Description
Delight in these homemade pistachio cupcakes, featuring finely ground shelled pistachios blended into a moist, fluffy batter and baked to perfection. These cupcakes boast a subtle nutty flavor enhanced by almond and vanilla extracts, with an optional vibrant green hue for added visual appeal. Perfect for dessert or special occasions, they pair beautifully with pistachio buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, finely ground
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- a few drops of green food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare oven and muffin tin: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to prevent sticking.
- Grind pistachios: Using a food processor, pulse the shelled unsalted pistachios until they are finely ground, almost like a coarse meal.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground pistachios, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to combine them evenly.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This typically takes about 2 to 3 minutes using a hand or stand mixer.
- Add eggs and extracts: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the creamed butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts to infuse the batter with flavor.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the whole milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients to ensure proper blending. If desired, add a few drops of green food coloring to give the batter a subtle pistachio-like green color.
- Fill cupcake liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising during baking.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cupcake; if it comes out clean, they are ready.
- Cool: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely prior to frosting or serving.
Notes
- Top these cupcakes with pistachio buttercream or cream cheese frosting for enhanced flavor and texture.
- For a richer, deeper pistachio flavor, toast the pistachios lightly before grinding.
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature; they remain fresh for up to 3 days.
