Pistachios have been around since antiquity.
The ancient Greeks cultivated them in their gardens, while the Romans used them as an addition to wine and olive oil.
Today, pistachios are still grown primarily in California’s Central Valley.
Once harvested, they must be processed quickly because they lose moisture when stored too long.
This makes pistachios ideal for baking recipes that require moistness like cakes and breads.
They also add texture and taste to baked goods due to their high fat content.
For this reason, many people enjoy eating them on their own but most find it difficult to stop at one serving!
What Is The Difference Between A Pistachio Muffin And A Regular Muffin?
A pistachio muffin has about 50% more calories than its counterpart – a regular muffin.
Pistachios contain 18 grams of protein per half cup versus 13 grams for a normal muffin.
Additionally, pistachios are rich in monounsaturated fats which help lower cholesterol levels and fight heart disease.
A single ounce (about 28 grams) contains only 3-4 milligrams of sodium, less than your daily recommended intake.
There are several ways to make a pistachio muffin.
One way uses egg whites instead of whole eggs.
Another method calls for using melted butter instead of shortening.
If you want to use a different type of flour, try almond flour instead of all purpose white flour.
It adds a nice nutty flavor without compromising the muffin’s overall texture or flavor.
What Is The Best Pistachio Muffin Recipe?
If you’re looking for a delicious way to start your day, then this pistachio muffin recipe is made for you.
It contains all of the right ingredients to make sure each bite will leave you feeling satisfied and energized.
These muffins are also great if you want something sweet after dinner.
If you don’t eat meat, you can even use these vegan pistachio muffins to satisfy any dietary restrictions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or 1 ½ cups white flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup milk (almond milk works well here!)
- 4 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup raw pistachios, shelled and chopped
How to Make Pistachio Muffins Recipe
To begin making these tasty treats, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together and mix thoroughly.
Next, whisk together the milk and egg whites until smooth.
Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir well to ensure all lumps are gone.
Fold in the pistachios last so they do not get broken up during mixing.
Next, pour the batter into 12 medium-sized paper-lined muffin tins.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool before removing from tin and serve warm.
What Are The Ingredients In A Pistachio Muffin?
A good pistachio muffin has three main components: flour, eggs, and milk.
Other common ingredients include sugar, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, butter, and cocoa powder.
All of these ingredients combine together to create a delicious treat.
The first step in creating your pistachio muffin is to mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Then, combine the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, melted butter) into the bowl containing the dry ingredients.
Mix well until everything comes together.
Finally, prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by greasing each cup with butter or coconut oil.
Fill each muffin hole about 2/3 full with batter.
Bake according to the instructions below.
Baking time will vary depending on several factors such as how big the holes are in your muffin tin, whether or not you use paper liners, and if you spray the muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray instead of using butter.
However, I recommend starting to check the muffins after 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter until they are done.
A golden brown color indicates that a muffin is ready to come out of the oven.
It should feel slightly firm to touch when tapped on the top.
If the tops crack, it means the muffins are overbaked.
You can cover them with aluminum foil before removing them from the oven so they don’t continue to bake.
How Do You Make A Pistachio Muffin?
With so much variety available today, there isn’t a single way to prepare a pistachio muffin.
However, if you want your muffins to be healthy and low in calories, they should definitely include whole wheat flour and oats.
These two ingredients will provide a nutty taste without adding any extra fats to the mix.
If you prefer something sweeter, then try replacing some of the nuts with chocolate chips instead.
You can even swap out the milk for almond milk if you’re allergic to dairy products.
You’ll need a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, whisk, spoon, spatula, cookie sheet, oven mitt, and small paper towel or kitchen towels for this recipe.
A 9-inch round cake pan works best although anything similar will work fine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 Celsius)
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredient ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients into another medium size bowl.
- Add about half of the dry mixture into the other bowl containing the wet ingredients. Stir well until combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to transfer the batter from the first bowl to the second bowl. Mix well again.
- Using a tablespoon measure, scoop approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto a piece of parchment paper placed inside a muffin tin. Repeat until all of the batter has been transferred to the muffin tin. Make sure not to overfill each muffin cup.
- Bake the pistachio muffins for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool completely before removing them from the tin.
Tips for making pistachio muffins
- Make sure to use unsalted butter in order to maintain the nutritional value of the muffins.
- If you don’t have a muffin tins, place the parchment paper directly on top of a cookie sheet. Use a fork to gently push down the batter evenly to create little cups.
- To keep the muffins fresh, store them in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper. They can last up to five days after baking.
What Is The History Of The Pistachio Muffin?
The origin of the pistachio muffin lies in Italy where it was developed by Chef Umberto Allemandi during World War II.
His wife, Lucia, created the first version of the cookie-like treat after she accidentally dropped some into her bowl of pasta sauce.
She served it to friends who loved it so much that the idea caught on.
Umberto Allemandi added nuts to his cookies to give them more substance and he called the result “muffeletta.” Muffeletta soon became popular throughout Italy.
When Umberto retired from cooking, his son took over the bakery business and continued improving upon the original recipe.
In 1966, Allemani Biscuits Inc., later renamed Pistachio Corporation, opened its doors in Los Angeles, CA, and began mass producing muffelettas.
Today, they are available all across America.
You can buy them online and even order them directly through Amazon.com.
Where Did The Pistachio Muffin Come From?
The pistachio muffin originated in the United States, but its popularity has spread across the globe.
It was first introduced by the Pillsbury Company in 1920, but it wasn’t until 1974 when it became available to consumers via supermarkets everywhere.
In fact, there were several different varieties of pistachio muffins before the current version took over the market.
Here are some of the original versions:
- Lemon Pistachio Muffins – These lemon flavored pistachio muffins had a light yellow color and came in two sizes (small and large) which made them very affordable compared to other types of baked goods.
- Coconut-Pistachio Muffins – Another variation of the pistachio muffin recipe included coconut flour and sweetened condensed milk. The result was a rich chocolate brown color that gave off a nutty aroma. This version only comes in small size.
- Raspberry Pistachio Muffins – Finally, another classic version of the pistachio muffin came out in 1990. However, it didn’t include any fruit flavors nor did it contain nuts. Instead, it contained raspberry jam inside each muffin cup.
So, where exactly does the name “pistachio muffin” come from?
Well, it’s not actually called a “muffin.” In fact, it’s more of a cake than anything else.
It turns out that the term ‘muffin’ originally referred to a type of English tea cake.
But then in 1912, America changed the way we ate our teas.
Before that time, tea was served in cups.
People would drink the tea using a spoon and eat the leftover bits with biscuits.
So, when the Americans started drinking their tea in little mugs instead of cups, they called those little pieces of food “muffins.” And thus, the word ‘muffin’ came into being.
Nowadays, however, you can buy muffins almost anywhere.
You can even get them frozen if you don’t want to make your own.
Why Are Pistachio Muffins So Popular?
Muffins are a classic go-to treat for anyone who needs a sweet bite to eat after a meal.
These tasty treats are usually made with basic pantry staples like flour, eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and other dry seasonings.
People love them because they offer a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors that satisfy cravings and hunger simultaneously.
Muffins are versatile enough to pair well with any kind of filling including fruit preserves, jams, nut spreads, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and fresh fruits.
A typical cupcake might not seem like much of a change from a muffin, but there’s a big difference between both types of food.
A muffin has a higher ratio of egg whites than a cake does, which means you get a lot less batter (and thus fewer calories) per serving.
Plus, muffins don’t need frosting or icing to look pretty.
All these factors contribute to why muffins are healthier options than traditional desserts.
In terms of flavor, muffins tend to be sweeter than cakes because they use a larger amount of sugar.
That said, these types of foods aren’t low in calories either.
You can expect about 150 calories per small muffin, depending on what type of topping you choose.
While muffins may lack some nutrients compared to cakes, they do contain healthy fats and protein.
Most of all, though, they provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals that help maintain good health.
If you want to take your homemade muffins up a notch, try adding some dried fruits instead of using plain old white sugar.
Dried cranberries and raisins will give you extra antioxidants and fiber while almonds will supply your body with vitamin E and magnesium.
If you’re looking for something even more nutritious, opt for blueberry muffins instead! Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and fiber while being relatively low in carbohydrates and saturated fats.
Now that we know exactly how a muffin works, let’s learn how to make our own.
How Can I Make My Pistachio Muffins More Moist?
The answer lies in the type of flour you use in your recipe.
You may not realize it, but there are two types of flours commonly found in bakeries: all-purpose flour (aka AP) and cake flour.
All-purpose flour contains a mixture of both wheat and corn starch which gives it its characteristic softness and light color.
It works well in almost any baked good, except those that need extra structure such as breads and pastries.
Cake flour has very little protein or gluten compared to all-purpose flour.
As a result, it has a higher ratio of starch to protein, making it easier to incorporate air into the batter.
Because of its low protein content, it is best suited to items like cupcakes where a dense crumb is required.
In fact, the term “cake flour” refers to the way it creates a softer texture than all-purpose flour.
If you want to bake something like a traditional chocolate chip cookie, however, using only all-purpose flour will yield a denser product.
To solve this issue, you should mix half all-purpose flour with half cake flour.
If you don’t have either kind of flour available, just substitute 1/4 cup of each for every 3 cups of all-purpose flour called for in the recipe.
Another great tip for adding air to your batter is to sift your dry ingredient first before mixing.
This helps eliminate lumps from forming.
When working with flours, do not overmix your batter.
Overworking your dough causes gluten strands to develop, resulting in a tough finished product.
Instead, combine the dry ingredients together gently until evenly distributed.
Afterward, beat your wet ingredients together slowly and carefully.
Your goal here is to keep everything incorporated without overworking the dough.
Finally, remember to preheat your oven before starting your project.
This step ensures even cooking throughout your entire batch, preventing uneven browning.
Preheating takes less time than waiting for the oven to heat up during baking.
What Are Some Creative Ways To Serve Pistachio Muffins?
The best way to eat your pistachio muffins is probably straight out of the oven.
If you put them back into the fridge after cooling though, they will become rock hard.
To avoid this problem, leave the muffins in the fridge until right before you plan to bake them again.
When you take them from the fridge to the countertop, let them sit for about five minutes so they warm up enough to eat without being cold.
You won’t need any special equipment to make these muffins, aside from a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or whatever size you choose).
You can use either paper liners or silicone cups if you prefer.
However, using paper liners might result in slightly less delicious results than using silicone cups.
If you want to go all out, you could even dress up your pistachio muffins with a little chocolate frosting.
Just slice off a small piece of the top of each muffin before placing them in the oven.
Then, fill a piping bag with plain frosting and pipe it onto the tops of your cooled muffins.
Be sure to only do this step after removing your muffins from the oven so they don’t get too hot.
Equipment
- The Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ⅘ ounce package
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Melted butter and sugar should be combined in a big basin using a hand mixer for about a minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract just until incorporated after adding them.
- Add milk, baking soda, salt, and pistachio pudding mix. To mingle, blend. All-purpose flour should be added and mixed thoroughly.
- Pour 3/4 of the batter into each muffin cup after dividing it. Sprinkle sugar crystals on the tops (optional).
- 7 minutes of baking at 425 degrees in the preheated oven After 7 minutes, lower the oven’s temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the muffins for an additional 10 minutes, or until they are completely done. To totally cool, remove from muffin tin and transport to a wire rack.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.