These pistachio nut muffins are made with pistachio pudding mix and buttermilk to make them irresistibly moist. Topped with real pistachios and coarse sugar, these bakery-style muffins are so easy to make at home!
Whether I'm at a bakery or the grocery store, pistachio muffins always seem to catch my eye. Their green color stands out among the other muffins and their flavor is both unique and delicious.
Adding pudding mix to cake, muffin or cupcake batters is a great hack to make them extra moist and a great way to elevate a store-bought boxed cake.
Love pistachios? Check out this Pistachio Bread recipe made with cake mix that I love to make during the holidays.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They are great for breakfast, brunch, a quick snack, or even dessert! Their color makes them a standout from other baked goods, a perfect treat for St. Patrick's Day!
- Loaded with flavor - These muffins get their unique pistachio flavor from the use of pistachio pudding mix as well as flavor and texture of real pistachios. The almond extract sends the flavor of these muffins over the top!
- Bakery-style at home - These muffins are moist, high-domed and have that signature crunchy top that will rival any bake shop. Plus they are so quick and easy to make!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some tips & tricks for the ingredients needed for this recipe. Find exact measurements in the recipe card below!
- Instant pistachio pudding - This gives the muffins their subtle green color and unique pistachio flavor along with making the muffins extra moist. A drop or two of green food coloring could be added if you want a more prominent green color.
- Butter - Melted salted butter gives the muffins added flavor and richness. Using melted instead of softened also makes the muffins more dense when they cool versus a light and fluffy crumb you'd find in cupcakes.
- Buttermilk - Adds a slight tang to the batter. The acid in the buttermilk will also react with baking soda to give the muffins their "lift" and create that ideal domed top.
- Almond extract - I love the combo of pistachio and almond. The almond extract works to bring out more of the pistachio flavor and complements it beautifully!
- Coarse sugar - Gives the muffin tops a slight crunch that mimics a bakery-style muffin. Coarse cane sugar or raw "Turbinado" sugar work great.
- Chopped pistachios - Adding some chopped nuts to the top of the muffins gives them a nice amount of crunch. I like to use the lightly salted, roasted pistachios as they provide another depth of flavor compared to raw.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe requires no creaming and comes together in a flash! No mixer needed. Here how to make homemade muffins in just under 30 minutes:
Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl combine melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and almond extract. Whisk until well combined.
Step 2 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, including the dry pudding mix (ignore the directions on the box).
Step 3 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. I would switch out the whisk for a rubber spatula/scraper at this point. Do NOT over mix the batter! Just mix until there are no streaks of flour remaining. The batter will be fairly thick.
Step 4 - Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill each muffin tin lined with cupcake liners all the way to the top. Sprinkle tops with course sugar and chopped pistachios.
Step 5 - Bake muffins 18-20 minutes until light golden and the tops bounce back when pressed. You could also test the middle with a toothpick. Allow muffins to cool 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Take the buttermilk and eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting. This ensures everything combines nicely into a smooth and thick batter.
- Be sure to allow the butter to cool to room temperature before adding it to the batter. Adding hot butter can also make the batter lumpy. It works well to melt the butter at the same time you take out your other cold ingredients, then both will be ready at the same time!
- Spray the empty muffin liners with non-stick spray before filling with batter. This will help leave no muffin crumbs behind when you peel off the liner.
- Be sure to fill the muffin tins all the way to the top. Forget what you've heard about only filling them ⅔ to ¾ full. This along with the high temperature will give you those perfectly domed tops.
Storage Tips
- When kept in an airtight container at room temperature, the muffins will keep fresh for 3-4 days.
- To extend their time to about a week, keep the muffins in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, place cooled muffins in a freezer bag. They will store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Take a few out at a time or thaw the whole bag at room temperature before serving. You could also pop a couple in the microwave to quickly thaw them.
FAQ
I prefer using liners for their ease of use and how the muffins look displayed in them. The liners also help keep the sides and bottom of the muffins soft and not too dark.
If you don't have any liners on hand you can spray the tins well with non-stick spray before filling. Making your own liners with pieces of parchment paper is also an option.
This recipe should make 24 mini muffins. If you don't have mini liners, be sure to spray your mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. The baking time will also decrease, so start checking the muffins after about 10 minutes. Jumbo muffins can also be made, but baking time will be longer.
Acidity is required to react with the leavening agents to give the muffins their lift, which is why buttermilk is used. Sour cream would work the same way, but the texture is obviously thicker. Mix ¾ sour cream with ¼ cup milk to thin it out before using as a substitute.
Regular milk will not allow the same reaction to take place as the acidic buttermilk. Don't have buttermilk on hand? Add 1 tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill with regular milk to make 1 cup. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and the milk will slightly curdle.
I've found baking at a higher temperature of 400 puts the leavening agents to work right away and helps the muffins "puff up". I also fill the muffin tins all the way to the top so they have no choice but to come up over the liner!
Other Baked Goods You'll Love
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Pistachio Nut Muffins
Ingredients
Pistachio Muffins
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter melted & cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 3.4 oz. box instant pistachio pudding
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. coarse cane sugar or Turbinado sugar
- ⅓ cup shelled pistachios* chopped
Instructions
Muffins
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and almond extract.½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. almond extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, soda, powder, salt and dry pudding mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, 1 3.4 oz. box instant pistachio pudding
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to fill each muffin tin to the top. Sprinkle tops coarse sugar and chopped pistachios.2 tbsp. coarse cane sugar, ⅓ cup shelled pistachios*
- Bake muffins 15-18 minutes until light golden and the tops bounce back when pressed. Allow muffins to cool 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
LaGresha Fizer-Brown says
Hi there 👋. Maybe I missed the addition of pudding in the recipe instructions...but I can't tell at what point it goes in the muffin mix. Please assist me here.
Ashley says
Thank you so much for catching that! I had it written correctly in the post, but not the recipe card. You will mix the dry pudding powder when combining the other dry ingredients together. It's corrected now. Sorry for the confusion!
N says
Can I use sugar free pistachio pudding?
Ashley says
I think that should work fine!
Crystal says
Delicious! I may add a bit more almond extract next time, but these were fantastic.
Ashley says
So glad you enjoyed them!