Homemade pistachio paste

Pistachio paste, also known as pistachio butter, is a natural product made from 100% pistachios. Highly valued in baking and pistachio desserts, it is often the key base ingredient. The colour and flavour of the paste depend on the pistachios used (and their country of origin), but also – very importantly – on roasting.

Using the same pistachios, I prepared two different versions of pistachio paste. In the photo above, the jar at the top contains paste made from roasted pistachios, while the one at the bottom is made from raw pistachios. Besides the visible colour difference, roasting enhances the flavour and aroma of the nuts. Roasted pistachio paste is more intense and flavourful, although it will affect the colour of your future bakes and desserts — giving it a slightly more brownish tone.

Some manufacturers add artificial colouring or natural additives such as spirulina (a natural algae) to achieve the bright green shade preferred by consumers. When making homemade pistachio paste, you decide exactly what goes into it. I highly recommend the recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 400 g pistachios, unsalted or salted (depending on how you plan to use the paste)

Shell the pistachios, then remove their brown skins. To do this, pour boiling water over the pistachios and leave them for 5 minutes. After this time, rinse them under cold water and rub them gently in a clean kitchen towel. Some of the skins will come off during rubbing; remove any remaining skins by hand. Dry the peeled pistachios thoroughly, leaving them to air-dry completely – for example, overnight.

Pistachio paste made from raw nuts:

Place the dried pistachios in a food processor (or high-speed blender) and blend until a smooth pistachio paste forms. At first, the nuts will turn into pistachio flour, then into a fairly dry, crumbly mass. With longer blending (it’s best to pause occasionally to prevent overheating the machine and the nuts), the natural oils will start to release, transforming the mixture into a smooth, liquid, golden-green pistachio paste.

Pistachio paste made from roasted nuts:

Spread the pistachios (they don’t need to be dried beforehand) on a baking tray and place them in the oven. Roast at 170°C for about 5 – 8 minutes, until lightly golden, taking care not to burn them. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Place the pistachios in a food processor (or blender) and blend until a smooth pistachio paste forms. At first, the nuts will turn into pistachio flour, then into a fairly dry, clumpy mixture. With longer blending (it’s best to pause occasionally to prevent overheating the machine and the nuts), the natural oils will begin to release, transforming the mixture into a smooth, liquid, golden-brown pistachio paste.

Store the homemade pistachio paste in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Note: To save time, you can buy already peeled pistachios, like the ones shown on the photo below (that’s what I do). This way you can skip the time-consuming soaking and peeling step. The small amount of skin remaining on the pistachios does not affect the colour of the homemade paste ↓