Homemade, Naturally Green Pistachio Paste
Pistachio paste is the gold standard base ingredient to make pudding, ice cream, cakes and frostings, pistachio ganache, macarons, milkshakes and LOTS more! When you have it on hand, you will find reasons to use it – even for simple, every day moments like adding it to your yogurt parfait or smearing it on apple slices.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (150 g) of unsalted, shelled roasted pistachios
- 1 TBSP pistachio oil *
- 3-5 TBSP powdered sugar
- 5 TBSP water
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Shell pistachios. Measure them and set them aside.
- Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. While it is boiling, prepare an ice bath in the sink. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat.
- Pour in your pistachios and let them steep for 2 minutes.
- At the two minute mark, pour the pistachios either directly into an ice bath or into a colander submerged in the ice bath to stop them from cooking.
- Once drained, pour blanched nuts onto a clean dishtowel. Begin rubbing the pistachios in between the bowl. The friction will assist in shedding the skins of the pistachios. Using your hands, peel any remaining skins.
- In a food processor, process the skinned pistachios for about 5 minutes.
- Add about 2-3 TBSP of powdered sugar and process for about one minute. Taste and add more as desired. I usually add 5 TBSP. (How sweet it is really depends on preference and how you plan to use it. I like a light sweetness that allows me to use it as a base for other recipes. You don’t want to make it too sweet if you plan to use it to flavor other products).
- Add 1 TBSP of pistachio oil and 3 TBSP of water and process for one minute. Add enough water to reach desired consistency. (I add 5 TBSP of water). Add a pinch of salt and pulse to incorporate.
- Once you have reached your ideal smoothness and sweetness level, put in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Looking for an easy and quick dessert to make with your yummy pistachio paste? Try this decadent pistachio pudding recipe.
Notes
* If you don’t have pistachio oil, no worries. It slightly deepens the pistachio flavor, but you can omit it if you don’t have it on hand. You may just need to add a little more water to reach desired consistency.