Homemade pistachio cream is the most luscious, delicious spread made with just 5 ingredients! It is super easy to make at home and combines pistachios, white chocolate, and milk (dairy or non-dairy!) that creates the dreamiest texture. Italian Pistachio cream, or Crema al Pistachio, has become super popular because of the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar, but it can be used in so many different ways and can be made vegan, refined sugar-free, and is gluten-free!
What is Pistachio cream?
Common in Italy, pistachio cream is a sweetened pistachio spread that can be used in a multitude of ways! Most of the viral Dubai Chocolate bar recipes use Pisti Pistachio cream and to be honest, it is nice sometimes to a jar already ready to go, however I don’t love the ingredients and after learning how easy it is to make at home, I am team homemade! It’s just as tasty as the store-bought stuff, too!
This pistachio cream is incredible in so many ways and can elevate desserts, breakfast, and brunch alike. If you’ve ever tried a pistachio croissant, pistachio cream french toast, or any other sort of pistachio pastry, it very well may have contained pistachio cream! I love drizzling some over my gluten-free protein pancakes!
Video – how to make homemade pistachio cream
Why you’ll love this recipe
- DELICIOUS – First and foremost, this pistachio cream is insanely delicious.. that is all. Think, Nutella’s cool aunt – sophisticated, unique.
- Versatile – It can be used in so many different ways! It’s the perfect addition to so many breakfasts, puddings, and desserts!
- Wholesome-ish – compared to store-bought pistachio cream, this is a healthier option with simple ingredients. This recipe contains no refined sugar or dairy (depending on the ingredients you use), seed oils, or preservatives. It can be made vegan, paleo, and keto.
How to make homemade pistachio cream
Full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Tools
- Small, deep pot (for soaking the pistachios)
- Food processor or high powered blender
- Storage container – I like to store my pistachio cream in a mason jar!
Ingredients
- Pistachios – raw, shelled, unsalted pistachios work best! These are the cheapest per oz that i’ve found.
- White chocolate – lot’s of options here! You can use your favorite white chocolate however I try my best to use one with quality ingredients! For vegan white chocolate, I recommend Pascha. Evolved chocolate makes a great paleo/refined sugar-free and dairy-free white chocolate. ChocZero & Lily’s make great sugar-free white chocolate as well (however these contains dairy!). There’s another brand Bake Believe, similar to Lily’s, that also makes sugar-free white chocolate chips!
- Cacao butter or coconut oil – cacao butter creates a chocolate-like, buttery flavor however coconut oil works great!
- Milk or creamer – you can use dairy-free or regular milk! I prefer to use dairy-free/vegan NutPods creamer as it creates an even creamier outcome! Using their flavored creamers like vanilla, toasted marshmallow, or churro will also add even more flavor to the pistachio cream, which is fun!
- Powdered sweetener – I use powdered monk fruit sweetener, however you can use regular powdered sugar if you aren’t concerned about the added sugar! I have not tried using other sweeteners, as this one blends great and keeps it creamy, but I think honey would taste amazing!
- Pantry staples: vanilla extract, sea salt
Steps to make homemade pistachio cream
- Boil the pistachios – this helps soften them up to allow for easier blending. Don’t skip this step! Boil the pistachios for 10-15 minutes to soften them. Then drain and tip onto a clean tea towel to dry.
- Remove the pistachio skins – lay the pistachios out on a towel. Place another towel on top of them and use your hands to rub them with firm pressure. This will help remove some of the skins for you. Do your best to get most, if not all of the skins off.
- Blend the pistachio cream – in a small bowl, you’ll combine the cacao butter and creamer/milk and heat them until they’ve just melted. Then you’ll stir in the white chocolate and mix together until it’s fully melted. Then you’ll add that to the food processor or blender with the pistachios and remaining ingredients.
- Blend – it only takes a few minutes for the mixture to create a super creamy texture. You can taste it and adjust anything you’d like (more vanilla, more salt, more sweetener, etc.).
- Store in a container in the fridge and use however you’d like!
How to use homemade pistachio cream
- Drizzle it over pancakes.
- Use it anywhere you’d use nut butter.
- Dip strawberries in it.
- Add a little to your coffee or matcha!
- Swirl it in muffins or brownies.
- Use as a topping for ice cream.
FAQ’s & Tips
- Storing pistachio cream: Store the cream in an air-tight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Why do you have to remove the pistachio skins? If you leave them on, the cream will have dark flecks that will turn out gritty. The easiest way to remove them is to boil the nuts for a few minutes, strain them, place them in a clean kitchen towel, gather or fold the fabric over itself and rub until the skins fall off. It may take few minutes to pick out the nuts from the skins but it’s definitely worth the effort. Once the pistachios are peeled, add them to the blender.
- Creating the smoothest texture: It’s important to use a strong, powerful food processor or blender. You can even start the cream in the processor and move it to a blender once it’s pretty broken down/smooth, to get a creamier texture if needed. This means you can achieve the perfect final texture. If you only have one and not both, it will work but you might need to be more patient with the final texture!
- What is the difference between pistachio butter and pistachio cream? Pistachio butter is more like peanut butter, and is simply blended pistachios. Pistachio cream is a creamy, sweet spread made with milk, white chocolate, and sweetener.
More healthy recipes to try
- Gluten-free protein pancakes
- Homemade healthy nutella
- Homemade healthy cookie butter
- Healthy rice krispie treats
- Twix bites
- Strawberry whipped honey
- Whipped honey
If you try this recipe and love it, it’d mean the world to me if you left a star rating and review below! And tag me in your creation son Instagram @danishealthyeats! x
Homemade Pistachio Cream
Homemade pistachio cream is the most luscious, delicious spread made with just a few ingredients! It is super easy to make at home and combines pistachios, white chocolate, and milk (dairy or non-dairy!) that creates the dreamiest texture. Italian Pistachio cream, or Crema al Pistachio, has become super popular because of the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar, but it can be used in so many different ways!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, shelled Pistachios
- 2 tbsp cacao butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (regular or vegan work!) *I shared brands I recommend in the blog post!
- 2 tbsp powdered sweetener (I used monk fruit powdered sugar) *see notes for subs
- 1/2 cup thick milk or creamer (I used NutPods dairy-free creamer!), divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Boil the pistachios – this helps soften them up to allow for easier blending. Don't skip this step! Boil the pistachios for 10-15 minutes to soften them. Then drain and place them a clean tea towel to dry to start removing the skins.
- Note: Why do you have to remove the pistachio skins? If you leave them on, the cream will have dark flecks that will turn out gritty. The easiest way to remove them is to boil the nuts for a few minutes, strain them, place them in a clean kitchen towel, gather or fold the fabric over itself and rub until the skins fall off. It may take few minutes to pick out the nuts from the skins but trust me, it makes the biggest difference!
- Blend the pistachio cream – in a small bowl, you'll combine the cacao butter and 1/4 cup of the creamer/milk and heat them until they've just melted – I usually microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well between each, until melted. You want to avoid getting the mixture too hot. You can also do this using the double boiler method. Then add in the white chocolate and mix until it's fully melted. If you're having trouble getting the chocolate to melt, you can pop the bowl back in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the white chocolate mixture to the food processor or blender with the pistachios, remaining 1/4 cup milk/creamer, sweetener, vanilla, and salt.
- Blend – it only takes a few minutes for the mixture to create a super creamy texture. You can taste it and adjust anything you'd like (more vanilla, more salt, more sweetener, etc.). If you're having trouble getting a super smooth texture in the food processor, add it to a blender to finish it off!
- Pour into a mason jar or container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
Video
Notes
- Sweetener subs: The powdered sweetener keeps the spread thick and creamy but I think honey or maple syrup would be delicious!
- Storing pistachio cream: Store the cream in an air-tight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Creating the smoothest texture: It’s important to use a strong, powerful food processor or blender. You can even start the cream in the processor and move it to a blender once it’s pretty broken down/smooth, to get a creamier texture if needed. This means you can achieve the perfect final texture. If you only have one and not both, it will work but you might need to be more patient with the final texture!
This was beyond words incredible! Easy and came together beautifully! The creamy texture is everything and more! Definitely making again!💚