Domestic Dreamboat

  • Recipes
  • Special Diets
  • Kitchen Basics
  • Meet Carissa
    • Get in Touch - Learn How to Contact Domestic Dreamboat
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Resources
  • About

search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Resources
  • About

×
You are here: Home / Desserts and Sweets / Homemade Pistachio Pudding

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

Modified: Sep 21, 2024 · Published: Mar 7, 2018 by Carissa · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

You don't need a boxed mix to make the old fashioned favorite Pistachio Pudding at home. This homemade version is made with real pistachios and tastes great!

Jump to Recipe Save RecipeSaved! Pin Recipe

I had never tried pistachio pudding until I was an adult. My family was certainly no stranger to boxed pudding mixes when I was growing up, but my parents preferred the cooked variety over instant, and we almost always had the chocolate flavor.

It wasn't until I moved in with my husband that I actually tried the bright green pistachio flavor since it's a favorite of his. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it, but I didn't see a whole lot of resemblance to actual pistachios.

So whenever my husband professed his love for his favorite boxed pudding variety, it was always in the back of my mind that I could make a pudding with real, actual pistachios, and no food coloring. So I did - I bring you Homemade Pistachio Pudding.

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

I will say that aside from the name, homemade pistachio pudding has very little in common with the boxed version. The texture is different - since this one is made with real ground nuts, it contains bits of them in the pudding, even after straining.

The color is also different - less of a pastel green and more of a beige/khaki color. However, this might depend on the pistachios you use. It did cross my mind when I was measuring out my pistachios that the ones I was using were less green, and more brownish than other pistachios I've eaten in the past.

The flavor of this homemade pudding is also different - it actually tastes like pistachios - Imagine that! Because of these differences, I was afraid that my husband wasn't going to like it. But he definitely did, and so did I - I believe I will be making this on a regular basis.

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

How to make Homemade Pistachio Pudding:

Making this recipe starts with grinding pistachios in your food processor until they are fine, then adding sugar and a little water until you have a sweet pistachio paste.

Add this paste to a saucepan with some milk and heat until steaming. While the milk mixture is heating, whisk together egg yolks with a bit more sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt.

Whisk a bit of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then add a bit more and whisk again. Now whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining milk mixture and continue to simmer until it thickens. Stir in the vanilla.

Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer to remove any large pistachio bits or lumps. Transfer to 6 individual dessert dishes or a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Serve with whipped cream if desired, and/or some chopped pistachios.

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

Homemade Pistachio Pudding Ingredients:

  • Unsalted or lightly salted shelled pistachios
  • Granulated sugar
  • Water - use whatever water you normally drink. Tap water is fine here.
  • Whole milk - or substitute reduced-fat or dairy-free milk
  • Large egg yolks
  • Cornstarch
  • Salt - omit salt if using lightly salted pistachios
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chopped pistachios to garnish - this is optional
  • Whipped cream to garnish - this is optional

Want more pudding recipes?

Fresh Strawberry Pudding
Fresh Strawberry Pudding
A hand scooping a spoonful of London Fog rice pudding from a bowl.
London Fog Rice Pudding
A spoonful of vegan chocolate banana pudding being scooped from a white bowl.
Quick & Easy Vegan Chocolate Banana Pudding

Homemade Pistachio Pudding Nutrition Notes:

The above nutrition information uses whole milk and does not include any garnishes. You can cut down on the amount of fat (including saturated fat) and calories by using reduced-fat milk or soy milk, however, the resulting pudding won't be as creamy.

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

Homemade Pistachio Pudding

Carissa Serink
You don't need a boxed mix to make the old fashioned favorite Pistachio Pudding at home. This homemade version is made with real pistachios and tastes great!
4.34 from 3 votes
SaveSaved! Pin Print
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Chilling Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Universal
Servings 6
Calories 202 kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup unsalted or lightly salted shelled pistachios (see note)
  • ½ cup sugar divided
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 cups whole milk (see note)
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • pinch salt (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • chopped pistachios to garnish (optional)
  • whipped cream to top (optional)
instacartGet Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Add pistachios to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pistachios are finely ground. Add sugar and water and continue to process to form a paste.
  • Add pistachio paste and milk to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming, stirring often to prevent scorching.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, remaining ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl or 2 cup measuring cup (it will be thick). 
  • Stir ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Add another ½ cup of the milk mixture and stir until smooth. 
  • Transfer the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture, and continue to heat over medium until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to simmer until thickened, about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer and transfer the pudding to 6 individual dessert dishes, or one larger serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, so that the plastic is actually touching the pudding. Chill completely, at least 2 hours.

Notes

I used pistachios that were labeled "lightly salted", and they tasted just as described. You can also use unsalted pistachios if you can find them. Omit salt if using lightly salted pistachios.
You can use 1% or 2% milk or dairy-free milk instead of whole, but the pudding won't be as creamy.

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword dairy, dessert, gluten free, nostalgic dessert, old fashioned, pistachio, pudding
Tried this recipe?Please remember to Leave a Review!
Homemade Pistachio Pudding
(Visited 1,147 times, 1 visits today)

More Desserts and Sweets

  • A slice of gluten-free Corn Tres Leches Cake on a small white plate.
    Gluten-Free Corn Tres Leches Cake
  • Cornstarch cookies (sequilhos) on a white plate.
    Three Ingredient Cornstarch Cookies (Sequilhos)
  • Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs on a white plate.
    The Ultimate Copycat Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
  • Marshmallow Popcorn Square on plate cropped
    Gooey Marshmallow Popcorn Squares

Comments

    4.34 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Melody says

    January 11, 2019 at 12:53 pm

    Thankyou for the real pistachio pudding recipe . I googled this morning to see if I could improve in my version of real pistachio pudding as I ground the pistachios and added a chia mix and some honey and a pinch of salt . I do like the flavour . My family, however not completely convinced about the texture of the Chia . It’s real ! Happy blogging ! Melody 💖

    Reply

Hi, I'm Carissa!

I'm the face behind Domestic Dreamboat. I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love to stay healthy. Thanks for joining me in my homemade journey!

Learn More

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Threads

What's Trending

  • Korean beef and mushrooms over rice in a black bowl.Quick and Easy Korean Beef and Mushroom Bowls
  • Homemade spreadable butter on wheat bread.How to Make Spreadable Butter
  • Overhead photo of salmon noodle casserole in a glass baking dish.Salmon Noodle Casserole
  • Homemade Rhubarb soup in a white bowl.Rhubarb Soup
  • A closeup photo of blue Japanese Crystal Candy on a parchment-lined baking sheet.Japanese Crystal Candy (Kohakutou)

Footer

↑ back to top

Policies

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Opt-Out Preferences
  • Cookie Policy
  • Imprint

Newsletter

Sign Up!

About Me

  • Contact
  • About Carissa
  • Work with Me

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2014-2025

135 shares
Manage your privacy
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.