We can’t resist those beautiful green pistachio muffins when we pass by them at the grocery store bakery. These home-baked pistachio muffins are just as good and full of that nutty, slightly sweet pistachio flavor we all love Pistachio pudding mix adds amazing taste, but it also keeps the muffins perfectly moist.
Why Our Recipe
- Pistachio pudding mix makes these muffins extra moist and gives the perfect pistachio flavor.
- That bakery-style dome? We’ve got the trick to make it happen at home.
- Super simple ingredients and no fancy tools or special skills required!
If you’ve ever wondered how bakeries get their muffins to rise tall and fluffy, we’ve got the trick for you. You don’t need any special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Just mix, bake, and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter: If using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt to the batter.
- Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix: The key ingredient for flavor and moisture. Be sure to use instant pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind.
- Baking Powder: Make sure yours is fresh (not expired) because this is what makes the muffins rise.
- Milk: Whole, 2%, and 1% are our preferences for the fat content, but technically skim milk and plant-based milk also works.
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to use all-purpose or bread flour here. They both work.
- Extra Sugar for Topping: Creates a lightly crunchy, bakery-style top. You can also swap this for coarse sugar if you want a nice crunch.
Pistachio Pudding Mix
When developing this recipe, we tested so many different ways to get that perfect pistachio flavor—including using real pistachios and even pistachio paste. But no matter how much we used, the flavor just wasn’t strong enough. Using a pudding mix intensifies the pistachio flavor while also adding a little bit of moisture that makes these muffins extra soft.
You can still add chopped pistachios to the batter for some extra crunch, but the pudding mix is what makes these muffins truly shine.
High Heat: The Secret to the Perfect Dome
The secret to that perfectly domed muffin top is to blast the muffin batter with super high heat when you first place it into the oven, and then let it finish baking at a slightly lower temperature. The high heat causes the steam in the muffins to release quickly, making the muffins puff up and create that perfect dome on top.
We start our muffins at 425 degrees F. After about 7 minutes, reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees F. Watch your muffins closely as they finish baking. Ovens vary slightly so your cooking time may vary as some ovens will brown the muffins more than others. Pull your muffins out of the oven as soon as they are golden brown on top.
Keep Muffins From Sticking
You can bake muffins directly in a muffin tin, or use paper liners. To keep the muffins from sticking, use a nonstick pan and lightly grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray. If using liners, spray the liners themselves with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray to keep the muffins from sticking to the wrapper.
Thick Batter Ahead
If you’re used to thinner muffin batters, you might be surprised by how thick this one is—but don’t worry, that’s exactly how it should be! It’s a dense batter that bakes up into soft, moist muffins with a perfect crumb.
Because the batter is thick, resist the urge to overmix. Stir just until everything is combined—overmixing can make the muffins dense instead of light and fluffy. When scooping the batter into the muffin tin, a cookie scoop or two spoons will help make it easier to divide evenly.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. If your kitchen is warm or humid, they’ll stay fresher longer in the fridge.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Warm them up in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before serving for that fresh-baked feel.
To freeze, let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or pop one in the microwave for 20–30 seconds until warm.
More delicious muffin flavors…
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I made this recipe. I gave it three stars because the bake time and oven temperature was not correct. If using an electric oven like myself then the temperature should be dropped down to 400 not 350 and bake an additional 13-14 minutes.
This recipe intentionally starts at a high temperature (425°F) and then drops to 350°F to create a tall, bakery-style muffin with a nice dome. The initial high heat helps the muffins rise quickly before finishing at a lower temperature to bake through evenly.
We test our recipes primarily in electric ovens. Gas ovens tend to be the more unpredictable ones, but I learned years ago from an oven repairman that many electric ovens need to be calibrated on a yearly basis. We have an oven thermometer hanging in our test ovens so that we can verify the actual temperature. They are only a few dollars. If you had trouble with the temperature, I highly recommend getting one so that you can check and make sure your oven is keeping up.
I have an electric oven and they turned out perfectly at 350° in the suggested time. Sorry yours didn’t work.
Mixture was too dense. Added additional milk and vanilla. Added chopped pistachios to the batter
I added Almond extract as they are usually made with an almond flavor. I added a bit more milk to keep more moisture as they seemed a bit dense. With these additions they are more like te ones I’m used to from the bakery.
OMG these are so good! Simple quick recipe.
Absolutely delicious!! I only had SF pudding mix but it worked out great!! I made slightly larger muffins so they baked a little longer!
The density was perfect for a muffin!! I put a little lemon glaze on top as well!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
This is my go-to recipe for pistachio muffins. Delicious and easy to bake and always a favorite among family and friends.
I made these and they were AMAZING! I added chopped pistachios to the mix & sprinkled sugar on top before baking. My husband wants me to pack them for his lunch for work now !!