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This homemade pistachio paste recipe comes together with only three ingredients (four if we’re being proper and counting the water). Roasted pistachios blend into a smooth, intensely nutty paste that puts store bought jars to shame. Perfect for folding into desserts, spreading on toast, or eating straight off the spoon.
Unlike most store-bought jars, this homemade pistachio butter is unsweetened for maximum versatility, with an easy option for making it sweet if that’s what you’re after.
Here’s Why This Pistachio Paste Recipe Works
Bright green, no food coloring: Removing the brown skins is a bit of a slog, but it gives you that signature emerald hue naturally.
Custom texture control: You decide how smooth or rustic your paste gets by adjusting water and oil as you blend.
Just 4 ingredients: raw pistachios, oil, water, and salt. Sweeten it if you’d like, but it doesn’t need anything extra.
Budget-friendly upgrade: Making pistachio paste at home gives you premium pistachio paste without the boutique price tag.
If you want a recipe that puts this paste to good use, try my Pistachio Babka Wreath, where it adds a rich, nutty ribbon throughout the dough.
Recipe Tips
Use raw pistachios: Skip roasted or salted pistachios as they’ll dull the flavor and muddy the color.
Get those skins off: After soaking, wrap the pistachios in a clean kitchen towel and rub them firmly to loosen the skins. Some will slip right off, others may need a quick pinch. Removing the skins is what gives you that clean, bright green paste.
Roast lightly: Just enough to coax out flavor. Watch carefully though, browned nuts turn the paste a murky brownish color.
Blend in stages: Start dry, then drizzle in oil and water gradually until the texture’s right. You’re looking for creamy, not runny.
Use good oil: A neutral oil keeps the flavor clean, but if you want a richer finish, blend in a spoonful of pistachio oil at the end. A little goes a long way.
Scrape the bowl often: Pistachio paste loves to cling to the sides of the blender. Stop and scrape down several times so everything blends evenly and you don’t end up with chunky corners.
Sweeten if you want to: If adding sugar, use powdered sugar. Granulated sugar won’t dissolve easily and can make the paste gritty.
Storage: Keep your pistachio paste in a clean jar in the fridge. It’ll last up to a month (if you don’t eat it first).
For more pistachio desserts, don’t miss my Chewy Pistachio Cookies. They are soft, rich, and loaded with pistachio flavor.
If you enjoy making homemade spreads, my Roasted Seed and Nut Butter is another great staple to keep on hand.
Prep Ahead
Skinning pistachios takes a little time, but it’s an easy task to do in advance. Once they’re soaked and peeled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days so you’re ready to blend whenever you want.
Pistachio Paste
Homemade pistachio paste gives you fuller flavor, better color, and control over every ingredient. Once you taste the difference, it becomes one of those “why wasn’t I making this sooner?” staples.
Keep a jar ready and it’ll slip effortlessly into desserts, sauces, and anything else that needs a boost.
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Pistachio Paste Recipe
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces raw pistachios, shelled, 285 grams
- ⅓ cup neutral oil, such as avocado or grapeseed oil
- ¼ to ⅓ cup water
- salt, to taste
Optional
- 2 cups powdered sugar, if you prefer a sweet nut paste
- 1 to 3 tablespoons pistachio oil, enhances the pistachio flavor and aroma
Instructions
Removing the Skins from the Pistachios
- Bring a 2 quart saucepan of water to a boil and add the pistachios and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let the pistachios soak in the hot water for 1 minute.
- Pour the pistachios into a strainer to drain, then immediately tip them into a bowl of ice water to cool.
- Drain them again and spread them on a clean kitchen towel. Rub the pistachios inside the towel to loosen the skins, then transfer the ones that slip free into a dish. For any stubborn pistachios, use your fingers to gently peel off the remaining skins.
Make Pistachio Paste
- Place the peeled pistachios on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 300°F for 8–10 minutes, just until they smell fragrant. Watch closely, as any browning will dull the color. Remove from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.
- Place the pistachios in a food processor and blend on high. At first they’ll turn powdery, then form a grainy, clumpy mass that might look like it’s going nowhere. Pause to scrape down the sides frequently and continue processing; with time, the pistachios will warm up, release their oils, and start turning into a dense paste.
- Gradually add the neutral oil and water while processing, stopping to scrape down the sides until the paste becomes smooth and creamy. If you want to sweeten the mixture, blend in powdered sugar a little at a time. You can also boost the pistachio flavor with 1–2 tablespoons of pistachio oil. When the consistency is where you want it, taste and add salt.
- Transfer the paste to a clean, lidded jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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