Sure, they make an oh-so-fancy addition to your basic GORP. But our favorite way to eat pistachios is in our dessert. The little green nuts—er, seeds, if you want to get technical—make an excellent addition to everything from cookies to cake to ice cream, pairing with chocolate and fruit alike. Here, 20 pistachio desserts to incorporate into your diet. (We’re all about balance.)
food
20 Pistachio Desserts That Are Sweet, Salty and Decadent
1. Pistachio Icebox Cookies
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
The beauty of icebox cookies is that you can make the dough ahead of time and bake whenever—the dough will keep in your freezer for about three months.
2. Strawberry, Cardamom And Pistachio Pavlova Bites
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
There’s just something about a mini dessert that’s completely irresistible to us. These little cuties are impressive but require just 25 minutes of hands-on time.
3. Gluten-free Pear And Pistachio Rose Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, special occasion–worthy
Gluten free doesn’t have to be synonymous with dry or bland, and this cake is proof. The use of almond flour both complements the pistachios and adds moisture and richness.
4. Gluten-free Pistachio Apricot Tart
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, special occasion–worthy
A gorgeous, Instagram-worthy dessert in under an hour? Believe it. This pistachio-laced dessert happens to pair deliciously with vanilla ice cream, just saying.
5. Brown Butter, Pistachio And Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Once you get a taste of those chocolate puddles, you’ll understand why we’re suggesting you make a double batch. (Go ahead, freeze a dozen for later.)
6. Pistachio Cake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Talk about easy on the eyes. This pastel cake is giving red velvet a run for its money. It’s flavored with ground pistachios and almond extract for oomph, with a silky cream cheese frosting to top it off.
7. Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
If layers aren’t your thing, no worries. A Bundt cake is the ticket to an impressive yet nearly effortless dessert. Don’t get us started on that drizzly glaze.
9. Pistachio Cupcakes With Strawberry Frosting
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
We’re kind of obsessed with this flavor combination, and not just because it’s a looker. The tarty strawberry frosting is just the thing to offset the rich nuttiness of the cupcakes.
12. Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Classic Italian biscotti is flavored with almonds, but we’re not beholden to tradition. The pistachio-chocolate combo is delish with coffee or on its own.
13. Pistachio Pound Cake With Vanilla Lavender Strawberries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Lavender-infused strawberries are optional, but they add a special touch. (Psst: If you have leftover cake, toast it up for breakfast.)
14. Pumpkin Cake With A Pistachio Glaze
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
The pistachios might not be the star here, but they’re not to be overlooked in this lightly spiced cake. You might even covert pumpkin haters with this one.
16. Pistachio Butter Cups
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Ready in <10 minutes, <10 ingredients, no bake, gluten free, low carb
Since the pistachio butter is homemade, you can control the sweetness with as much or as little honey as you want. So these sweets are basically healthy, right?
17. Pistachio Drop Cookies With Brown Butter Icing
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
We were smitten at the first mention of brown butter icing. It’s not strictly required, but it takes, like, two seconds to make (and tastes like liquid gold).
18. Grain Free Vegan Pistachio Coconut Lemon Cake
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: Gluten free, dairy free, vegan, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
If you don’t tell anyone beforehand, they’ll have no idea this stunner is dairy and grain free. That’s the magic of almond flour, pistachios and a drippy lemon glaze.
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