Pistachio Bread
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Make delicious and moist pistachio bread from scratch with this simple recipe. It only needs a few ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. No electric mixer is used to prepare this flavorful pistachio quick bread!
I am always on the lookout for new ingredients I can use and add to my baked goods. This time I am featuring pistachios.
Usually, I bake with almonds or pecans when baking up a quick bread like my banana bread made with sour cream. That’s why this time, I thought, why not feature the delicious nutty flavors of pistachios, instead?!
This pistachio bread recipe is made from scratch. There’s no instant yellow cake mix or pistachio pudding mix used to flavor it. My secret to the ultimate pistachio flavor is using a little almond extract. I use this trick in my pistachio thumbprint cookies and no bake pistachio cheesecake.
I used real chopped pistachios! It is healthier, more flavorful, and more satisfying, perfect for pistachio lovers!
See Also:
- Oil vs butter in your quick breads..what’s better? Find out the difference and what I prefer!
- Confused on what the difference is between quick breads and coffeecakes – give this post a read!
- Want to know more about quick breads? Then read this article “What’s quick bread“? and learn more!
Why You’ll Love This Pistachio Bread
- Real Pistachio Loaf Bread – This pistachio bread recipe doesn’t include any artificial flavorings or cake mix. No white cake mix or instant pistachio pudding mix! It is made from scratch but not time-consuming and very easy to make.
- No Electric Mixer Required – I only used a whisk, spatula, and bowls for this recipe. I didn’t use an electric mixer.
- Freezer-Friendly – Bake pistachio bread using many loaf pans ahead or on your day off. Then, freeze them to last for up to 3 months.
- Perfect Gift – Because these pistachio bread are very easy and quick to prepare, you can easily make them in bulk before your party, let them cool, wrap, and give them as a gift.
Ingredients Needed
These are the ingredients needed for this pistachio bread recipe:
For The Quick Bread
- All-Purpose Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this quick bread recipe.
- Baking Powder – There’s no yeast in this pistachio bread recipe. To help this bread rise, a combination of baking powder and baking soda is used.
- Baking Soda – To help bread rise while baking.
- Buttermilk – To activate the baking powder and soda. If you don’t have any you can use sour cream or make your own homemade buttermilk.
- Egg – Should be at room temperature. Try How To Get Room Temperature Eggs Fast.
- Pistachios – I used unsalted, roasted pistachios for this pistachio bread.
- Almond Extract – Adds a light almond flavor to this quick pistachio bread. This is what gives the bread true pistachio flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – To add sweetness.
- Neutral-Flavored Oil – For quick bread recipes, I typically used either canola or vegetable oil but you can also use grapeseed and safflower oil. Check the Ultimate Guide To Baking Quick Bread Recipes.
- Salt – To boost and bring out the nutty flavor. Check The Role Of Salt In Baking.
- Green Food Coloring – This is optional. But if you plan to give it as a gift, a nice, bright green color will be more festive and attractive.
For The Almond Glaze
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk – You can use any type of milk like oat milk or whole milk.
- Almond Extract
- Pistachios – For garnish
How To Make Pistachio Quick Bread
1. Preheat Oven And Prepare Pan
Move the rack to the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. I like to line my loaf pans with parchment paper and lightly grease it with non-stick spray. Let a few inches of parchment paper hand on the sides of your loaf pans. This makes lifting the pistachio bread easier later.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt. Mix well using a whisk and set aside.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, add buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and almond extract. Whisk well until combined.
4. Mix Wet And Dry Ingredients
Add dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. Mix using a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Don’t overmix your batter or your pistachio bread will be tough and chewy.
5. Fold In Pistachios
Fold in chopped pistachios to the batter. If you’re using green food coloring, add a few drops in this step. The food coloring is optional.
6. Bake
Scoop batter into your prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the toothpick inserted has a few crumbs and not wet batter, they’re good to go. You can lightly press the center, when it springs back, your pistachio bread is cooked.
7. Cool Bread
Move your pistachio bread with its loaf pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t remove quick bread from their loaf pans.
8. Make The Almond Glaze
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. Whisk well until powdered sugar is fully dissolved and you have a thick glaze.
If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. And if it’s too thick, add more milk.
9. Serve And Enjoy
Once the pistachio loaf has fully cooled, drizzle the almond glaze and top with chopped pistachios. Slice and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Add Spices – Add other spaces like allspice, nutmeg, or cinnamon.
- Use Wheat Flour – Replace half of the all-purpose flour with other types of flour with wholewheat flour. You can try and replace with also almond flour, or gluten-free options.
- Cinnamon Sugar – Dust your loaf pans with cinnamon sugar for added depth of flavor. Combine cinnamon powder and brown sugar. You can skip the glaze and try this option instead.
- Add dried cranberries or raisins– Chewy cranberries or raisins would be a great addition to this bread!
- Add chocolate chips – Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips, either semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate, to the batter before baking.
Recipe Tips
- Roast your own pistachios. If you can’t find roasted pistachios, you can roast them yourself. Spread pistachios on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes at 350°F/177°C. Toss every 5 minutes for even roasting.
- Use a food processor or blender to chop pistachios. There’s no need to chop your pistachios using a knife and chopping board. This is time-consuming. Use your food processor or blender instead. You can also place the pistachios in a plastic bag and use a mallet to break down the pistachios.
- Use mini loaf pans. If you’re planning to give these delicious pistachio bread as a gift, you can make mini loaves instead. They’re easier to wrap!
Recipe FAQs
Let pistachio bread cool completely before storing. Wrap them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place inside an airtight container or sealed bag. When stored at room temperature, it can last up to 3 days. For longer storage, place it inside the fridge to last up to a week.
Yes, this pistachio moist bread is freezer-friendly. Before freezing, let the bread cool completely. Wrap it with plastic wrap or foil. Place inside a freezer-safe airtight container or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw frozen quick bread, place it on the counter at room temperature or put straight a slice straight in your microwave for a few seconds.
It probably needs more time in the oven. Remember, ovens run at different temperatures. It is best to check the temperature of your oven before you put your batter inside using an oven thermometer. Also, check the doneness of your pistachio bread before removing it from the oven. Use the traditional toothpick method. If the toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs but without any raw batter, your pistachio bread is done baking. Check out my freezer baking guide to learn more on freezing your baked goods!
Yes, you can use other types of nuts such as almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts. Just use nuts without any salt or your quick bread will be too salty.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re craving more bread try my easy peanut butter quick bread recipe. It’s full of peanut butter flavor and no mixer is needed.
And during the Fall I love mixing up my moist flavorful pumpkin chocolate chip bread and butternut squash bread.
Pistachio Quick Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or safflower)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup unsalted, roasted pistachios roughly chopped
- 2-3 drops of green food coloring optional
Almond glaze:
- 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon chopped pistachios for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper and then spray with cooking spray.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together egg ,buttermilk, oil and almond extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon just until just combined. Fold in chopped pistachios. Stir in food coloring if using. Do not overmix.
- Bake. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350℉ (177℃) oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of bread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (no wet batter) and top springs back to the touch when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Make glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. If glaze is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk. If glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar.
Notes
- Storage: Let pistachio bread cool completely before storing. Wrap them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place inside an airtight container or sealed bag. When stored at room temperature, it can last up to 3 days. For longer storage, place it inside the fridge to last up to a week.
- Freezing: Yes, this pistachio moist bread is freezer-friendly. Before freezing, let the bread cool completely. Wrap it with plastic wrap or foil. Place inside a freezer-safe airtight container or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw frozen quick bread, place it on the counter at room temperature or put straight a slice straight in your microwave for a few seconds
I made this, I used one cup of whole wheat flour and one cup of regular flour and I didn’t have the buttermilk so I used heavy, whipping cream and sour cream and added some mayonnaise. It’s still came out a little dry.:(
Hi Paula, sorry to hear this came out dry – but unfortunately with the changes (using whole wheat flour can be heavier) and the buttermilk replacement most likely made it a tad drier. Next time I would use just sour cream and thin out with a bit of water or milk for best results. (3/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water/milk). And of course there’s always a chance it was a tad overbaked. HOpe that helps!
this is an excellent recipe…..everyone loved the bread, even more then the banana bread I brought over 2 weeks ago.!
will definitely make this again, yum !
oh that’s so amazing to hear Susan!! I’m so happy you loved it!
Hi; if I use mini loaf with this recipe how many I can get from this recipe? I can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much for recipe
Hi Sandra, I can’t say for sure but I believe the batter should fill 3 mini loaf pans. And be sure to reduce the baking time to about 30-35 minutes. Hope that helps!! Let me know what you think!