Simple Pistachio Pudding (Quick & Easy Pistachio Dessert)

Get ready to indulge in the creamy goodness of pistachio pudding, a hassle-free treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat.

Recipe At a Glance

This pistachio pudding is a super easy dessert you can make in just about 15 minutes.

It’s pretty much like making other puddings I’ve talked about before, like the vanilla pudding recipe and the chocolate pudding.

What’s great about this one is that it gets its yummy pistachio flavor from pistachio paste (it’s a bit like peanut butter). So, if you’ve got a jar of it at home, you’re ready to go.

(Don’t have pistachio paste? No problem. You can make it yourself with raw pistachios.)

This pudding recipe can also be a base for pistachio pastry cream, another nutty deliciousness.

If you’re making pistachio pudding for the first time, read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re a veteran, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

• Milk. Dairy milk is the default, but you can use other varieties, too. Just pick one that’s neutral so that it doesn’t interfere with the flavor.
• Egg yolks.
• Starch. 4 tablespoons of cornstarch or 2 tablespoons of potato starch should be enough to thicken the pudding. Here’s a piece on substituting cornstarch and potato starch.
• Sugar. Plain white sugar is perfectly fine.
• Salt. If your pistachio paste is made from unroasted pistachios, you’ll need to add a bit of salt to bring out the flavor. Paste from roasted pistachios is usually good without any extra salt.
• Pistachio paste. Pistachio paste is our source of flavor. It’s also known as pistachio butter and is simply shelled pistachios ground up. Sometimes, a little oil or salt is added, but it’s mostly pistachios – like 95% to 100% of it. There’s also something called pistachio spread, which is different because it has a lot of sugar and oil to make it sweet and easy to spread. That’s not really what we want for this recipe. Sure, you could use pistachio spread and tweak the other ingredients, but it’s not the best option. It’s better to stick with pistachio paste and use the spread for what it’s meant for.
• White chocolate. White chocolate takes the pistachio flavor to the next level. You could skip it, but the dessert tastes much better with the addition of white chocolate.

How to Make Pistachio Pudding

1. Prep the pistachio paste. Measure out your pistachio paste and give it a taste. If needed, add a pinch of salt. Pistachio paste from unroasted pistachios might taste a bit bland, so about 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every 1/2 cup of paste should do the trick. Start with less, mix it in, and taste again. Keep adding salt until you get a nice, strong pistachio flavor without making it too salty.
2. Prep yolks. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set them aside.
3. Set aside milk for the starch slurry. Measure out half a cup of milk and pour it into a container that is easy to pour from.
4. Get your pot ready. Pour the rest of the milk into a pot. Add in the egg yolks, white chocolate (cut into smaller pieces), sugar, and pistachio paste. Stir it all together. Heat it up until it’s just about to boil, stirring often so the chocolate doesn’t burn and the yolks don’t become scrambled eggs.

5. Prep starch slurry. While the pot is heating, mix the starch with the milk you set aside. Make sure there are no lumps.

6. Add the starch slurry. When the mixture in the pot is warm and almost boiling, turn the heat down to low. Slowly pour in the starch slurry (give it a stir right before!), stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Keep stirring on low heat until it thickens, which should take about a minute.

7. Fine-tune the taste. Try a little bit of the pudding (be careful, it’s hot) to check the flavor. Add a bit more sugar or salt if you think it needs it.
8. Portion. Once the pudding has thickened, take it off the heat and pour it into serving dishes or cups.

9. Serve. Serve warm or cold.

Tips for Making Pistachio Pudding

• Thicken it up if needed. If the pudding’s still runny after adding the starch slurry, mix up more. Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water or milk, stir it well, then stir it into the pudding. If it’s almost there but not quite, try just using half of this extra slurry to see if that’s enough.

Variations

If you’re into puddings, you should definitely check out my vanilla pudding and chocolate pudding recipes I mentioned earlier.

For something fresh and fruity, take a look at this strawberry kissel recipe. It’s kind of similar but uses water instead of milk and skips the egg yolks.

And if you’re into pastries, you’ll love this pistachio pastry cream.

How to Serve

Here are some fun ways to jazz up your dessert:

• Chocolate. Chocolate is always a winner. Pick from dark, milk, or white chocolate, whatever you’re in the mood for or have available. Add a piece of chocolate on top of your pudding or grate some over it.

• Strawberries or raspberries. Top off your pudding with a few fresh strawberries or raspberries for a nice berry twist.
• Lemon or orange. If you have any lemon curd or orange syrup lying around, drizzle a bit on top for a zesty kick.
• Serve warm with ice cream. For a classic warm-and-cold mix, pair the pudding with ice cream. Chocolate is a no-brainer, but a fruity flavor would be great too.

Storage

After you’re done, put any leftover pistachio pudding in an airtight container. Leave it open at room temperature to cool down. Once it’s cold, seal it up and pop it in the fridge. It’ll stay good for up to 4 days.

When you’re ready for more, just grab it from the fridge.

You can even make this dessert ahead of time. Just pour the pudding into ramekins or dessert bowls, let them cool, then cover and refrigerate. Aluminum foil or plastic wrap is the easiest way to cover them.

Don’t leave these uncovered in the fridge – the pudding might dry out or pick up odors from other foods.