This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.

Pistachio whipped ganache is a delightfully nutty frosting that’s easy to make and perfect for topping your cakes, cupcakes, and eclairs

Recipe At a Glance

Pistachio whipped ganache is a delightful frosting, ideal for enhancing pistachio-flavored treats such as financiers (I use this recipe in my pistachio financiers), muffins, cupcakes, eclairs, and cream puffs.

This recipe features white chocolate, the best choice for complementing the flavor of pistachios. I also use this pairing in my pistachio pastry cream.

In addition to white chocolate, you’ll need heavy cream, pistachio paste (you can make your own), and powdered gelatin. The gelatin is essential for thickening the ganache and ensuring it’s firm enough for piping.

Unlike many recipes for pistachio whipped ganache that rely heavily on white chocolate and minimal heavy cream to achieve thickness, this recipe uses less white chocolate and includes gelatin. This creates a consistency that holds its shape beautifully without being overly sweet or rich.

If you’re looking for a pistachio ganache frosting that’s nutty and flavorful without being excessively sweet, this is the recipe for you.

Making pistachio whipped ganache for the first time? Read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

White chocolate. Couverture chocolate or any other one that melts easily works great, but your favorite white chocolate should work just as well.
Heavy cream. Use your go-to brand for whipping.
Pistachio paste. Use unsweetened pistachio paste from roasted pistachios for the best flavor, or make it from scratch.
Gelatin. I use powdered gelatin, but you can use an equivalent in gelatin leaves if that’s what you prefer.

How to Make Pistachio Whipped Ganache

Bloom the gelatin. Pour the water over the gelatin in a tiny bowl and stir it. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to bloom, so it should be ready by the time you need it.

Gelatin for stabilized whipped cream — Bloom gelatin in water for 5-10 minutes

Prepare the chocolate. Finely chop the white chocolate and place it into a large heatproof bowl. White chocolate melts easily, so there’s no need for a super fine and precise chop. Plus, we will blend the chocolate with the heavy cream anyway.
Heat the cream. Heat half the heavy cream over medium heat in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Do not let it boil over; you’re looking for small bubbles near the edges of the pot and a bit of steam. Take the cream off the heat.

Heating the cream — Heat half the cream until it simmers without boiling

Add gelatin. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and whisk until it dissolves.

Adding the bloomed gelatin to the cream — Add the gelatin

Combine chocolate and cream. Pour the hot cream and gelatin mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about 1 minute for the chocolate to warm and start melting. After a minute, whisk the mixture until the chocolate fully melts and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the hot cream and gelatin mixture
Whisk until white chocolate melts

Add pistachio paste and blend. Add the measured pistachio paste into the bowl and stir it. Use an immersion blender to carefully blend the mixture for 1-2 minutes. Ensure you move the blender around to incorporate all the chocolate, pistachio paste, and cream thoroughly. This ensures our ganache is niche and smooth.

Add the pistachio paste
Stir the paste into the mixture
Blend with an immersion blender
Until all ingredients are incorporated

Add remaining cream. Pour the remaining cream (the portion that wasn’t heated) into the mixture and blend for another minute or so. That quickly lowers the temperature of the ganache, making it ready for refrigeration.

Add the remaining unheated cream
Blend for about a minute

Cover and refrigerate. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is in direct contact with the surface of the ganache. That prevents a skin from forming. Put the bowl in the fridge for 6+ hours, ideally overnight.

Whip. After those 6 hours in the fridge, the ganache will look set and pretty stiff. That’s expected, so don’t panic. Grab a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the ganache on medium speed until the whisks leave a clearly visible trail and the ganache looks light and fluffy. That should take 3 to 5 minutes. Stop immediately if you notice the ganache starts looking grainy.

After six hours of
chilling, the ganache will
look solid and stiff

Whip the ganache on medium speed
until it becomes light and fluffy

Use. Pipe the ganache immediately after whipping.

Tips

Keep the following in mind when making this whipped ganache recipe:

Chill the equipment. If you want to use a different bowl for whipping, transfer the ganache to it at least 30 minutes before whipping so it cools to a low temperature. Freezing the whisks for 30 minutes before whipping is also a great idea. Read my guide to whipped cream for more tips on whipping cream.

Pistachio white chocolate frosting — Financier topped with pistachio whipped ganache

Storage

You can store this pistachio whipped ganache, or any dessert topped with it, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The frosting will easily maintain its shape throughout this time. Make sure the container is sealed to prevent the ganache from absorbing any odors.