Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Makes one 350 g (12 oz) jar
- 250 g (1¾ cups) shelled unsalted pistachios
- 125 g (⅔ cup) light brown sugar
- 36 g (2½ Tbsp) water
- 60 g (⅔ cup) almond flour (ground almonds)
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (sunflower for me)
- 6 drops bitter almond extract
- If your pistachios are raw, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast them at 150°C (300°F) for 15 minutes (you can also toast them quickly in a skillet, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn). Set aside.
- Pour the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and make a syrup by heating it until it reaches 121°C (250°F). Once it reaches that temperature, add the pistachios and stir well with a spoon; they will take on a sandy coating. Turn off the heat and let cool for a few moments.
- In a good food processor, add the almond flour, the bitter almond extract and the pistachios, then blend gradually until you get a sandy texture. Add the neutral oil and blend for a long time until you get a slightly runny paste (taking breaks if needed so you don’t kill your food processor).
- Pour the pistachio paste into an airtight glass jar and store in the fridge or at room temperature.
As you can see in the photo (which I took too early; you should get a runnier result), homemade pistachio paste is dark green/khaki and not neon green like the industrial kind. If you ever buy it instead of making it, go by the color as well as the ingredient list.
Tips and variations
- Pistachio paste will keep for a few weeks in a tightly sealed jar. If you don’t plan on using it again right away, I recommend halving the quantities in the recipe. You’ll still have plenty to make pistachio cream desserts.