Pistachio Cream Recipe
This homemade Italian Pistachio Cream Recipe (Crema al Pistacchio) creates a lusciously decadent, perfectly sweet cream bursting with true pistachio flavor.
If you’ve ever been disappointed by the store-bought variety, prepare to be amazed. A dollop of this vibrant, silky cream will take your desserts to the next level and leave you reaching for more!!
Pistachios are a delicious addition to my Pistachio Muffins and Lemon Biscotti, but my Pistachio Cream Recipe truly highlights their delicious nutty flavor. This decadently rich cream combines pistachios, sugar, and white chocolate to create an authentic nutty flavor and vibrant but naturally green hue.
This recipe is easy, but I won’t sugarcoat it — peeling pistachios and processing the nut to a paste takes time and patience. But the result is worth it! If you want real pistachio flavor, unlike the overly sweet, palm oil-laden store-bought kind, this is the recipe for you. One taste and you’ll never go back!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Authentic Italian: My Pistachio Cream Recipe will transport you straight to Sicily and the gorgeous cornetti stuffed with the vibrant green nutty spread. It is perfectly sweet, nutty, and smooth.
- Versatile: Pistachio Cream can be served alongside so many desserts like ricotta pie and Pastiera. Use it as a filling for Italian Frittelle and pastries or a luscious spread on cakes, Portuguese Sweet Bread, and Chocolate Panettone. The possibilities are endless!
- Flavor: Forget storebought! Those versions are often overly sweet, made with palm oil, and leave a greasy mouthfeel that overpowers the delicate nuttiness of pistachio nuts. My homemade Pistachio Cream recipe is loaded with quality ingredients that produce an intensely nutty, smooth, and vibrant green cream that’s bursting with pistachio flavor.
- Texture: This recipe includes all the hints and tips to create a decadently smooth and velvety Pistachio Cream. You will adore its signature silky texture that will leave you wanting more!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Pistachio nuts – You’ll need unsalted, shelled raw nuts for this recipe. Buy the best quality that you can afford. This Pistachio Cream Recipe is worth it!
- White chocolate – Use white chocolate made for eating (as opposed to cooking) that you like the flavor of.
- Butter – I recommend using good quality, unsalted butter to make this recipe since you can control the amount of salt in this recipe.
How to Make Pistachio Cream
Follow along with my easy, numbered instructions below to see how to make pistachio cream in your own kitchen!
Blanch (boil) the nuts for 1-2 minutes in a pot of boiling water
Drain and peel off the skins.
Dry well and toast for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool.
Melt white chocolate, butter, and milk over low heat and stir to amalgamate thoroughly.
Process the pistachio nuts together with the powdered sugar.
Stop the food processor and scrape the sides regularly.
Continue processing until the nuts are ground very fine and look like fine wet sand.
Add one tablespoon of melted white chocolate mixture to the ground pistachios. Process and repeat.
When the mixture forms a thick paste, add all of the white chocolate mixture.
Process until smooth and creamy.
Marcellina’s Hint: Depending on the food processor (some are more powerful than others), it will take 10 to 15 minutes to grind the pistachios very finely. It may even take as long as 20 minutes. Patience is required. Even if you don’t grind the pistachios as finely as I have, the cream will still be delicious!
Substitutions
- Butter – Salted butter can be used but take care not to add extra salt.
- Milk – Use lactose-free milk or a plant-based milk of your choice if that’s what you have.
Variations
- Vanilla – Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to give it a lovely sweet and fragrant flavor.
Equipment
To achieve a perfectly smooth Pistachio Cream, it is important to have a powerful small food processor. A high-speed blender will work but it may not create a completely smooth cream. Plus some basic kitchen tools like a small saucepan, spatula, and spoon.
Storage
This Pistachio Cream can be stored in airtight jars for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
It also freezes incredibly well in airtight jars or ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Simply, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Top tip
- Choose good quality pistachio nuts with a bright green color. I like to buy American pistachios. Of course, if you can get your hands on Sicilian pistachio nuts that would be amazing!
- Don’t skip blanching (boiling briefly) and shelling the pistachios. While this does take some time, it ensures your Pistachio Cream has a lovely green color and perfectly balanced taste.
- Toast the nuts very briefly. This isn’t to bring out the toasty, nutty flavor but to remove excess moisture from the nuts due to the boiling step. Watch the nuts carefully in the oven.
- Your food processor is your best friend here! Depending on the power of your machine, it can take more or less time to achieve the “fine wet sand” texture. Once you have this texture, it is important to slowly add the white chocolate mixture. A little at a time, blending as you go.
FAQ
There are so many uses for this Pistachio Cream recipe! Spread it on toast, fill a croissant with it, or serve it alongside panettone and pandoro for Christmas. The possibilities are really endless!
Pistachios can be used in sweet or savory recipes, but this Pistachio Cream Recipe is sweetened with powdered sugar and served alongside desserts.
I believe in everything in moderation. While this isn’t an everyday food, it is so much better for you than the store-bought variety. This recipe has just 5 ingredients and no added fats, additives, or preservatives.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this Pistachio Cream alongside simple desserts like my Mini Pancakes, Pan Di Spagna, and Vanilla Muffins. Or just simply enjoy it by the spoonful!
Related
Italian Salsa Verde
Avocado Spread
Made this recipe?
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Pistachio Cream Recipe
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups shelled, raw pistachios (unsalted)
- 4 ounces white chocolate
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Boil the nuts for 1-2 minutes in water. This is known as blanching. Drain and rinse with cool water.1 ¼ cups shelled, raw pistachios
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC) and have a baking sheet ready.
- Peeling the nuts will need time and patience. Take a handful of pistachio nuts and put in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel over so the nuts are covered, then rub them back and forth — this will take off most of the skins. If any skins are still hanging on, just pinch the nut between your thumb and forefinger and slide the skin off. Pat dry.
- Spread the peeled pistachio nuts onto a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
- In a small saucepan, combine the white chocolate, butter, and milk. Melt over low heat and stir to amalgamate thoroughly. Set aside.4 ounces white chocolate1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter⅔ cup whole milk
- Process the peeled, dry pistachio nuts together with the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt in a small food processor until it is ground very fine and looks like fine wet sand. This will take 10-15 minutes. Depending on the food processor or blender that you use, this may take more or less time. Keep stopping and scraping the sides.¾ cup powdered sugarpinch salt
- Add a tablespoon of melted white chocolate mixture to the ground pistachios process allowing the nuts to grind even further. Repeat this process until the mixture forms a thick paste and the nuts are quite finely ground.
- Finally add all of the white chocolate mixture to the pistachio paste. Process or blend until smooth and creamy. Makes approximately 1½ cups. Allow about 2 tablespoons per person if spreading on brioche, cake or toast.
- Store for up to two weeks in the fridge.
Notes
- Choose good quality, bright green pistachios. I like American pistachios, but Sicilian ones are amazing if you can find them!
- Don’t skip blanching and shelling — it gives this cream its lovely green color and balanced taste.
- Toast the nuts briefly to remove moisture from boiling. Watch them closely in the oven.
- Your food processor is key! Blend until you get a “very fine wet sand” texture, then slowly add the white chocolate mixture, blending as you go. It will take anything from 10 to 20 minutes.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
I’m thinking of folding it into heavy whipping cream making like a stiff mousse to go along side a meringue dessert-what do you think? Any advice? I’m thinking of piping it to look like a Christmas tree.
I love that idea! I would stabilize the whipped cream with gelatin. My Italian Rum Cake uses this method if you’d like a recipe for it. If you’d like a vibrant green color for the Christmas tree, consider adding a few drops of green food color. Sounds fun!
What happens if you use already toasted pistachios instead of raw?
Tara, skip the brief toasting but continue with the recipe. Your Pistachio Cream will taste a little bit more toasty and it’s likely that it won’t be a vibrant green color but I’m sure it will still be delicious!
Wonderful recipe !!!
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
my first time ever it is amazingly good…..thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m thrilled that you love this as much as we do.
hi, can I use roasted unsalted pistachios to make this?
Yes, you can though the flavor and color will be different. More toasty which could be nice. It won’t be as green.
I gave it try and end result was good except too much white chocolate in the taste.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Since white chocolate is an essential ingredient in this pistachio cream, its flavor will definitely be noticeable. If you’re not a fan of white chocolate, this may not be the right recipe for you—but that’s more about personal taste than an issue with the recipe itself.
So excited to try this! We all love the dubai chocolate bars but can never find pistachio cream in our grocery stores. I’m going to use it for Dubai chocolate bowls! My girls will be thrilled! Thanks for sharing! 🖤
You’re welcome! I hope you love it.
do the nuts have to be raw, why can’t you use the ones in the bags you see in the markets.
You can use toasted nuts if you prefer but the green color won’t be as pronounced.
Looks totally amazing. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks Marcellina.
It’s really delicious, Pamela. A bit of effort but worth it! Let me know how you go.