Pistachio Muffins
These tasty Pistachio Muffins are packed with chopped pistachios…but don’t forget about the brown sugar streusel on top!
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The idea for these Pistachio Muffins came from one of our local grocery stores. Several years ago, they made Pistachio Muffins around St. Patrick’s Day as a way of getting into the festive spirit. I was intrigued, so I bought a pack of 4 muffins. I was sorely disappointed. However, I did like the concept, so I decided to revisit the idea and come up with a much tastier recipe. This recipe is kid, wife and me approved – so I think that means it gets 3 thumbs up!
Before we circle back to the muffin recipe, let’s chat about another popular St. Patrick’s Day icon – the shamrock. Did you know that a shamrock is not the same as a 4-leaf clover? A shamrock only refers to the much more common 3-leaf version.
The thought that a 4-leaf clover brings good luck goes all the way back to Celtic Druids in Ireland during the 1600’s. They believed that carrying a 4-leaf clover would allow them to see evil spirits and escape before the spirits could harm them. There is also evidence that the Druids used both shamrocks and 4-leaf clovers for healing rituals.
My mother has always had a strange ability to find 4-leaf clovers. She can just walk through a clover patch and find at least one or two. Apparently that ability runs in the family as I’ve had quite a bit of luck finding 4-leaf clovers in our backyard (well, when it’s not covered in snow). In fact, Robbie loves to go out hunting 4-leaf clovers with me!
Pistachio Muffins
Circling back to today’s recipe, these Pistachio Muffins are a fantastic way to start the day! There’s no particular relationship between St. Patrick’s Day and Pistachio Muffins other than the fact that these muffins are slightly green in color. Nevertheless, St. Patrick’s Day is as good a time as any to bake up a batch of muffins, right?
Last year, I made this Lemon Pistachio Cake, and it was a huge hit. (Laura still says that’s one of her all-time favorite desserts. That says quite a bit as I make a LOT of desserts!) For that cake, the secret ingredient was a box of pistachio flavor instant pudding mix. I used that same thought for these muffins, and that pistachio pudding helps add a boost of flavor to these muffins.
There’s also a bunch of chopped pistachios in there, and I like the texture (and taste!) that they add to the muffins and the streusel topping. For me, the streusel topping with the pistachios takes these muffins from ‘homemade pistachio muffins’ to ‘bakery style pistachio muffins.’
One quick note about pistachio nuts – I picked up a bag of shelled pistachios to use for this recipe, but I made a mistake and got salted pistachios. At first I was worried that I ruined the muffins, but it turns out the salted seeds (that’s right…pistachios are technically seeds, not nuts) led to a fun combination of sweet and salty. No matter whether you go salted or unsalted, I can say that these Pistachio Muffins will be a tasty and fun breakfast treat! Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
To store leftover pistachio muffins, let the muffins fully cool and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The muffins can either be rewarmed in a microwave or toaster oven, or they can be eaten at room temperture.
These muffins also freeze well. Just wrap each cooled muffin in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag and for up to 4 months. Let muffins thaw at room temperature before reheating.
Did you bake this Pistachio Muffins recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Happy baking!
Pistachio Muffins
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
For the Muffins
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 3.4-oz. package instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 oz. 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup hot water
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil can substitute canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1½ cups chopped shelled pistachios, divided
Instructions
For the Streusel
- Using a medium bowl, add sugars and cinnamon; stir until well combined.
- Add the melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Add the flour; stir until well combined. Set streusel aside.
For the Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lightly spray (2) 12-cup muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray, or line muffin pans with paper liners.
- Using a large bowl, add flour, baking powder and pudding mix; stir until well combined. Set mixture aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together sugar, butter and salt until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, hot water, milk, oil, vanilla and almond extracts. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of mixer in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition.
- Add dry ingredients and mix on low until well combined.
- Fold in half of the chopped pistachios.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin tins.
- Crumble the streusel mixture evenly on top of the muffins. Sprinkle remaining chopped pistachios on top of streusel, pressing in gently with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Looking for more fun St. Patrick’s Day recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Will be making this soon with few subs i never had pistachio muffins before will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
I hope you enjoy these, Ramya! I would never have thought about making a muffin with pistachio flavors, but our local grocery store made them…and that led me to making these at home. They’re pretty tasty!
What a fun muffin and one I’ve never had before. I love the “secret ingredient” I’m sure it adds a lot of flavor and helps keep the muffins extra moist. Muffins are one of my favorite items to bake and these are on my list to try! I can’t wait!
Yes! That pudding mix does indeed add moisture to the muffins along with a bunch of flavor. (Similar to when I made that cake with pistachio pudding, I had a challenge figuring out how to boost the pistachio flavor with more than just pistachios. It’s not the most common flavor out there!) I do really enjoy these pistachio muffins, too – way better than the supermarket version they sell around here!
So awesome when you can get inspiration from grocery store or restaurants. Plus, making things at home is always the best! We have a huge bag of pistachios on hand so they’re begging to be used in these muffins…just what my coffee needs right about now. Have a wonderful week, my friend.
Inspiration (even in the strangest of places) is what keeps me going, Dawn – I love trying new flavor combinations or learning new techniques in the kitchen. And, yes, homemade is always better! 🙂 Have fun baking, my friend!
Wow, these are beautiful. I haven’t made quick breads since my kids left home, so I don’t really think about them any more. I loved pear, zucchini, pumpkin of course – just about anything formed into loaves or muffins. I’m definitely keeping this recipe. It would be perfect to make with my grand daughter!
I’m with ya, Mimi – I really enjoy quick breads, too. Not only are they tasty, but they’re…well…quick. 🙂 This pistachio version is unique (since you don’t see pistachio flavored things very often), but we really enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy it, too!!
Such beautiful pistachio muffins! Pistachio happens to be overlooked in our home, but I’ve always got a bag of them for snacking… it’s time I turned them into these muffins! And that’s quite the talent your Mom has for finding 4-leaf clovers! 😀
You know, I think pistachio is overlooked in general…it’s not just you! In fact, when looking for a way to add pistachio flavor to something, it’s a bit of a challenge. Laura has a pistachio syrup that she uses for a Starbucks copycat recipe on occasion…but pistachio syrup isn’t very common. The pudding is more common, and it worked well in baking both that cake and these muffins. Plus, the crunch of the actual pistachios made these muffins even better! Thanks, Michelle!
I don’t think we have any clovers around our backyard, so no 3-leaf clove and 4-leaf clove hunting for me (Also, as you reasonably noticed, we might need to tackle the snow first.) So instead I am going to be hunting out these delicious Pistachio Muffins. I am a huge fan of pistachios indeed, and I get a package every now and then (Always salted – they are great for most recipes!) These muffins look and sound fantastic – hopefully, when I get hope, I would find a box with them by our door. That’s my subtle hint David! 🙂
Haha – yeah, we need to tackle the snow here before we’ll be doing any clover hunting. But if you feel like you’re missing out, come on down! You can hunt for 4-leaf clovers all day long. 🙂
So these muffins turned out quite well. I had fun playing around with getting the pistachio flavor in these – I hope pistachio pudding is available up in your area. If it is, then grab a box and bake a batch this weekend!
I have never found a four-leaf clover! But then, I’ve never considered myself to be lucky, either. I’m not unlucky, but I’m also not lucky. I seem to be imune to both. On the other hand, I have a way of stumbling into good things … like the way I stumbled onto your blog a handful of years ago.
In any case, you tell me if you think this is luck, or fate: I bought a bag of pistachios, stuffed them in the cupboard, and then noticed that I’d accidentally bought unsalted ones! I had no idea what I might do with them, and now I know: muffins! Fate or luck, I don’t know. But I definitely see pistachio muffins in my future.
Ah, I like how you turned that from luck and 4-leaf clovers to landing on my blog. You are a good man, Jeff! Also, if you ever want to hunt for 4-leaf clovers, come on over to our backyard. We’ll find one for you!
Hah – unsalted pistachios. Normally I would’ve had the same reaction as you. “What am I going to do with unsalted pistachios!?” Now you have an answer! And ironically I ended up using salted pistachios for this version. The sweet + salty was good, but I think unsalted is the best route here. Happy baking!
I love pistachio anything (why do I always forget about them?) and these muffins look amazing! That brown sugar streusel puts them right over the top – so good!
I’m with ya, Marissa – pistachios are like the forgotten nut. (Well, they share that title with hazelnuts.) These muffins are quite tasty, and it was fun to highlight the pistachio flavor for a change!
In my lifetime, I think I only found a couple of four leaf ones, your mom definitely is lucky finding a lot of those, which means she dont need any more luck from those shamrocks. Those mufins looks terrific.
You’re right, Raymund – I think my mom has certainly collected her fair share of luck from 4-leaf clovers over the years. It’s kinda insane how easily she finds them! Thanks so much, my friend!
I love pistachio everything and Im warming up my drone to send it on a recon mission to find and bring me back some of these muffins- after it forages through your kitchen! Gosh – these look so good – topping them with a streusel topping is brilliant!
And, guess what – I have the opposite talent to your mom and y’all – put me in a four leaf clover patch and I will come out empty-handed! No lie!
Ah, well it sounds like a trip to New York is in your future…more specifically, a trip to our back yard! Robbie will help you find that 4-leaf clover! 🙂 (Although you’re gonna want to wait until the snow melts…haha.)
In the meantime, I’m with ya on pistachios. They are often overlooked in the nut family, but they are SO good. The pistachio pudding is an easy way to boost the pistachio flavor, too.
i love pistachios. they are so cute and green. pistachio pudding mix is a new one on me though … 🙂 I don’t think we have that here.
Ah! Instant pudding is very common here in the States, and it’s available in a bunch of different flavors. Just add milk, stir and refrigerate. 🙂 However, I love using the dry pudding mix as a way to boost flavor and moisture in baked goods. We’ll start a petition to get instant pudding in Australia!
Pistachio cake is one of our favourite but I love the idea of muffins more since it ensures one big single treat 😀
Exactly! I love a good muffin, and the sweet + salty combination here is quite delicious. Thanks so much, Taruna!
These look beautiful, David! I’m not big on muffins but since I love pistachios I’d make an exception for these… 🙂
Thanks so much, Frank! The pistachio is often overlooked, so it was fun to create a breakfast recipe focused on it. Now I just wish I had one with my morning coffee right now…
I am having a brain art here. Does the hot water curdle the eggs? Any particular order
Hey Jacqueline! Good question – and the short answer is no. I didn’t have any trouble with the eggs at all, and I suspect it’s because there are several other liquid ingredients that go in there, too. I don’t believe the order matters, but I added them in the order listed in the recipe. I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy these muffins! 🙂
tyvm David! I love the pudding and of course pistachio anything. Love your blog and keep up the good work! I am positive we will love them!
My pleasure, Jacqueline! Thanks for following my blog – I truly appreciate it! 🙂
I’m anxious to try this recipe. Do you think I could bake these as jumbo-sized muffins? Any suggestions?
I love pistachio ice cream and am searching for a recipe for homemade. That flavor of ice cream is hard to find.
Hey Doris! I absolutely think you can bake these as jumbo muffins. In fact, a good blog friend of mine did just that: http://www.makeitlikeaman.com/2022/03/14/davids-pistachio-muffins-jumbo-sized/ Check out his post for some tips on the jumbo sized option! I do hope you love the flavor of these muffins!!