It’s easy to learn how to make pistachio butter! It’s creamy and rich, unique and delicious — and a jar of homemade pistachio butter is a lovely edible holiday gift.
While I don’t always make my own nut butters, this one is well worth it! Of course, others like peanut and almond for example, likely are also, but those are more readily available in stores.
Pistachio butter, on the other hand, will hardly ever — if ever — make an appearance at your local market.
Something you should know . . . your pistachio butter will not be green. It might be greenish, but not green! 
Here’s the deal, there are three parts to pistachios, and each one is a different color. The shell is beige, the skin is purpleish-brownish, and the flesh (the “meat”) is greenish-yellowish. So unless you painstakingly removed every bit of the skin, some purple and brown will mix into the green, creating a brownish-greenish color.
What an unexpected and fun holiday gift homemade pistachio butter would make for your foodie friends!
It’s incredibly easy and takes only about 10 minutes! Today I’m providing a step-by-step photographic guide, with a the printable recipe just below it. You’ll see quickly that you can easily learn how to make pistachio butter.
You will need: 3 cups raw, unsalted, shelled pistachios, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and ¾ teaspoon sea salt. (Unless you have loads of extra time, I recommend you buy pre-shelled pistachios. You can find them at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and I’m sure if you ask around, other stores, too.)
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and add the pistachios to a baking sheet. 
Step 2: Roast the pistachios in the preheated 375 degree F oven just long enough to bring the oils to the surface — about 7 minutes.
They will be aromatic and might look a bit wet when they’re ready. (Do this even if the pistachios you buy say they’ve been roasted.)
Step 3: Add the roasted pistachios to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
Step 4: Blend for about 7 minutes.
As depicted in the below images, you’ll see the the pistachios change from being ground into tiny pieces, to a paste, and finally to a beautiful smooth and creamy texture. 
Step 5: Add the sugar and salt and blend for another couple of seconds.
Step 6: Let it cool down before refrigerating.
And there you have it. Now you’ve learned how to make pistachio butter. Bravo!
This recipe is creamy and rich, unique and delicious -- and a jar of homemade pistachio butter is a lovely edible gift.
*Makes 2 cups
- 3 cups raw unsalted, shelled pistachios
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and add the pistachios to a baking sheet.
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Roast the pistachios in the preheated 375 degree F oven just long enough to bring the oils to the surface -- about 7 minutes. They will be aromatic and might look a bit wet when they're ready. (Do this even if the pistachios you buy say they've been roasted.)
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Add the roasted pistachios to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
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Blend for about 7 minutes.
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Add the sugar and salt and blend for another couple of seconds.
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Let it cool down before refrigerating. (It should last at least a month in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.)
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Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
This pistachio butter sounds and looks absolutely delicious! Yum!!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Marsha! Enjoy!
sippitysup says
Wow hardly a thing but nuts. You gotta love something so pure. GREG
valentina says
I love pure! 🙂
Sarah says
I haven’t ever tried pistachio butter, but I do LOVE pistachios, so I need to give this a try!
valentina says
Sarah, I think you’ll love it!
Jessica {Swanky Recipes} says
Homemade pistachio butter? This is what I need in my life right now! I totally need to make this, I just don’t think I’ll be able to put it down. So delicious!
valentina says
Thanks, Jessica. Hope you try it. So easy! 🙂
Maureen says
I love making my own nut butters! I think they taste so much better than store bought.
valentina says
I agree, Maureen. 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
What a nice idea for a holiday gift! I find it wonderful when someone gives me a home-made gift. It makes the gift even more special.
valentina says
Thank you, Nagi! Yes, homemade gifts are the most heartwarming. 🙂
Just Jo says
Ooo this looks so great! Love pistachios (although I’d have to re-mortgage to afford a batch of this nut butter lol). I’ll definitely have a go when they are next on offer at our local supermarket 😀
valentina says
Thank you! If there’s a Trader Joe’s near you, they are usually much less expensive there. 🙂
David says
How fun to make your own pistachio butter! And I love knowing that there’s a recipe coming with which you use the pistachio butter…pistachios are grown locally in Tucson, so this is going to be a no-brainer!
valentina says
So cool they’re grown close by. Hope you enjoy, David! 🙂
Willow says
I have tried most nut butters, but I don’t think I have tried pistachio butter. Definitely going to try this!
valentina says
I hope you give it a go. Enjoy!
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto says
I looooooooooove pistachios but have never made my own pistachio butter and have never seen it sold in stores so I seriously need to mkae my own! Think the sugar can be omitted, or is it necessary for balance of flavors?
valentina says
Hi Vicky, I liked the touch of sweetness, but you can absolutely omit the sugar. It’s a preference thing. Hope you try it and enjoy! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Nancy Schermer says
Sounds wonderful.
valentina says
Thank you, Nancy. It’s so simple — hope you give it a try. 🙂
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky says
What a gorgeous pictures. Thishomemade pistachio butter is something new for me! Definitely i’ll try it! Thx for sharing!
valentina says
Thank you Jill! Hope you try it. Happy New Year!
Bella Hardy @ Healthnerdy says
This homemade pistachio butter is very decadent, and the people in my office are happy today!
valentina says
That’s so awesome! Happy to hear it — thanks so much for letting me know! We’ve been loving it on warm, crispy toast with a super light drizzle of honey. 🙂 Cheers!
Amit says
Is there a way to make it really really smooth, so it feels like real butter ? it appears that “blend more time” doesn’t help. Would adding some liquid oils, perhaps grape seed, help?
Thanks 🙂
valentina says
Hi Amit, Even at it’s smoothest, there will tiny, tiny bits of the nuts — so tiny though, they it’s still smooth, creamy and spreads beautifully. I have not tried adding oils to it, as the pistachios themselves are full of their own oil. I suppose you could warm it and press it through a very fine mesh strainer, which would take some time and muscle. For me though, blending it the way shown in the pictures, created a super smooth result. I hope it works for you. Enjoy!
Robin Hamilton @Wellness Wires says
I had a similar homemade pistachio butter at a restaurant recently and found myself craving it and wondering if I could recreate it today.
valentina says
Yay! This makes me happy. I hope you love it as much as the one you had at the restaurant! 🙂
Ayanna says
I just took a chance and googled “pistachio butter” to see if it exsisted. So glad to hear i can make my own! Wonder what the nutritional facts are? Just thinking aloud…THANK YOU for this recipe!!! I think i love u!
valentina says
Hi Ayanna, I’m so happy you found this. It’s so easy and is really delicious. I typically only publish the calories per serving, but here’s the entire nutritional analysis for you, based on approx. 2 tablespoons per serving: calories-131, carbohydrates-7g, protein-4g, fat-10g, Saturated fat-1g, Sodium-110mg, Potassium-232mg, Dietary Fiber-2g, Sugars-2g, Vitamin A-1.2 % Daily Value, Vitamin C-0.8 % Daily Value, Calcium-2.5 % Daily Value, Iron-5.2 % Daily Value.
Also once you make the butter, if you’re so inclined and are a true pistachio lover, you will love these Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies. Hope this helps and have fun. 🙂 ~Valentina