Gluten-Free Pistachio Muffins with Homemade Nut Flour

These quick and easy pistachio muffins are made with your very own homemade pistachio flour so they’re naturally gluten free and full of pistachio flavor. They get a hint of green coloring by adding matcha powder and can be prepared entirely in a blender by grinding up pistachios to make your own flour!

It’s no secret I love all things pistachio since I’ve added them into so many recipes! If you are a pistachio lover like me, these muffins will be your new favorite. They’re perfectly moist, just sweet enough and a great gluten free alternative to your standard bakery style muffins.

This recipe uses pistachio flour, and includes instructions to use store bought or make your own. Please note that this is a from scratch original recipe, not a Jello pudding pistachio muffin recipe so save that instant pudding mix for another day.

It gets its pistachio flavor from the nuts themselves paired with a touch of almond extract to intensify it. Trust me, it will still deliver a good pistachio punch of flavor.

I am well versed in baking with nut flours and have developed more almond flour muffin recipes than I know what to do with. The almond flour poppyseed muffins are my absolute favorite! (After these of course.)

This recipe is dairy free as well and gets naturally tinted green using a secret ingredient, matcha powder (which is entirely optional). No mystery ingredients and preservatives here!

Check out my gluten-free recipes archive for everything from muffins to dinner recipes that are so tasty, there’s no way you’re missing that gluten!

Ingredients and substitutions

This recipe uses real pistachios as the flour instead of all purpose flour which makes them naturally gluten free, kind of like a pistachio macaron. Here are some notes on the ingredients to further clarify and give some guidance on what works best.

Here’s what you’ll need for these delicious pistachio muffins:

• pistachio flour is amazing but expensive. It is so finely ground that it creates the best consistency but if you have a high speed blender or food processor, you can make it yourself out of pistachios at no additional cost. Raw unsalted pistachios work best for this but you can use roasted, salted snack pistachios if that’s all you have. They will make the recipe more salty than it would have been otherwise but it still works ok. You can rinse the salt off and let them air dry overnight if you have time and this is a concern.
• coconut flour – this helps create the best texture and without it, the muffins won’t hold together well.
• salt – I used Himalayan pink salt but any fine baking salt will do. Leave out if making your own pistachio flour out of salted pistachios.
• baking powder – this makes the muffins rise.
• matcha powder this is entirely optional for color and you can leave it out or use a drop of food coloring to get a green tint.
• eggs – use regular grade A large eggs and make sure they’re room temperature. You can speed this along by placing the eggs in warm water – not hot! – for about 5 minutes. To make them vegan, swap the eggs for an egg replacement like Ener-G.
• honey or agave syrup – both work well here.
• plain unsweetened almond milk – or milk of your choice. If substituting with vanilla nut milk, you can leave out the vanilla in the recipe.
• melted coconut oil – you can substitute another oil type if needed but it works best with coconut oil.
• extracts – vanilla extract and almond extract both combine for extra flavor. Almond extract gives it more nuttiness but you can substitute with pistachio extract if you have some. I haven’t found one that tastes enough like pistachio that I’d recommend.
• pistachios – plain is best but roasted salted will be ok, just a smidge saltier. You’ll leave out additional salt if using this option.
• powdered sugar – this is entirely optional but makes them look prettier

How to make pistachio flour

To make your own pistachio flour, place 1 ½ cups pistachios, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, matcha and salt (leave salt out if using roasted salted pistachios) into a high speed blender or food processor and pulse for short bursts until it becomes the consistency of flour.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the blender every few pulses to make sure it all blends evenly. Also, make sure your blender pulses are just a second or two at a time. You don’t want to end up with pistachio butter instead of flour!

I recommend using unsalted pistachios. If using roasted salted pistachios instead of raw unsalted, the end result will just be saltier than it would be otherwise so you’ll need to exclude the added salt in the recipe. If you want to reduce the salt in the recipe and have the time, you can rinse the nuts and let them sit and dry overnight before grinding.

For the best consistency in making your own pistachio flour, you will need a high speed blender. A low quality blender may not get the flour fine enough. I use a Vitamix.

How to make the best pistachio muffins

These are easy muffins to make, regardless of whether you’re making your own pistachio flour or not. If making in a bowl, it is a one bowl recipe where you can mix the wet right into the dry ingredients.

Same goes for if you’re using a blender to make your own pistachio flour. The rest of the ingredients can get added right into the blender. No need to get a separate bowl dirty!

Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

1. Mix the dry ingredients (either whisking in a bowl or pulsing in a blender)
   
2. Add the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Then scoop or pour muffin batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners. The batter will be very thick and cooking spray isn’t the best option here. If you don’t have liners, grease using a paper towel to add a thick layer of butter or coconut oil. Go around each of the muffin cups using a rubber spatula about 5 minutes after removing from the oven to prevent sticking.
   
4. Chop up some pistachios and sprinkle chopped pistachios on the muffin tops to create that crunchy muffin top we all love.
   
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the inside comes out clean.
   
6. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and let fully cool on a wire rack.
7. Dust with powdered sugar if desired (completely just for aesthetics) and serve!
   

Variations

If you love the recipe and are looking for some fun ways to switch things up, here are some ideas:

• Mix whole or crushed pistachios into the batter. If they’re salted, rinse first so the end result isn’t too salty.
• Add chocolate chips! Everything is better with chocolate right?
• Want to make it more decadent? Make a glaze by whisking together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of almond milk and 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract in a small bowl. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the glaze over the muffins.
• Sprinkle with turbinado sugar before baking instead of powdered sugar after.
• Don’t like crunch or have a nut hater in the house? Leave out the crushed pistachio sprinkle for a smooth consistency.
• For a fun holiday muffin and a tart twist, add a cup of dried cranberries. They’re also perfect for adding a pop of green color to St. Patrick’s Day!

Storage and Freezing

Once fully cooled, the muffins will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days and 4-5 days in the refrigerator. As with most baked goods, they are best eaten within the first 3 days and best stored on the counter since the refrigerator can alter the texture.

For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to two months in a tightly sealing freezer bag. To defrost, either allow the muffin to defrost in the refrigerator overnight or microwave for about 45 seconds. If microwaving, eat while warm after removing from the microwave or the texture will get dry and not retain moistness as the muffin cools.

Making mini-muffins

Yes, this recipe will make 20 mini muffins using a silicone mini muffin cup tray like this. Follow all other recipe instructions but only bake for 10-12 minutes