These decadent Pistachio Brownies are thick, fudgy, and packed with crunchy pistachios. Topped with a luxurious pistachio ganache - the perfect treat for pistachio lovers!
Pistachios and chocolate are a heavenly combination (think Dubai Chocolate) and these brownies are proof of that. The super fudgy brownies are full of pistachio nuts, and the homemade pistachio ganache on top takes it to the next level.
Pistachios are my favorite ingredient to bake with and I have a lot of pistachio dessert recipes on the site, like my Pistachio Shortbread Cookies and my fancy Pistachio Dacquoise Cake. This pistachio brownie recipe will definitely be added to my list of favorites!
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Ingredients
- Dark Chocolate - This is not a cocoa powder brownie recipe, this is the real deal. You want high-quality dark chocolate to get that intense chocolatey flavor. You could use bittersweet chocolate as well, but the flavor won't be quite as rich. Make sure you use real chocolate, not chocolate chips.
- Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter for these brownies - whatever your preference is. If you use salted, leave the extra salt out of the brownie batter.
- Eggs - Use large eggs and always free-range if you can. They should be at room temperature.
- Sugar - White superfine sugar (caster sugar) is best for these brownies as we'll be whipping it into the eggs.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour. We don't want to use any leavening agents (like baking powder) as it will make the brownies cakey rather than gooey and fudgey, so don't use self-raising flour which has baking powder in the flour mixture.
- Almond Extract - Almond extract really shows off the pistachio flavor, the recipe calls for two teaspoons but you can add more or less according to your personal taste.
- Pistachios - Of course, we need pistachios! To make life easier for yourself I recommend you buy shelled pistachios so you don't have to pick all the shells off. You can use salted or unsalted, it just depends if you want salty pistachios in your brownies (I do!)
- Heavy Cream - For the ganache, you'll want to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (not half and half).
- White Chocolate - The ganache uses white chocolate so we can get that pretty green color from the pistachios. Again, make sure it's real chocolate and not chocolate chips.
- Pistachio Paste - Also known as pistachio butter. You can either order pistachio paste online or you can easily make your own with just pistachios and a food processor - check out my blog post about homemade pistachio paste.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Make the Pistachio Brownies
These pistachio brownies are an adaptation of my classic fudgy brownie recipe, with chopped pistachios and homemade pistachio ganache added to them.
Whisk Eggs + Sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and thick, it will look kind of like custard.
This should only take about 30 seconds of vigorous whisking by hand. You can use an electric mixer if you want but it's not really necessary for this recipe.
Melt Chocolate
In a separate bowl (a microwave-safe bowl), combine butter and chopped chocolate.
Microwave in 30-second increments until everything has melted. Make sure you stir the chocolate mixture in between each round in the microwave.
Mix Together
Pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the egg/sugar mixture and whisk together gently, just until combined.
Add Extracts
Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and stir them in.
Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour and salt. Fold them into the brownie batter gently.
Be careful not to overmix the batter to avoid a cakey texture.
Add Pistachios
Add the pistachios to the bowl, I like to keep them whole, but you can chop them first if you like.
Stir them in until evenly distributed with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula as the pistachios can get stuck inside of a whisk.
Pour into Pan
Pour the pistachio brownie batter into the prepared pan (lined with parchment paper) and smooth the batter into an even layer.
Bake
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, the top of the brownies should be shiny and crackly, and a skewer inserted will come out slightly gooey.
Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely in the pan before removing.
Make the Pistachio Ganache
You could definitely just enjoy the brownies as they are without any ganache, but I promise you this extra step is totally worth it!
Chop Chocolate
Chop the white chocolate into small, easy-to-melt pieces and place them in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the Cream
In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat just until scalding.
This means that there are tiny bubbles starting to form on the surface of the cream, but it is not yet boiling. If you let the cream get too hot then it could end up causing your ganache to seize.
Remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate. Let sit for one minute.
Mix in Pistachio Paste
Stir the white chocolate and cream together until it is completely melted. It should be a lovely, shiny ganache.
Add the pistachio paste and salt and mix until combined and smooth.
Tips for Decorating and Slicing Pistachio Brownies
There are two ways to decorate the pistachio brownies:
Option 1 - Spread the ganache on top of the brownies before slicing for an easy neat look.
Option 2 - If want some brownies with ganache and some without, you can slice them first and then spread or pipe the pistachio ganache onto individual brownies.
Top the brownies with chopped pistachios and a sprinkling of sea salt.
See my video below for some tips on how to slice brownies perfectly.
Variations
Different nuts - Replace the pistachios with your favorite nuts. This will work best with something that works as a nut butter, such as peanuts. Or try them with my delicious Sweet Pecan Butter.
Add Chocolate Chips - For a little extra sweetness, add some chocolate chips to the pistachio brownies before baking.
Warm Brownies - Instead of spreading the pistachio ganache on top, try serving the brownies warm with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle the ganache on top.
Equipment
- Square pan - I used a 9-inch brownie pan, but the recipe will also work in an 8 or 10-inch pan, they will just be different thicknesses.
- Whisk - Just a regular handheld whisk is all you need to bring these pistachio brownies together.
Storage
Store your pistachio brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will be good like this for 3-5 days. Don't put them in the fridge as this will dry them out.
More Pistachio Desserts
Pistachios are my absolute favorite ingredient to bake with. Try out some of my other pistachio recipes next time:
Recipe
Pistachio Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks Unsalted Butter 170g
- 10.5 oz Dark Chocolate 300g
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar 250g
- 1 cup All-purpose Flour 120g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 cup Pistachios 130g
- 8 oz White Chocolate 227g
- ½ cup Heavy Cream 120g / 120ml
- 3 tablespoon Pistachio Paste
- 1 pinch Salt
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 335°F / 170°C and line a 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whip together the eggs and sugar with a whisk until light and thick, like custard. This should take about 30 seconds of vigorous hand whisking.3 large (3) Eggs, 1 ¼ cups (250 g) Granulated Sugar
- Put the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until completely melted. Make sure you give it a little stir in between blasts.1 ½ sticks (170 g) Unsalted Butter, 10.5 oz (300g g) Dark Chocolate
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture and whisk together lightly, just until combined.
- Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix in.1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 2 teaspoon Almond Extract
- Fold in the flour and salt until just combined.1 cup (120 g) All-purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Salt
- Add the chopped pistachios and mix until evenly distributed.1 cup (130 g) Pistachios
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out into an even layer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. The top should be shiny and crinkly, and a skewer inserted will come out slightly gooey.
- Remove from the oven and leave the brownies in the pan to cool completely.
- While the brownies are baking, you can make the ganache as it will need to cool before you can use it.
- Chop up the white chocolate into small pieces that will melt easily and place them in a heatproof bowl.8 oz (227 g) White Chocolate
- Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it warm up just until it is scalding (tiny little bubbles just start to appear on the surface). Remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute.½ cup (120 ml) Heavy Cream
- Stir the hot cream and chocolate together until the chocolate has completely melted - it should make a smooth, shiny ganache.
- Add the pistachio paste and salt and mix until combined.3 tablespoon Pistachio Paste, 1 pinch Salt
- Check the flavor of the ganache, if you would like to you can add a few drops of almond extract to punch up the flavor a little.½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Almond Extract
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature before spreading it over the cooled brownies.
Jasmine
Hi Bonnie! I just wondered if I could make these vegan? Do you have an idea if those would work with Aquafaba, apple sauce or plant milk?
Jasmine