Homemade Vegan Pistachio Cream Recipe
Jul 13, 2024 • Updated Oct 18, 2024
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This homemade vegan pistachio cream is a simple, 5-ingredient recipe that delivers a sweet, nutty dessert spread with a smooth, creamy texture and amazing flavor. It’s versatile and can elevate a wide range of desserts, making your favorite treats even more delicious!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Dairy-Free Pistachio Cream
Pistachio cream is a luscious, smooth spread made from pistachios, known for its sweet, nutty flavor and vibrant green color. While the traditional version usually includes sugar, cream, and butter or oil for richness, today we’re creating a Vegan Pistachio Cream!
This version uses soaked pistachios blended with water, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and coconut oil (or another neutral oil) for a silky, velvety texture. It’s versatile and can be used as a dessert topping, pastry filling, with fresh fruit, or spread on toast (I used it for these Pistachio Croissants and this Viral Dubai Pistachio Knafeh Chocolate Bar! You can also adjust the consistency, making it as thick as nut butter or light and fluffy like pastry cream, depending on your preference.
Ingredient Notes
All you need are a few simple ingredients for this recipe. It’s versatile, delicious, and works so well with many sweet treats!
- raw pistachios: Pistachio nuts– our star of the show! If you’ve ever had pistachio desserts you know how amazing this nut can be in sweets!
- powdered sugar: If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can actually place regular white sugar in a food process or high-speed blender and blend into a powder.
- neutral oil
- vanilla bean paste: Alternatively, you can use vanilla extract.
- filtered water
- kosher salt or sea salt
See the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add raw pistachios and blanch for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat and strain. Transfer pistachios to a bowl of cold water and add a generous amount of ice cubes to stop the cooking. Alternatively, you can use roasted pistachios here and skip blanching to achieve more of a nut butter/nutella-style result.
Step 2: Strain pistachios and either rub between a kitchen towel to gently remove skins, or remove by hand. This step is key for smooth texture and the most vibrant green!
Step 3: Transfer the pistachios to a food processor and blend on high until a paste forms. Then add salt, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar and water. Blend again until smooth and incorporated.
Step 4: Finally, stream in neutral oil as you blend and you reach your desired texture. For a runnier texture, add additional oil and continue to stream in. Adjust to taste with additional sugar if desired.
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Ways to Use Pistachio Cream
There are so many delicious ways to use this cream. It will add a rich pistachio flavor to any of your favorite desserts! Happy Baking!
- Pistachio Croissants
- Vegan Puddings
- Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream: Blend with your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream!
- Ninja Creami: Use this ninja creami vegan ice cream recipe and swap the matcha for the pistachio cream!
- Filling Cakes
- Chocolate Bar
- Scones
- Pistachio Butter: Use my matcha butter recipe and swap the matcha for this pistachio cream!
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
More Dessert Recipes
Sweet Treats
Easy Vegan Pavlova Recipe (No Eggs!)
Sweet Treats
Vegan Butter Mochi Cake (with Matcha option!)
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Homemade Vegan Pistachio Cream Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
- food processor
- colander
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pistachios
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup water filtered
- 1/2 tsp salt kosher
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add raw pistachios and blanch for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat and strain. Transfer pistachios to a bowl of cold water and add a generous amount of ice cubes to stop the cooking. Alternatively, you can use roasted pistachios here and skip blanching to achieve more of a nut butter/nutella style result.
- Strain pistachios and either rub between a kitchen towel to gently remove skins, or remove by hand. This step is key for smooth texture and the most vibrant green!
- Transfer the pistachios to a food processor and blend on high until a paste forms. Then add salt, vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar and water. Blend again until smooth and incorporated.
- Finally, stream in neutral oil as you blend and you reach your desired texture. For a runnier texture, add additional oil and continue to stream in. Adjust to taste with additional sugar if desired.
- Transfer mixture to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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