Easy Pistachio Muffins with Pudding Mix
These Easy Pistachio Muffins with Pudding Mix combine instant pudding and crunchy pistachios for a quick, delicious treat. They are great for breakfast and make a really satisfying snack. The pistachio flavor gives them a unique taste, and their green color makes them stand out on the breakfast table.
Table of Contents
Pistachio lovers {like myself} are going to go crazy for these easy pudding mix muffins. Between the softness of the muffin and the texture of the nuts, this quick muffin recipe hit on every note.
Baking with pistachios is something I LOVE to do. Whether it is a pistachio upside down cake or Baklava cookies, they are always a welcome ingredient. These pistachio muffins stand out from the usual muffin recipes with their unique green color and the crunchy sugar and nuts on top!
These bakery style pistachio muffins are really simple to make because of the pantry ingredients and instant pudding. This combo makes the muffins soft and moist, with the perfect amount of pistachio flavor. Using real pistachios on top gives them a nice crunch, too.
What makes these delicious pistachio muffins really amazing is how the flavors work together. The pistachio pudding mix gives them a great taste without being too overpowering. The addition of sour cream keeps the muffins moist and adds a bit of tang that goes perfectly with the nutty pistachios.
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What goes into this Recipe
- Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix: Make sure to get the instant pudding mix, not the kind you need to cook. This gives our muffins their distinct flavor and color.
- All Purpose Flour: Gives the muffin batter structure while it bakes.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds just the right amount of sweetness to the pistachio muffins. For a deeper flavor, brown sugar can be substituted.
- Pistachios: We use pistachio nuts in the batter and on the muffin tops.
- Sanding Sugar: This gives a nice sparkle and sweet crunch to the tops of the muffins. I have also added it to these vanilla muffins.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Pistachio Muffins
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl combine the granulated sugar, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk until everything is combined and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients
- Stir just until everything is combined and there are only a few flecks of flour.
- Using a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the lined muffin tin cups. Fill each about 3/4 full – these muffins will rise a bit during baking.
- Sprinkle each muffin with both chopped pistachios and sanding sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Once out of the oven, let the homemade pistachio muffins cool in the muffin pan for 5-7 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until everything is combined. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins instead of the soft bakery style muffins we’re going for.
- Line your muffin pan with paper liners. This helps with both cleaning up and serving this easy muffin recipe.
- Fill the muffin cups evenly. Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop helps ensure all your muffins are the same size and will bake evenly.
- Check for doneness early. Every oven is different, so start checking your muffins at the 15-minute mark. They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool before eating. It’s tempting to dig in right away, but letting them cool for about 10 minutes makes them easier to remove from the muffin liners.
Storage and Freezing
Store: After the pistachio pudding muffins have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want them to last a bit longer, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: These bakery-style muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely, then wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or container. When you’re ready to enjoy one, just thaw it at room temperature for about an hour.
Recipe FAQs
White cake mix works best for these muffins as it allows the pistachio flavor and color to shine. However, you could use vanilla or yellow cake mix if that’s what you have on hand. The result might be slightly different in color and flavor.
The pistachio pudding mix usually provides a nice green color. If you want bright green muffins for St. Patrick’s Day, you can add a few drops of green food coloring to the batter.
Yes, you can omit the chopped pistachios if you prefer. The muffins will still have a pistachio flavor from the pudding mix. You might want to add a bit more sanding sugar on top for crunch.
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Easy Pistachio Muffins with Pudding Mix
Ingredients
Pistachio Muffins
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 box instant pistachio pudding mix {3.4 ounces}
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk – I used 1%
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Toppings
- ¼ cup pistachios
- ¼ cup sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Pistachio Muffins
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine the granulated sugar, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and almond extract. Whisk until it is combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is combined and there are only a few flecks of flour.
- Scoop the batter into the lined muffins tins using a large cookie scoop {filling 3/4 full}. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with chopped pistachios and sanding sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only a few crumbs {no raw batter}.
- Cool in the tins for 5-7 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 4 days. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months.
