These muffins perfectly blend a nutty flavor with a soft, moist texture. The pistachios bring a subtle green hue and a unique and rich yet not overpowering taste. They are perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch, a snack on the go or afternoon tea. You can use regular-sized tins or make jumbo pistachio muffins. They keep well and can be frozen.

White paper on wooden board with pile of pistachio muffins. Light grey background.

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An elegant muffin recipe

Pistachios are unique nuts, not only for their color but also flavor.

This is a super easy, old-fashioned recipe, like most of our muffin recipes; you only need a bowl, an electric mixer and a spatula.

We realized that even though we adore these greenish nuts, we had few recipes featuring them besides the pistachio snowballs and Christmas fudge.

So we set out to remedy that and started with this buttery, crunchy pistachio muffin recipe, which uses a tiny bit of lemon to enhance the nutty flavor.

Bitten pistachio muffin on a white plate with a light grey background.

Ingredient list

Pistachios: they will be chopped. You can buy them shelled and save time.
Unsalted butter.
All-purpose flour.
Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they aren't expired.
Salt.
Eggs: fresh, large.
Vanilla extract.
Lemon juice and lemon zest: they pair wonderfully with pistachios.
White granulated sugar.
Sour cream: regular, full-fat.

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Variations & substitutions

Other nuts: use walnuts, pecans or almonds instead of pistachios.
Enhanced lemon flavor: use more zest and juice to make these lemon pistachio muffins.
Chocolate chips: pistachios pair wonderfully with white chocolate chips.
Jumbo muffins: use a pan for large muffins and divide the batter evenly. You'll get 6 muffins.
Flavorings: to vary the flavor, add orange zest, a tablespoon of orange liquor or a spice like ground cardamom.

How to make pistachio muffins

Electric mixer: we recommend it for creaming the butter with the sugar and eggs.
Mix, but don't overdo it after you add the dry ingredients
When adding the pistachios, the flour mixture doesn't need to be fully integrated. Use a spatula to integrate. Don't beat or overmix the batter as it will render tougher muffins.
Final batter: is thick and creamy.

Glass bowl with pistachio muffin batter on a white marbled surface.

Baking muffins

Preparing the muffin pan

Paper liners: also called paper cups or called muffin liners. This is the easiest way, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
Butter or baking spray: it's messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole metal surface is in contact with the batter.

When are they done

They will rise and be springy to the touch without feeling wobbly. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. As soon as this happens, remove them from the oven so they don't dry.

Muffin pan with white paper cups and pistachio muffin batter on a white marbled surface.

Storage

Room temperature: they're best the day they're baked, but you can keep them out for a day or two, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container so they don't dry out.
Freezing: cover in plastic wrap first and then foil, or use a freezer bag. Keep them frozen for up to a month. I defrost them directly in a medium oven, but you can let them come to room temperature first, unwrapped.
I don't recommend the refrigerator as they will dry out. Better to freeze them.

Kitchen notes

Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Filling the muffin pans: this is a thicker batter than other muffins in this blog, so you can fill the paper liners to ¾ of their capacity, maybe even a tad more.
Double batch: this recipe can easily be doubled if making them for a large crowd or if you want to make ahead and freeze.

Top view of halved pistachio muffin on an opened white paper lineer on a white surface.

Troubleshooting common issues

Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Combine the ingredients; don't beat or overmix.
Using the wrong type of flour can affect the texture of the muffins. For example, using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour can result in not-as-fluffy muffins. It is important to use the type of flour specified in the recipe.
Using cold ingredients: they can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. If not using paper liners, use baking spray or soft butter.
Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Pistachio Muffins