Pistachio Buttercream

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This pistachio buttercream frosting is a delicious, easy to make icing recipe that is perfect for cakes, brownies or pistachio macarons. Plus it takes less than 10 minutes to make!

Flavored buttercream recipes are perfect for topping on many baked goods. For other creative icing flavors, try this hazelnut buttercream or this espresso buttercream.

Pistachio is a particularly unique flavor that tastes delicious in this recipe. For other pistachio recipes, try this pistachio coffee syrup, these pistachio overnight oats or this pistachio latte.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ways To Use Pistachio Buttercream
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This pistachio buttercream is a nutty and flavorful topping that goes well on brownies, cakes and many other baked goods.
• It is an easy recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to make using only 5 ingredients.
• It is made from natural pistachios as well as a dash of pistachio extract for the most powerful pistachio flavor.

Ways To Use Pistachio Buttercream

This pistachio frosting is so tasty you could just eat it by the spoonful, but here are some ideas for baked goods to use this recipe with:

• Cakes — Pistachio goes well with both white cakes as well as chocolate cakes. Try it with this mini layer cake or even this coffee banana cake. Or, use a strawberry cake filling with a pistachio frosting.
• Cupcakes — Make chocolate cupcakes with a raspberry cupcake filling and a pistachio icing. 
• Brownies — If you like topping brownies with icing, pair this buttercream with these coffee brownies, or these pear & hazelnut brownies.
• Macarons — This pistachio buttercream works as an excellent filling for pistachio macarons.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, you can use that, but leave out the pinch of salt.
• Pistachio Paste: Pistachio paste gives the frosting most of its flavor. You can buy pre-made pistachio paste or use a homemade one, made from raw pistachios. 
• Icing Sugar: All buttercream recipes use icing sugar, which is also called powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar. This recipe doesn’t work with any other type of sugar.
• Cream: A dash of heavy cream helps loosen up the buttercream, giving it a smooth and creamy texture.
• Pistachio Extract: If you can find it, a small dash of pistachio extract gives an extra boost of pistachio flavor. However, if you can’t find pistachio extract, this recipe still works well without it. Instead, you could replace it with vanilla extract, or add in a small dash of homemade pistachio syrup.

Equipment

• To whip the pistachio buttercream, you will need either a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer. 
• If you are using a hand mixer, use a large, deep mixing bowl to prevent the powdered sugar from spilling over the side.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1 : Use a handheld mixer to beat the buttercream for 1 minute until light and fluffy. 

Step 2: Add in the powdered sugar bit by bit, blending until combined. 

Step 3: Add the pistachio paste, cream, pistachio extract and dash of salt. Whip again on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and fully combined.

Storage

• Fridge: Store pistachio buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The buttercream will harden in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour and re-whip the frosting before using it. 
• Freezer: Store the buttercream in a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Squeeze out any excess air and make sure the bag is well sealed to avoid freezer burn. Use within 3 months. Before using, let the buttercream thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, let it come to room temperature before re-whipping.

Expert Tips

• Add a couple drops of green food coloring. This pistachio buttercream has a very light green, slightly yellow color. If you want a brighter green color, blend in a couple drops of green food coloring.
• Add an extra splash of cream. If you find the buttercream is not quite smooth enough, add in a small dash of extra cream to loosen up the buttercream.
• Use room temperature butter. Before beginning, let the butter soften to room temperature, which will take about an hour. This will make it much easier to make a smooth buttercream. If you’re in a rush, you can microwave the butter for 10 to 15 seconds to soften it up more quickly.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe