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.
Instead of 12 regular I want to make 6 jumbo….does that change the cooking time?
Since large muffins have a greater volume, they usually take longer to bake through. Bake as directed at 425 degrees for 7 minutes. After that you’ll want to reduce your cooking temperature to 325 degrees which is 25 degrees less than what the standard recipe calls for which will help the larger muffin bake more evenly. Increase the remainder of the cooking time to 15 minutes.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, the muffins are done. If it comes out wet, continue baking and check at regular intervals. Since all ovens can vary, and the exact size of “large” muffin tins can differ, keep an eye on the muffins during the baking process. Check for signs of over-browning on the edges and adjust time or temperature as necessary.
I am making these like every other month. My family loves them.
Great recipe. Better than I could’ve hoped. The batter seems too thick but it’s perfect. The pudding mix makes it seem too thick. I crushed up some pistachios and placed on top for an even better result.
These muffins are so good and easy. Will be making them again and again as my church family loves them.
I made the recipe to a T as well… but the muffins were not completely baked to my liking while using the directions. I let them sit in the oven, turned off, for a little longer. Still not perfect but they look amazing and taste very good. I toasted some pistachios in the air fryer and topped the muffins with those and the sugar.
These muffins are fabulous! Used gluten free flour and came out perfect
I made Pistachio Muffins. The batter was thick so I googled what to do and it said add liquid/fat so I added a little more milk and some more melted butter. I also cooked them 3 minutes longer. I don’t know how but these muffins came out light, delicious, and tasted just like the ones I used to buy. Ahhhh ohhhh wonderful. Thank you and if you can offer your suggestion as to why the batter was so thick I would appreciate that. Saturday, July 15, 2023 Nancy, Palm Harbor, FL
I followed the directions as written. I did put some crushed pistachios on top, as it didn’t look like there were many in the pudding. The mixture seemed pretty thick, so I watched the video to verify the consistency was correct. Baked as directed. They came out perfect. Hubby says , after his first bite, that I need to start a second batch!
Oh my these are good! However I did cut the flour back to 1 1/3 cups like another reviewer suggested. I also used about 3/4 cup buttermilk instead of milk. Put crushed pistachios in the batter and topped off with Turbinado sugar and more crushed pistachios. They were so fluffy and delicious!
Amazing recipe! I made these with gluten free flour and they still came out super beautiful and light. Add chopped pistachios on top for extra deliciousness!!