Homemade Pistachio Butter Recipe

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Nut butters such as peanut, almond, cashew, and so on are a delicious and creamy option to spread on top of toast, use inside your sandwiches, eat with an apple, or add to your baked goods. While peanut and almond butters tend to be the most popular option, pistachio butter is a deliciously rich, slightly sweet, and savory option that is often overlooked and underrated. 

Our homemade pistachio butter is a quick and easy recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make! After a few steps, you will have a silky and creamy nut butter to enjoy over the next few weeks. Soon, you will be addicted and want to share it with all your family and friends! 

But, before we get to the homemade pistachio butter recipe, let’s learn a little bit about pistachios and their health benefits. 

What Are Pistachios?

I know it may be a little silly to ask, but what are pistachios? 

Well, for those who do not know, a pistachio is actually an edible seed. Surprising, right?! They are not true botanical nuts. The seeds come from the pistachio tree– a small, hearty tree that originated from Central Asia and the Middle East. 

Though that is the case, like many other varieties of seeds, pistachios are still considered and treated like a nut for culinary purposes. So, like everyone else, we will just continue to call it a nut.

Also, it is important to note that though pistachios are a seed, they almost always trigger an allergic response to those with tree nut allergies. So, remember to be careful and conscious of the allergies of those around you. 

Pistachio Fact: As of 2017, Iran grows and produces over half the world’s production of pistachios. But, because of the USA trade sanctions against Iran, climate change, and weakened water management of Iran, the USA surpassed Iran in 2019 as the leading pistachio producer of the world. 

Health Benefits of Pistachios:

Before listing off some of the health benefits of pistachios, I wanted to remind everyone that I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. That being said, pistachios are a delicious healthy treat– Just remember, they naturally contain a lot of calories! 

A Few of the Health Benefits Include: 

• Pistachios have high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and potassium. As a result, they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory traits. 
• They can help lower your chances of cardiovascular disease. 
• The fiber and protein content can make you feel fuller for longer. Thus, though they have a lot of calories, they help you from snacking. Also, the fiber helps with your gut health. 
• American-grown pistachios contain a significant amount of natural melatonin compared to most fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and seeds. In other words, pistachios can help you sleep better at night! You can read more about pistachios and melatonin here. 

Just remember, pre-salted versions of pistachios contain a large amount of salt. If you need to watch the amount of sodium you consume in your diet, make sure to get the unsalted versions. 

Tips For Buying Pistachios:

• When buying the pistachios, I recommend buying unsalted nuts. This way, you can control the amount of salt in your pistachio butter. 
• Next, check different sections of the grocery store for price differences before buying the pistachios. Honestly, these nuts aren’t cheap! Typically, the bulk bin section of the grocery store will have much cheaper pistachio prices than the pre-packaged versions. 
• Make sure to read the bulk bin label or back of the bag when buying any type of nut if you or anyone you are cooking for has any allergies. Often, nuts are processed on the same equipment as other major allergens such as wheat, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, and more. As someone with celiac disease, I am always aware of where my food products are processed! Even the tiniest cross-contamination can make someone ill! 
• We recommend buying pre-shelled pistachio nuts. It can take FOREVER to shells all the nuts you need for this recipe. Instead, skip the shelling step and buy ones that are already shelled! 

Pistachio Butter Frequently Asked Questions:

Below we listed some questions you may have regarding our homemade pistachio butter recipe. If you have further questions that we do not answer below, feel free to leave them in the comment section or email us at [email protected]!

What Equipment Do I Need to Make Pistachio Butter? 

For our pistachio butter, or any nut butter for that matter, you will need a high-speed food processor or blender. The best tool for making nut butter would be a masticating juicer, but the average home cook does not have that at home. So, we will be using a food processor or blender.

Now, here is the kick–Food processors and blenders often get overheated when you try to blend extremely thick ingredients for an extended period. Unfortunately, nut butters fall into that category.

For a little while, when making nut butter, your nuts will naturally thicken into a paste as they are being crushed. Then, they loosen into a creamy and silky butter. As such, be careful to not overheat your blender or food processor. 

Notes to Keep Blender/Food Processor From Overheating: 

1. Toast your raw and unsalted nuts first! Then, place the nuts in the food processor or blender while still warm. The warm nuts will be slightly softer than the room temperature ones.  
2. Then, in pulsing bursts, begin grinding the nuts. Once you break down the nuts enough to not overheat the engine, you can set the food processor/blender to continue to run.
3. If you need something to help with the emulsification process, I suggest a little bit of honey. While the pistachios will eventually release their natural oils, it can take a few minutes to get that started. Honey will help start the emulsification process more quickly but will also alter the taste. I will leave the option below in the recipe section. 
4. I recommend making this recipe in a medium-sized food processor or blender. If you only have a large version of the two, double the recipe so that the nuts remain above the blade as they break down. Otherwise, you may spend a lot of time taking the lid off to stir.

Finally, if you do not have a high-speed blender or food processor, you can use a mortar and pestle. By hand, making nut butter will take a long time! But, if you have a lot of time to kill, this will be a fun arm workout! 

How Should I Store Pistachio Butter?

To store your homemade pistachio butter, place it in an airtight container. Because you will be keeping the pistachio butter for an extended period, you need to sanitize the container first. This way, no harmful food-borne bacteria or mold will make its way into your container. We recommend checking out our hot pepper jelly recipe to learn how to sanitize a glass container. 

Just note, while you do need to sanitize your container, you do not need to seal it as your pistachio butter will not sit on a pantry shelf. Instead, you need to keep your pistachio butter in the refrigerator!

How Long Does My Pistachio Butter Last?  

Homemade pistachio butter can keep in an airtight container for up to a month. It never lasts that long in our household! If you cannot consume it all in a month, transfer your pistachio butter into a freezer-safe container. It can keep for a few months in the freezer.

Finally, for those who wish to eat pistachio butter but do not want to make it, I listed options below for you to buy online!

Do You Enjoy Different Nut Butters? 

In the end, did you enjoy our homemade pistachio butter recipe? If so, let us know in the comment section below! Also, let us know which type of nut butter you like the most! 

If you would like to try further recipes, check out some of these options below!

Carving A Journey Recipes: 

• Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee
• Southern Deviled Eggs Recipe
• Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe
• Pomegranate Jelly Recipe
• How to Make Southern Style (Low Country) Grits 

If you have any questions or comments, you can leave them in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

Finally, we would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow us at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to our blog by joining our mailing list. We hope you enjoyed our homemade pistachio butter recipe! Thank you so much for stopping by!

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