These are the BEST Pistachio Muffins! They’re brightly flavored, moist, tender, and perfectly spiced. You won’t believe how quick and easy these are to make–they may just be the easiest muffin recipe ever!
Use leftover pistachios in this tasty Pistachio Cake, these honey Pistachio Cookies, or this appetizer-favorite Pistachio Goat Cheese Ball.
My Favorite Pistachio Muffin Recipe!
Typically, when I begin testing a muffin recipe to share on the website, I try to make it as nutritious as possible (without sacrificing flavor, of course!).
I like to feed my kiddos (and let’s be honest — myself!) muffins for breakfast, and my philosophy is that they should be at least somewhat wholesome. (Not just a cupcake without frosting, ha!)
And over the past nine years of making better-for-you muffin recipes, this Pistachio Muffin recipe has claimed its spot as my favorite muffin recipe ever. It not only stacks up phenomenally impressive health statistics, but it’s also ridiculously flavorful with the perfect moist and slightly dense texture. And we haven’t even talked about how quick and easy the batter is to make.
Healthy Pistachio Muffins
While the definition of “healthy” can differ from person to person, I would consider these to be very nutritious muffins. Here’s my reasoning:
- We add pistachios (of course). These nuts are loaded with good-for-you fats and nutrients, among other benefits.
- No refined sugar. See “quick tip” below for more info.
- No flour. We use plain old-fashioned oats and pistachios as the base.
- Protein-packed. Thanks to the nuts and eggs!
- Plant-based milk (almond milk).
- No artificial food colorings, pudding or gelatin mixes. These are pistachio muffins with real pistachios!
Quick Tip
For these muffins, we use natural sugars derived from plant sources. Pure maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. Foods with natural sugars (like fruits, milk, and cheese) are not the same as those with refined sugars. Refined sugar typically starts with sugar cane or sugar beets, which are then processed to extract the sugar.
Why are Pistachio Muffins Green?
Typically, you’ll see the green color because there is some kind of artificial food coloring or pudding mix added. We avoid both of those additions in this recipe (we prefer Pistachio Muffins without pudding). That said, there is a very slight greenish-yellow hue– which is naturally derived from the natural color of the pistachios. The difference is that we don’t need to add artificial color to announce the pistachio presence in these muffins. One taste and you’ll know!
Pistachio Muffin Ingredients
Below are a few ingredients in these Pistachio Muffins that are worth diving deeper into:
- Pistachios. Save time (and your fingers!) by purchasing shelled pistachios. We love roasted and lightly salted pistachios best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here are the ones we use in these muffins.)
- Old-fashioned oats. Although it would make sense that any oats would work since they’re getting blended anyways, it’s important to use old-fashioned oats to ensure you get the right measurement. Both quick and steel-cut oats are smaller, denser, and more compact, so measurements would be off and the muffins would end up too dry.
- Almond milk. Any milk will work in these muffins; we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk best.
- Corn starch. This is an important ingredient since we aren’t using flour and need some additional support and thickness. Arrowroot powder also works well.
- Orange zest. We love the subtle flavor boost from the orange zest — a little goes a long way! Alternatively, make lemony Pistachio Muffins by using the zest of a lemon.
Quick Tip
While the ingredients in these muffins are naturally gluten free, make sure to check all your ingredient labels to ensure they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten. If you have celiac disease, the small amount of contamination that could take place is enough to cause serious problems.
How To Make Pistachio Muffins
This recipe is quick and easy to make, but you do need a good, powerful blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the pistachios and oats.
We blend the entire batter all at once — so easy, so quick!
Once the batter is fully blended and smooth, pour it directly from the blender jar into a muffin pan. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Pistachio Muffin Recipe Tips
- Measure the coconut oil when melted. Measure 1/2 cup of melted (not hardened) coconut oil.
- Scrape everything out of the blender. The finished batter is very thick and quite sticky, so take your time scraping it all out into the muffin tins. For the best, high-rise muffins we need to use every bit of the batter!
- Grease the muffin pan generously. I don’t recommend muffin liners for these muffins, because the batter sticks to the liners. Make sure to grease the cavities well. Of course, a good muffin pan also makes a world of difference. These pans are my absolute favorite, and I’ve never had a problem with muffins not releasing nicely.
Storage
Storing Pistachio Muffins
- Cool muffins completely before storing them.
- To freeze: Wrap Pistachio Muffins individually in plastic wrap and then place all the wrapped muffins in large freezer bags.
- To thaw: Set out at room temperature or heat frozen muffins in the microwave.
*There is some loss of texture and flavor when freezing and thawing these muffins.
More Delicious Baked Goods:
- Healthy Carrot Muffins naturally sweetened
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins with chocolate chips
- Healthy Banana Cake Recipe with dry-roasted almonds
- Strawberry Scones made with Greek yogurt
- Chocolate-Covered Dates filled with peanut butter and peanuts
Pistachio Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan 12-cavity
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1-1/4 cup old-fashioned oats not quick or steel-cut
- 1 cup pistachios see note 1
- 1/4 cup milk see note 2
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil see note 3
- 3/4 cup maple syrup see note 4
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 orange for zest
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cavity muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. Don’t use liners; the batter sticks to it.
- Add all ingredients except shredded coconut to a blender in the listed order. For the orange, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons orange zest. Blend until smooth, about 90–120 seconds, scraping sides as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity mostly full. Use a spatula to scrape out the blender. Sprinkle coconut evenly on top (optional). Bake for 22–27 minutes (25 minutes works best in my oven).
- Remove from oven and let stand for 3 minutes. Use a fork to gently remove each muffin to a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was fantastic! These are healthy, gluten free and so yummy with the maple syrup! I am already making them again.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Nina! 🙂
It’s a little tedious to remove from the pan but it tastes amazing!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Sofia! 🙂