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This creamy pistachio butter (also known as pistachio cream) is an easy Italian-inspired condiment. Pistachios are ground up, mixed with a sugar syrup and made into a delicious, easy-to-make spread. Smother this on toast or tie a ribbon around it for the cutest edible gift.

This recipe came about when I made my Italian pistachio cake with this roasted plum frosting and was blown away by how delicious the pistachio butter was. I knew I had to make it myself!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Pistachio Butter
- Shelled pistachios. Do yourself a favor and buy shelled pistachios. It makes it much easier!
- Remove the pistachio skins.
- Sugar and water. We’re making a bit of a syrup so we’ll need these two.
- Coconut oil. This is going to give it a nice glossy texture.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make Pistachio Butter
- Add the pistachios to a food processor or high-powered blender. And pulse.
- In a saucepan, heat up the sugar and water. Cook it until it reaches 200F.
- Pour the sugar syrup into the blender and pulse until the pistachio butter reaches a smooth consistency.
- Add in a pinch of salt and give it a taste.
- Transfer to an airtight container.
Recipe Tip
- Remove the pistachio skins. I like to rub them dry between two clean kitchen towels. Another way is to boil the pistachios and then rub them skins off.
- How to gift this. I think food (like my homemade sugar cubes, maraschino cherries and homemade sprinkles) make amazing thoughtful hostess or housewarming presents. Transfer this to a cute mason jar, add a bow and a cute note and there you have cute edible gift.
More Italian Recipes
Quick and Easy
Aperol Spritz Recipe
Dinner
Mozza’s Caprese Salad
Dinner
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Dinner
Pasta alla Nerano
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Pistachio Butter
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 4 to 5 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- To a high-powered blender or food processor, add the pistachios. Pulse until roughly ground. Transfer to a small bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
- Cook over high heat until it reaches 220 degrees and is bubbling. Pour over the pistachios and mix immediately with a silicon spatula. This is hot sugar so do not try and get the pistachios off the spatula (I did this and burned my finger).
- Transfer the pistachio/sugar mixture to the blender and pulse until finely ground. While the machine is running, pour in the oil and salt. Blend until it resembles a soft nut butter, about 2 minutes.
- Give it a taste and add more salt if you like. Serve on anything: toast, fruit, carbs…whatever you like. This is best stored in the fridge. Just a heads up, when this nut-butter is cold, it'll be super firm (because of the coconut oil), simply bring it to room temperature and it'll be easily spreadable.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I adore pistachio anything so I’m pretty sure I would inhale this butter. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad?
NOT BAD!
I agree thst the color is strange, but it still sounds delicious! I’ll have to make this!
When I added the sugar mixture to the pistachios, the mixture quickly cooled and basically turned into a giant pistachio rock. When I put it back in the blender, my blender really struggled with it. It eventually became relatively smooth, but it never really achieved the consistency of nut butter. Is my blender not strong enough? Did that happen to anyone else?
The clumping is pretty normal when you add the sugar but it should smooth out with the coconut oil in the blender. What kind of blender do you have? I have a Vitamix.
What type of shelled pistachios did you use? Raw or Roasted (Salted/Unsalted)? Thanks
i used roasted unsalted. you can use raw tho or salted. i would just eliminate the salt if using salted! ๐
who cares if it’s a beauty queen as long as it’s delicious?! and i kind of love that you didn’t try to dye it; bright green pistachio ice cream gives me the heebie jeebies.
right! it’s always like neon green when actually it should probably be an olive green. :/
I’ll make that next week!!!
This sounds so delicious! What a fantastic idea! Can’t wait to make some!
How long will this keep?
In the fridge, it’ll keep for 1 to 2 weeks. I’ll add that to the recipe thanks!
Awesome. Looks delicious. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Omg, yes!!! This butter sounds as if you designed it for me! I have to make!
I love the sound of this! yum! The sprinkles really add a lot too ๐ xxx