These are the BEST Pistachio Muffins! They’re brightly flavored, moist, tender, and perfectly spiced. You won’t believe how quick and easy these are to make–they may just be the easiest muffin recipe ever!
Use leftover pistachios in this tasty Pistachio Cake, these honey Pistachio Cookies, or this appetizer-favorite Pistachio Goat Cheese Ball.
My Favorite Pistachio Muffin Recipe!
Typically, when I begin testing a muffin recipe to share on the website, I try to make it as nutritious as possible (without sacrificing flavor, of course!).
I like to feed my kiddos (and let’s be honest — myself!) muffins for breakfast, and my philosophy is that they should be at least somewhat wholesome. (Not just a cupcake without frosting, ha!)
And over the past nine years of making better-for-you muffin recipes, this Pistachio Muffin recipe has claimed its spot as my favorite muffin recipe ever. It not only stacks up phenomenally impressive health statistics, but it’s also ridiculously flavorful with the perfect moist and slightly dense texture. And we haven’t even talked about how quick and easy the batter is to make. Swoon!
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Healthy Pistachio Muffins
While the definition of “healthy” can differ from person to person, I would consider these to be very nutritious muffins. Here’s my reasoning:
- We add pistachios (of course). These nuts are loaded with good-for-you fats and nutrients, among other benefits.
- No refined sugar. See “quick tip” below for more info.
- No flour. We use plain old-fashioned oats and pistachios as the base.
- Protein-packed. Thanks to the nuts and eggs!
- Plant-based milk (almond milk).
- No artificial food colorings, pudding or gelatin mixes. These are pistachio muffins with real pistachios!
QUICK TIP
For these muffins, we use natural sugars derived from plant sources. Pure maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. Foods with natural sugars (like fruits, milk, and cheese) are not the same as those with refined sugars. Refined sugar typically starts with sugar cane or sugar beets, which are then processed to extract the sugar.
Why are Pistachio Muffins Green?
Typically, you’ll see the green color because there is some kind of artificial food coloring or pudding mix added. We avoid both of those additions in this recipe (we prefer Pistachio Muffins without pudding). That said, there is a very slight greenish-yellow hue– which is naturally derived from the natural color of the pistachios. The difference is that we don’t need to add artificial color to announce the pistachio presence in these muffins. One taste and you’ll know!
Pistachio Muffin Ingredients
Below are a few ingredients in these Pistachio Muffins that are worth diving deeper into:
- Pistachios. Save time (and your fingers!) by purchasing shelled pistachios. We love roasted and lightly salted pistachios best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here are the ones we use in these muffins.)
- Old-fashioned oats. Although it would make sense that any oats would work since they’re getting blended anyways, it’s important to use old-fashioned oats to ensure you get the right measurement. Both quick and steel-cut oats are smaller, denser, and more compact, so measurements would be off and the muffins would end up too dry.
- Almond milk. Any milk will work in these muffins; we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk best.
- Corn starch. This is an important ingredient since we aren’t using flour and need some additional support and thickness. Arrowroot powder also works well.
- Orange zest. We love the subtle flavor boost from the orange zest — a little goes a long way! Alternatively, make lemony Pistachio Muffins by using the zest of a lemon.
QUICK TIP
While the ingredients in these muffins are naturally gluten free, make sure to check all your ingredient labels to ensure they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten. If you have celiac disease, the small amount of contamination that could take place is enough to cause serious problems.
How To Make Pistachio Muffins
This recipe is quick and easy to make, but you do need a good, powerful blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the pistachios and oats.
We blend the entire batter all at once — so easy, so quick!
Once the batter is fully blended and smooth, pour it directly from the blender jar into a muffin pan. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Pistachio Muffin Recipe Tips
- Measure the coconut oil when melted. Measure 1/2 cup of melted (not hardened) coconut oil.
- Scrape everything out of the blender. The finished batter is very thick and quite sticky, so take your time scraping it all out into the muffin tins. For the best, high-rise muffins we need to use every bit of the batter!
- Grease the muffin pan generously. I don’t recommend muffin liners for these muffins, because the batter sticks to the liners. Make sure to grease the cavities well. Of course, a good muffin pan also makes a world of difference. These pans are my absolute favorite, and I’ve never had a problem with muffins not releasing nicely.
STORAGE
Storing Pistachio Muffins
- Cool muffins completely before storing them.
- To freeze: Wrap Pistachio Muffins individually in plastic wrap and then place all the wrapped muffins in large freezer bags.
- To thaw: Set out at room temperature or heat frozen muffins in the microwave.
*There is some loss of texture and flavor when freezing and thawing these muffins.
More Delicious Baked Goods:
Pistachio Muffins
These are the BEST Pistachio Muffins — they’re brightly flavored, moist, tender, and perfectly spiced. You won’t believe how quick and easy these are to make–they may just be the easiest muffin recipe ever!
Pistachio Muffins
These are the BEST Pistachio Muffins — they’re brightly flavored, moist, tender, and perfectly spiced. You won’t believe how quick and easy these are to make–they may just be the easiest muffin recipe ever!
Instructions
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PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a good-quality 12-cavity muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. Don’t use liners; the batter sticks to it.
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BLEND: Add everything EXCEPT the shredded coconut to a blender in the order listed. Blend until completely smooth, about 90-120 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend longer if needed.
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BAKE: Pour batter evenly from the blender into the prepared muffin pan. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of batter from the blender to cavities — they should be mostly filled. Sprinkle coconut on top, dividing evenly between muffins (optional). Bake for 22-27 minutes. (25 minutes is perfect in my oven.)
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COOL: Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes before using a fork to gently coax and remove each muffin to a wire cooling rack. Let cool 15 minutes before breaking in — the residual steam is still cooking the muffins. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note 2: Coconut oil: Measure in its melted state.
Note 3: Milk: Any plant-based milk will work in these muffins; we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk best. Even water will work in a pinch.
Note 4: Pure maple syrup. Not to be confused with corn syrup or pancake syrup, pure maple syrup is the sap from a maple tree that has been boiled down to a thicker consistency. It’s just one ingredient — a sugar naturally derived from nature! We tested honey and while it worked, the flavor was overpowering.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 96IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.
