These pistachio cupcakes with strawberry buttercream are a go-to when I want something a little different from the usual cupcake flavors. They’re always a crowd-pleaser! Many readers have even used this same batter to make a 6-inch cake, too. The buttery pistachios blend beautifully with hints of vanilla and almond, all wrapped up in a soft and fluffy cake crumb.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
One reader, Katie, commented: “The strawberry/pistachio combination is brilliant. I’ve made these two years in a row for my husband’s birthday and they are our favorite cupcakes ★★★★★”
Pistachio is an underrated flavor in the dessert world. The nuts are certainly delicious cracked open and eaten on their own, but even better when they shine as the main flavor in ice cream. Or pistachio cake, or pistachio cookies! Or, best of all, cupcakes.
By the way, did you know that pistachio ice cream is usually flavored with almond extract? It complements the pistachio flavor.
Tell Me About These Pistachio Cupcakes
- Flavor: The pistachio flavor isn’t super strong and that’s because we’re relying on the actual nuts and not artificial pistachio flavor. You can certainly add artificial flavor if you’d like, but I love the light pistachio, delicious almond, and strong vanilla flavor balance in the recipe as written below. Add the intensity of the real strawberry flavor and your tastebuds will certainly thank you!
- Texture: I used my vanilla cupcakes as the starting point for this recipe, and if you’ve ever tried those before, you know today’s pistachio-flavored version will taste extra buttery and soft. You’ll add ground pistachios to the batter, but don’t get nervous about that texture—the tiny pistachio pieces taste creamy and chewy in the cupcake when baked.
- Ease: This is a basic cupcake recipe—whisk dry ingredients; beat sugar, butter, egg whites, and extracts. The extra step here will be processing the pistachio nuts, which takes a few seconds. Same applies to the frosting, where you’ll pulse the freeze-dried strawberries first.
Choosing the Right Ingredients
- Pistachios: We’ll grind shelled (out of shell), unsalted pistachios into fine little crumbs and pour those into the dry ingredients. This is how we start pistachio cookies, too. After grinding, you’re looking for a powdery consistency with a few small chunks.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour helps promise an extra soft and cake-like crumb. I use it in a lot of cake recipes because it keeps everything light and airy. If you can’t find it, use this easy cake flour substitute.
- Egg Whites + Sour Cream: These two power ingredients, along with cake flour, attribute to the cupcake’s light and fluffy texture. Egg yolks weigh the crumb down, so you’ll use only the egg whites. And sour cream adds pure moisture, which is key in a batter with lots of powdery nuts. I promise you’ve never tasted a cupcake like this.
Can I Use Salted Pistachios? Yes, salted pistachios are perfectly fine and will add a lovely sweet/salty flavor. Roasted pistachios work as well, but those are usually browner than raw pistachios, which will affect the color of the batter.
Grind the pistachios down to a crumbly powder, like this:
They’ll turn the cupcake batter a lovely shade of muted green.
Do I Add Food Coloring?
You don’t have to. The pictured cupcake batter did not include green food coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. If you want a more vibrant shade of green, add a small drop of green gel food coloring.
Fill the cupcake liners only 2/3 of the way full, to prevent the cupcakes from spilling over the sides. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
This colorful cupcake features one of my favorite frostings on the planet: strawberry buttercream. It’s made with strawberry dust aka freeze-dried strawberries ground up into a powder. It’s incredible!
- If you’re not into strawberry, cream cheese frosting is a fantastic choice; I pair these flavors together in my pistachio cake recipe.
I knew this strawberry frosting would be perfect for these pistachio cupcakes because you need a food processor for the nuts anyway. The reason we’ll use freeze-dried strawberries in this strawberry frosting is because they deliver the most intense (and natural) strawberry flavor while, at the same time, do not alter the texture of the actual frosting. Real strawberries can end up curdling your pretty frosting.
Where to buy freeze-dried strawberries? I always find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or you can try Target, Trader Joe’s, or online here or here.
I decorated the cupcakes with a tall swirl using Ateco #849 piping tip. If you’re new to cupcake decorating, here’s my piping tips tutorial with a video tutorial and lots of visuals.
You can instead, of course, spread it on with an icing spatula or knife. Delicious any which way you top them with this colorful frosting!
Exciting Cupcake Flavors
- Margarita Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Hi-Hat Cupcakes
- S’mores Cupcakes
- Chai Latte Cupcakes
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 15 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These light and fluffy pistachio cupcakes topped with creamy strawberry frosting are bursting with sweet, nutty, and fresh flavor in every bite! See recipe Notes for tips on the best pistachios to use, and how to turn the batter into a 6-inch cake.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup (130g) unsalted pistachios (out of shell)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- optional: 1 tiny drop green gel food coloring
Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional, to taste: pinch of salt
- optional, for garnish: fresh strawberry slices; pistachio crumbs
Instructions
- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until ground into fine crumbs. See photo above for a visual. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 3 liners—this recipe makes about 15 cupcakes. Set aside.
- Make the cupcakes: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup of pistachio crumbs together. Reserve the rest of the pistachio crumbs for garnish.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the milk (and the food coloring, if using). Beat until just combined—do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.
- Bake for 19–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For about 36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11–13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have about 1/2 cup. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate with remaining pistachio crumbs (and strawberry slices, if desired). I used the Ateco #849 piping tip.
- Cover leftover cupcakes tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Cupcakes can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then make the frosting and decorate.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Freeze-Dried Strawberries (like these or these) | Piping Bags (Disposable or Reusable) | Ateco #849 Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier (for storage)
- Cake Flour: If you can’t find cake flour, you can make this homemade cake flour substitute. I suggest doing this twice, mixing it all up in 1 bowl, and then removing 1/4 cup since you need 1 and 3/4 cups in this recipe.
- Whole Milk & Sour Cream: Whole milk and sour cream are strongly recommended for the best taste and texture. A full-fat plain yogurt would work instead, though the cupcakes may not be as light. Same goes with a lower-fat milk. Nondairy milk works in a pinch. You can replace both the whole milk and sour cream with buttermilk (1 cup; 240ml) if needed.
- Amount of Batter: This recipe yields between 3–4 cups of batter, which is helpful if you’re reviewing the Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions page.
- Leftover Egg Yolks? I have some recipe ideas for you!
- Food Coloring: The pictured cupcake batter did not include green food coloring, which is why it’s a bit yellow. If you want a more vibrant shade of green, add a small drop of green gel food coloring.
- Pistachio Cake: Here is my pistachio cake recipe. For a smaller 6-inch cake, use the same batter as these cupcakes and follow my instructions for a 6-inch cake.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Where can I find unsalted shelled pistachios? This sounds delicious and I would love to make this recipe but I can’t seem to find them anywhere.
Hi Jeannie, we find them in our local grocery stores, but you can likely find them online, too.
My husband will love this! Pistachios are his favorite! I don’t have freeze dried strawberries but do have frozen strawberries—can I substitute?
Hi Karen! Freeze dried strawberries are necessary for the frosting. Fresh or frozen will add too much liquid.
This recipe looks amazing!!! I’m wondering if you have a recipe for pistachio frosting, or maybe even pistachio cream cheese frosting!
Thanks for the help!!!
SJ
Hi Sue! I don’t at this time, but you could certainly add pistachio crumbs to cream cheese frosting.
I have some salted pistachios that I would like to use up. Do you think they would work in this recipe? Maybe cut out the 1/4 tsp salt? Would it still be too salty?
Hi Grace, you can certainly try the salted pistachios. Feel free to leave out the added 1/4 tsp of salt if you wish!
could I bake this in a 13×9 in pan instead of cupcakes? or would your pistachio cake be better to bake in a 13×9 in pan? I want to make this into cake pops.
Hi Ella, this isn’t quite enough batter, but you could use our pistachio cake batter instead. Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13 pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
These are incredible, super moist and delicious combo of flavors. Only thing is total time is off it reads 3 hours but there’s no chilling needed.
Would it work to cut this recipe in half?
Hi Bethany, that shouldn’t be a problem. Simply halve all the ingredients (use 1.5 egg whites). Enjoy!
Thanks! I will give it a try.
Hi, these look great. Are you using 1 cup unsalted raw pistachios or 1 cup unsalted roasted pistachios? Also what is the weight in grams?
Hi Sbr, raw or roasted pistachios both work here. We make this recipe both ways, so it’s really up to your personal preference. The 1 cup of pistachios should weigh about 130 grams. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
This recipe is so delish and easy to prepare. I wish the cake would have a pistachio punch just like the ice cream though.
Could these be made into mini cupcakes?
Hi Summer, for mini cupcakes, bake at the same temperature for about 11-13 minutes.
Please help! I’ve accidentally put the whole amount of pistachios into the dry mix. What do I do next? Start over, add some more liquid ingredients?
Hi Polly, we are unsure of the results with all the pistachios in the cupcakes. Adjusting the recipe on the fly would be tricky, but let us know if you try anything.
This recipe was phenomenal! Such a decadent cupcake with sweet strawberry frosting. It pairs so well. I added an a tea tsp of almond extract to really taste the almond flavor and subbed vanilla paste
Fabulous recipe. Your recipes are always reliable without any additions or modifications. Loved this recipe – easy to make and no weird or partial ingredients. I made these for our book club and everyone loved them!
I have some preground pistachios I’m trying to bake with — how much pistachio “crumb” do the nuts amount to?
Hi Liana, you’ll want about 3/4 cup of pistachio crumbs.
Hi Sally! I have made these cupcakes numerous times an they have been a hit each time! I want to make these with 3 6 inch round cake pans. Can you please advise what the bake time should be?
Thank you!!!
Hi Naz, you can follow the baking instructions from this post on 6-inch cakes. Enjoy!
Hi! Can I use the freeze dried raspberry from Trader Joe’s instead of strawberry on this recipe?
Should work just fine, Shelly!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I made the mini cupcake version for a party and everyone LOVED them 🙂 The cupcakes were so moist and the strawberry icing was the perfect topping!
I can’t wait to make these over the weekend. What do you think of also adding a little strawberry preserves to cut out middle of the cupcake?
That would be lovely!
Hi Sally, how many 6 inch cake pans would I need to make this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Lissette, this batter will yield the perfect amount for 3, 6-inch cake rounds. If you only have 1 or 2 pans, you can make the layers in batches.
LOVE! I used your recipe, but added 2 tsp of cardamom to the cupcake batter! Probably go go down to maybe 1.5 tsp, but it was so yummy!!
Best cupcakes I’ve ever made, I’m making a double batch for a baby shower. Would the icing be OK if I made that a week ahead and stored in the fridge?
Hi Kim, we don’t recommend making the frosting that far ahead and storing in the refrigerator. You could, however, freeze it in that amount of time if you wish.
These are so delicious, I made them for a second time today, and my memory of how good they are did not do these cupcakes justice. I love trying recipes for off-the-norm flavors!
Hello! I halved the recipe but unfortunately the cupcakes came out dense. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I didn’t think I overmixed it. Is it possible that halving the leavening agents messed with the density? Love your website — I think everything I’ve made from your site has come out well, so would really appreciate any insight on what I could’ve done differently?
Hi Christina, we are happy to help troubleshoot. The first thing to check is how you’re measuring your flour. We always recommend weighing it for most accurate results, or spoon and level it. If that’s not the cause, check out this post on how to prevent a dry or dense cake for more tips. Hope this helps!
This recipe was the gateway to my cupcake addiction. I made two batches for a party but only eighteen made it to the festivities (ouch). Double the amount of strawberries ended up in the buttercream which turned out to be a very happy mistake. Thanks so much?
I made these exactly the way it said in recipe. No one could taste pistachio at all. Flavorless. So disappointed.
Is there a replacement / substitution for the freeze dried strawberries? They are crazy expensive and one bag would not even even equal one cup.
Hi Jenn, there isn’t a substitute for freeze-dried strawberries in this particular recipe. However, you could try the raspberry frosting from these cupcakes, swapping the raspberry preserves with strawberry preserves.
These and your pistachio cake when down a treat in my household, and as I defined non baker was simple to make to get a moist, light and cupcakes/cake that didn’t sink!
These were absolutely amazing!! The strawberry topping just made them even more delicious!
These were delicious!
I’d like to make a strawberry lemonade cupcake. What do you think about pairing this strawberry icing with the lemon cupcake from your Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes recipe?
That would be delicious – enjoy!