelf life of the paste, because of high water content.
3. Water is flavorless and makes the taste of the pistachio less intense.
🔧Troubleshooting Guide
These are the most common problems and their fixes, when making pistachio butter at home:
1. Pistachio Butter is Too Grainy
- Keep blending! The key is patience-it takes time for the oils to release.
- Use a high-powered food processor. If necessary, transfer the butter to a high-speed blender for extra creamy result.
- Add a tablespoon of neutral oil to help smooth out the texture.
2. It's Not as Green as I Expected
- Use blanched pistachios (soak in hot water for 1-2 minutes, then rub off skins with a towel).
- Avoid roasting at high temperatures-too much heat darkens the color.
- Add a small amount of matcha green tea (about 1 teaspoon per cup of butter).
3. My Food Processor Overheats
- Let the machine rest every 5 minutes.
- Blend while the pistachios are still slightly warm from roasting-they release oils faster.
4. The Flavor is Too Mild
- Roasting enhances flavor-don't skip it if you want a more intense taste.
- Add a pinch of salt to bring out the natural sweetness.
- Use the right variety of pistachios. Usually, the deep green colored pistachios don't taste as good 🤷♂️. These are the top 6 Pistachios in the World by tasteatlas.com.
- Use a flavor boost by mixing a pinch of cinnamon, orange zest and almond extract. These flavors will complement and enhance the pistachio taste, just don't overdo it. Less is more in this situation.
5. Pistachio Butter is Bitter
- If pistachios are over-roasted, their natural oils can become bitter. Roasting at a low temperature (and not until dark brown) is ideal.
- Always use fresh nuts. Using old pistachios that have started to oxidize can lead to bitterness.
- Discard any bad nuts with black color or burnt bits.
6. I'm Blending More than 20 Minutes and it Still Looks Pasty/Grainy
- Over blanching can do this, because of extra moisture. Transfer the mixture from the food processor to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and spread it on an even layer. Dry in the oven at 200°F (90°C) until the it feels completely dry (time will depend on how moist the mixture is). Let it cool completely, than transfer back to the food processor and blend until creamy.
7. Removing the Skins Is Time-consuming
- Purchasing slivered pistachios can eliminate the need for blanching and peeling, saving time and effort.
👨🍳 Expert Tips
✅ If you soak the pistachios to remove the skins, they should be completely dry before blending them. If they feel moist or soft they'll never become nut butter. A good way to know they're dry after baking them, is to gently drop them on the baking sheet and hear the sound they make. It should sound hollow.
✅ In terms of quantity and yield, in general you can expect that 4 cups (1 pound) of in-shell pistachios equals 2 cups (8oz) of shelled pistachios which equals 1 cup of pistachio butter.
👉 Did you know that in the island of Aegina, Greece grow some of the world's best pistachios called "Fistiki Aeginis"?
💭 FAQs
Are you wondering how to store homemade pistachio butter? Follow this simple storage guide
At room temperature: Up to 1 month in a sealed jar or airtight container.
In the fridge: Up to 6 months.
In the freezer: Up to a year (this is from what I found online. I've never stored it in the freezer so I can't say for sure if the texture will remain the same. If you have done this, please leave a comment to let others know how it worked for you).
Always use a clean, dry spoon to prevent moisture from spoiling your batch and give it a good stir before scooping because oil can rise in the surface after time.
Pistachio butter is a versatile ingredient, rich in nutrients, vegan and gluten-free. If you're looking for easy recipes with pistachio butter, here are some creative ways to use it:
Sweet Spread - Blend with honey and cinnamon and spread it on toast, crackers, or pancakes. Add a sliced bananas, apples or grate some dark chocolate on top.
Chocolate Pistachio cheesecake (don't miss this!)
Pistachio Butter Swirl Brownies - Swirl into brownie batter for an irresistible dessert.
Drizzle it over oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream.
Blend it into smoothies for a creamy texture and added nutrition.
Use it in this 5-ingredient flourless chocolate cake
Use it instead of peanut butter in every recipe that calls for natural peanut butter.
Pistachio Butter for Dubai Chocolate - Use it as a filling for gourmet chocolate bars.
🍳 Similar Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this homemade pistachio butter recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
🎥Pistachio Butter Video
Music on video: Outside, Musician: @iksonmusic
📖 Recipe
How to Make Pistachio Butter (Easy & Hard Way)
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) Pistachio nuts (unsalted, roasted and shelled - see note#1)
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) neutral vegetable oil (see note#2)
- pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
Easy Way
- Transfer the pistachio nuts to a food processor and blend for 15-20 minutes or until smooth and creamy.Scrape the bowl once or twice after it becomes creamy. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Hard Way (without skins)
- Soak the pistachios in boiling water for 1-2 minutes to soften the skins.
- Rinse well, drain and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Rub them well to loosen the skins, then peel them off with your fingers.For 300 grams nuts, one person will need approximately 1 hour to peel off the skins.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 300°F or 150°C for 15-20 minutes or until they start to smell nutty. Let them cool in the oven (to further reduce any moisture left).
- Transfer them to a food processor and blend them into butter. Scrape the bowl once or twice after it becomes creamy. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.Please refer to the troubleshooting guide above if you run into any problems.
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 300°F or 150°C (I prefer a low temperature to protect their delicate flavor).
- Spread raw pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until they start to smell nutty. Stir once halfway through.
- Cool completely before eating, storing or using in recipes.
Makos says
This nut butter has become my favorite snack. I mix 2 tablespoons with a teaspoon of honey and spread it on toast. Sometimes I add a sliced bananas or apple and other times I grate some dark chocolate on top. It's delicious!
emani says
tried it the hard way, went really well (I think)! need this for a frosting for a cake I'm making and couldn't find it in stores. I wasn't sure if it should be kind of thick still, but it was very smooth and that was enough for me, thanks for the recipe!!
Makos says
Hi Emani, that’s great 😊
I’m sure it’s amazing… Good luck with the cake!