Get ready to make delicious pistachio muffins that are legit five star rating worthy muffins! One of the taste testers who is a professional baker said these are some of the best muffins they’ve ever eaten. If you have a pistachio lover in your life, I think these bakery style pistachio muffins could make for a delicious homemade gift (Christmas, birthday, etc.).

Whilst these are pistachio muffins, I’ve also included a nut free option for chocolate chip muffins. Either way, I know you’re going to love these because the taste testers have given this recipe nothing but positive reviews.

Watch the Episode

You can watch me make these bakery-style muffins on Dang! That’s Delicious. You can also check out my Youtube channel for more episodes.

Tools You’ll Need for My Best Pistachio Muffins

• Ice Cream Scoop or Cookie Dough Scoop
• Large Bowl or Stand Mixer (wire/whisk attachment)
• Muffin Tin/Muffin Pan (also sometimes called a muffin tray)
• Muffin Cups/Muffin Liners (I use the If You Care brand for paper liners)
• Kitchen Scale
• Spatula (I like to use a heavy duty spatula)

Delicious & Simple Ingredients for Your Homemade Pistachio Muffins

I’ve broken the ingredients into sections for your connivence. Be sure to read over the directions before you get started.

Binding Agent for Your Muffins

• 3 TBSP Ground Chia Meal (not the same thing as chia seeds)
• 9 TBSP Water

Dry Ingredients for Your Delicious Pistachio Muffins

• 130g Cassava Flour
• 100g Tiger Nut Flour (tuber, not a tree nut)
• 30g Arrowroot
• 140g Organic Maple Sugar
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients for This Easy Muffin Recipe

• 200mL Milk of Choice
• 1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

• 110 Tiger Nut Oil
• 4 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
• 50mL Hot Water

Mix-ins For Your Muffins

85g Pistachio in 1/2 your batter PLUS 80g 70% mini chocolate chips in the other half of your batter

OR

170g (6 ounces) Pistachios

OR

150g Mini Chocolate Chips

Substitutions For Your Muffins

With this particular recipe, there aren’t too many substitutions you can make and still get awesome results at home. That’s because this is a grain free muffin recipe, and you can’t go swapping nilly willy. You cannot swap the flour for an all-purpose flour and get the same results.

The tiger nut flour can be swapped for oat flour or pistachio flour. With the pistachio flour, you could do a 50/50 flour blend with the tiger nut flour.

The organic maple sugar can be swapped for any granulated sweetener at a 1:1 rate. However, whilst function will be in tact, the taste will absolutely be altered.

For this pistachio muffins recipe, you can use any mammal milk or your favorite dairy free milk.

Glaze Ingredients

• 56g Freeze Dried Cherries, blended into a powder (you’ll lose a little weight)
• 50g Organic Powdered Sugar
• 5mL Organic Vanilla Extract
• 20mL Organic Maple Syrup
• 15mL Water

More Gluten Free + Egg Free Muffins

Need more delicious muffin recipes? Check out my Muffin eBook (all gluten & egg free). You can also enjoy several muffin recipes on RAISE. Be sure to check out the Advanced Recipe Search. There’s more than 125 filters to use so you can find recipes that meet your needs perfectly.

• Free-From Muffin Cookbook
• Sweet & Salty Chewy Date Muffins (my kids especially love eating the muffin tops from this particular recipe)
• Lemon Poppy Muffins (GF, V, Top 9 Allergy Free)
• Double Chocolate Muffins (flax seed free, top 9 allergy free)

Directions for Your Homemade Pistachio Muffins

I’ve broken the steps down into sections for your convenience. Be sure to watch the video in full and read over the instructions before you start baking.

Preparing Your Pistachio Nuts (Skip if You’re Using Chocolate Chips)

For this recipe, you’re going to need to prep your pistachios. I purchase the Eden brand since they’re shelled, salted, and ready to be used. If you’re a fan of chopped pistachios, you’re in luck because that’s what you’ll be making.

The easiest way to make chopped pistachios is to put whole pistachios into your food processor and pulse until they look like small pebbles. You don’t want to over-process and end up with a fine powder which will be more like pistachio flour. You won’t be able to fold in a fine ground pistachio.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can try to pulse your pistachios in a high-powered blender. The third option will be using a mallet. You’ll want to put your whole pistachios in a freezer baggie, then use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound them until they resemble chopped pistachios.

The final way to get chopped pistachios is to actually chop them on a cutting board with a large sharp knife. This is my least fave method since pistachios have an awkward shape and will move around the board quite a bit (but when there’s a will there’s a way, amirite?).

Once your pistachios are chopped and ready to go, you can move on to making the muffin batter.

Pistachio Muffin Directions

For this amazing bakery style pistachio muffin recipe, start by combining the chia meal and water in a small bowl. Mix very well, then set aside. Next, measure out the milk and add the vinegar to said milk. Now, measure your oil into a separate measuring cup, then add the vanilla. This completes the prep for the wet ingredients.

Pre-heat your oven to 350f/177c then line your muffin pan with liners. I used a standard muffin pan for this recipe, and you can also use a jumbo muffin tin. Grab your digital kitchen scale, place your empty mixing bowl on, and tare to 0.

Add the dry ingredients one at a time, and remember to tare between each ingredient. Once all of the dry ingredients are in, whisk to lightly combine. For this pistachio muffin recipe, I used a stand mixer with the wire attachment. A large mixing bowl with an electric whisk or handheld whisk will work as well.

Whilst mixing on low speed, add the dairy free milk mix. Whisk for about 10 seconds, then turn off. Allow the reaction to take place. Turn the mixer back on to low speed and add the oil and vanilla mix. Mix until mostly combined (it’s going to be a thick mass, see photo), then add your chia gel. Mix again and when the ingredients are just about all together, you can add the hot water.

Continue to mix on medium speed until all of the ingredients are well combined. Finally, mix on high speed for 20 seconds. Place your bowl back on the scale, tare to 0, and add your pistachios OR chocolate chips. Fold them in gently, and your muffin batter is done. Since we’re working with awesome free-from ingredients, don’t let your batter rest and move on to baking quickly.

Use an ice cream scoop or large cookie dough scoop to portion your batter into the muffin liners. Bake in your preheated oven at 350f/177c for 25 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick and it should come out mostly clean. A few crumbs on your toothpick is fine, but goopy pistachio muffin batter on your toothpick means your muffins need to bake for a few more minutes.

Allow the muffins to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before ejecting them. Be sure to set a timer and eject them after 10 minutes. If you wait longer than that, you run the risk of your cupcake liners detaching from the muffins from the steaming effect. If this happens, your muffins are still good to eat, but the cupcake liners won’t be properly attached (maybe don’t give those to friends? give them the nice looking ones).

Using the Pistachio or Chocolate Chip Mix Ins

You have three options for this muffin recipe. You can split the batter in half and make half the muffins as pistachio muffins and the other half as chocolate chip muffins. The other option is to choose a mix in: pistachios or chocolate chips. Fold whichever you choose into the batter.

In the ingredient section, I’ve included the measurements for all three options.

Glaze Directions

I personally think adding a glaze makes these more like bakery style muffins. The glaze pairs brilliantly with the pistachios and really gives these muffins that extra pop of flavour that will dazzle your taste buds.

To make the glaze, start by blending your freeze dried cherries on high speed in your blender to form a powder. With that done, transfer the powder to a large measuring cup. Place the cup on your scale, tare to zero, then add the rest of the glaze ingredients. Be sure to tare between each ingredient. Once all the ingredients are in, mix very well until a nice glaze forms.

Note, the water is a very delicate number. It’s very easy to add too much water and ruin your glaze, so be sure to use a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to add the water so you don’t go over by mistake.

Enjoying Your Muffins

There are so many ways you can enjoy your bakery-style pistachio muffins, and even give them a doubly good pistachio punch. Here are just a few ideas:

• Enjoy your muffins for breakfast with a side of yogurt and fresh fruit.
• Pop these in a lunch box for a super easy lunch. Pair with produce and an easy protein.
• Eat a muffin as a snack alongside a fruit you enjoy. For a lasting fullness, add a healthy fat such as pistachio butter to your snack.
• Pair with cherry sorbet or pistachio ice cream for a little bit of indulgence on a plate.
• Top your pistachio muffins with a little bit of whipped cream (talk about an easy and awesome dessert).
• Pipe pistachio paste/pistachio butter into the center of the muffins (use the back of a cake decorating tip to make a hole, push down to make a cavity, then fill).
• Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top of the muffins before baking to create a fun texture and extra crunch.
• For a more robust pistachio flavor, you can use pistachio flour in place of the tiger nut flour (100g) or a combination of the two (50g each).

Storing Your Homemade Pistachio Muffins

You can store these muffins on your countertop for a few days, or in the refrigerator for a few days. For muffins, I like to use a clamshell container rather than an airtight container, as the latter can sometimes mess with the moisture content of free-from muffins. A clamshell container isn’t quite an air-tight container as there’s a little gap, and you can purchase them at restaurant supply stores.

For the best results with these dairy free muffins, I encourage you to freeze them. Once your muffins have cooled completely, you can store them in the freezer for up to 4 months. After 4 months you’ll notice a small change in texture.

To thaw your frozen muffins, leave a muffin at room temperature on your counter top for about 90 minutes. Reheating is not advised as this can degrade the texture a little bit. If you’re in a rush and absolutely must heat to thaw, do so carefully until *just* thawed. Do not overheat.

Answering Your Pistachio Muffin Questions

Could I add almond extract to these muffins?

You can, but full confession: I’ve never worked with it before and couldn’t tell you how much to use. You could swap some of the vanilla extract for almond extract in this recipe to create an interesting flavor. I’ll also add this: I don’t think it’s necessary based on what the taste testers told me. They raved for days about these homemade pistachio muffins, and I’d leave them just the way they are.

If you really want to make the swap, make the recipe as-is the first time, then make a second batch of muffins so you can compare them and see which one you like better.

Will a different vegetable oil work in this recipe?

I’ve made muffins like these with extra virgin olive oil in the past and they turn out OK. You won’t have the same perfect muffins like me though as the tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut) in this recipe is critical for your success.

Is it OK to top these muffins with crunchy sugar before baking?

Crunchy sugar or coarse sugar, would work. I’ve personally topped muffins in the past with a dusting of maple sugar to give it an extra pop of flavour and the tiniest hint of crunch.

Will white sugar work in place of the maple sugar in this recipe?

Yes, white cane sugar can work since it’s a granulated sweetener. Coconut sugar and date sugar would also work in place of the maple sugar in these delicious muffins. Just know that you can’t use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey.

Could I use white chocolate chips instead of the 70% chocolate chips?

Yes, you can use white chocolate chips, so long as they’re baking chips. Also know that some dairy free white chocolate chips may not hold up to being in the oven for a long time and start to melt in a way that they shouldn’t (and ruin your muffins in the process).

Be sure to bake a few tester muffins before you fully commit to using the white chocolate chips in place of the 70% chips.

Do I need to use a cooling rack when making these muffins?

Honestly, no. I rarely use one, and generally don’t call for one. You can eject your muffins on to a countertop and be OK. Now, if you’re in the mood to use a cooling rack, I sure won’t stop you.

Can I use melted butter in place of the tiger nut oil?

No, you can’t use melted butter in place of the oil. Given the free-from nature of these muffins, a swap like that could ruin you muffins. At most, you can swap the tiger nut oil for olive oil, however, even that swap can create tough muffins rather than the tender crumb I’ve been able to create.

Will whole milk work as my milk of choice?

Yes, you can use whole milk (cow’s milk) for the milk in these homemade pistachio muffins.

Could I use large eggs in these muffins rather than the chia meal?

For this recipe, one large egg or two medium eggs would work as a swap. You’ll want to beat the eggs in a small container before adding them to the muffins. However, you should know that using eggs in this muffin recipe will alter the texture. You most likely won’t have the same tender crumb I was able to create. You’ll still enjoy the muffins, but I want you to manage your expectations going in.

Can I use this recipe base for pistachio pudding muffins?

Personally, I wouldn’t advise it. A conversion like that is a pretty big change from what I’m sharing, and there’s no way to guarantee that you’ll have success. If you’re really wanting to make pistachio pudding muffins, I’d suggest searching online for something like “gluten free vegan pistachio pudding muffins recipe” (I’m assuming you’re both GF and egg free).

Can I use unsalted pistachios in these muffins?

You can, but they’re going to lack a little umph and flavor. Keep that in mind as you proceed and manage your expectations. I’ll also add: use the same amount of pistachios I call for.

I noticed the interior of the muffins is brown. Could I use green food coloring to make the interior bright green?

I only have working experience with dye free green food coloring and let me tell you: the colors don’t bake well. You barely end up with a green color and it’s miles away from bright green.

If you have a green food coloring that you know will bake well, yes, you can use it to make these muffins bright green. I can’t tell you how much to use though. If you make them, I’d love to see a picture 🙂

Can I use brown sugar instead of the maple sugar in this pistachio muffin recipe?

Yes, you can use both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar in this recipe. For function, it’s a 1:1 substitute. However, I must warn you: brown sugar has much more present taste and sweetness when compared to organic maple sugar.

It means that whilst your homemade pistachio muffins will function well, they won’t taste the same as what I’m sharing today.

Could I fold in ground pistachios rather than chopped pistachios?

I wouldn’t. Ground pistachios, especially if they’re on the finer side are more like pistachio flour, and that won’t work in this recipe. It will add to the dry ingredients rather than be something that’s folded in. If you’re all out of pistachios, you could always use the chocolate chip option I’ve provided.

Do I need to cool these muffins on a wire rack?

No, you don’t need to cool these muffins on a wire rack. You can if you really want to, or if you don’t have much counter space. However, a wire rack isn’t a requirement.

Is there an easy way to turn this recipe into pistachio raspberry muffins?

There are two easy ways to give your muffins some raspberry flavor. The first will be your glaze. Rather than use freeze dried cherry, use freeze dried raspberry instead. Once you pipe that glaze on the tops of the muffins, you’ll ensure that each bite has a fantastic pop of raspberry flavor.

The next option is to fold in freeze dried raspberries, however, this can have mixed results. Freeze dried fruits absorb liquid and can essentially turn your moist muffins into something more on the dry side. You can also sprinkle freeze dried raspberries on top of the muffins before they bake, but, that comes with downsides as well. I’ve done this before and the freeze dried raspberries tend to burn a bit. The muffins are still good, but they certainly don’t look super pretty.

If I were doing this, I’d absolutely start with the glaze option, plus, it’s the easier road to travel.

Can I swap the cassava flour for wheat flour?

No, you can’t exchange the cassava flour in this recipe and get the same results.

Could I bake the pistachio muffin batter in a glass dish for more of a loaf?

Yes!! In fact, I sometimes bake my free-from muffin batters in a glass dish (loaf pan style) for my kids, then top with a glaze. My youngest loves having thick slices of muffin loaf to enjoy.

Can I reheat a frozen muffin in the microwave?

You’ll love this: I don’t have a microwave, nor do I believe in using them. It’s another convo for another day. However, one of the taste testers has a microwave and uses it liberally. They told me that yes, you can reheat the muffin from frozen in your microwave. You’ll have to play with the power and timings to get it just right, but start with 45 seconds and go from there.