Description
These luscious pistachio cupcakes are a delightful treat combining the nutty flavor of pistachios with a smooth, creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfectly moist with a tender crumb, these cupcakes are enhanced with instant pistachio pudding mix and chopped pistachios for extra texture and taste. Finished with a light green tint and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios on top, they make an elegant dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- Green food coloring (optional)
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3–3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to ensure easy removal and cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant pistachio pudding mix, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes a few minutes on medium speed.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time to maintain batter smoothness, then stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
- Fold in Pistachios and Color: Gently fold in the finely chopped pistachios for crunch and fold in a drop of green food coloring if you want to enhance the pistachio color.
- Fill and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Completely: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the tin or on a wire rack before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition to avoid lumps. Add vanilla extract, heavy cream or milk, and a pinch of salt. Continue beating for 2–3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Frost and Garnish: Pipe or spread the vanilla buttercream evenly over the cooled cupcakes. Garnish the tops with extra finely chopped pistachios for a beautiful, nutty finish.
Notes
- For an even more pronounced pistachio flavor, substitute or add pistachio extract to the vanilla in both the cupcakes and frosting.
- These cupcakes are best served fresh on the day they are frosted for optimal texture and taste.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The green food coloring is optional and can be adjusted to your preferred hue or omitted entirely.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
