• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Waiting for Blancmange
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    • Overhead shot of white chocolate hazelnut blondies with Happy Hippos candy bars on top.
      White Chocolate Hazelnut Blondies
    • Close up shot of a slice of blackberry tiramisu. A fork has taken a bite out of the tiramisu which is sat on a small plate.
      Bramble Blackberry Tiramisu
    • Close up shot of chocolate chip oatmeal pistachio cookie broken in half revealing gooey soft inside of a freshly baked cookie.
      Oatmeal Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
    • A slice of homemade apple pie on a blue and white plate with a dessert fork. The pie is topped with ice cream and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.
      Apple Pie with Apple Caramel Sauce
    • Black Velvet layer cake, with a slice cut and partly pulled out showing the layers. The cake is on a glass cake stand.
      Black Velvet Cake
    • Close up of blackberry curd in a glass jar.
      Easy Homemade Blackberry Curd
    • Close up shot of pouring a rich purple blackberry simple syrup from a small jug into a purple bowl blurred below.
      Bramble Blackberry Simple Syrup
    • Overhead shot of a British Christmas cake fresh from the oven, being fed bourbon with a spoon. The cake is still in its lined baking pan, which is sat on trivet to cool.
      Easy British Christmas Cake
    • Stack of butterscotch chip biscoff oatmeal cookies. The top cookie is split in half to show to oozy biscoff filling.
      Butterscotch Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies
    • Overhead shot of a pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust. The pie is covered in whipped cream and a sprinkle of cookie crumbs. A slice is being removed from the pie.
      Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
    • Overhead shot of Biscoff fudge brownies cut into pieces and sat on a white countertop.
      Biscoff Brownies
    • Close up of fudgy dark chocolate black cocoa spider web brownies with candy eyes on top.
      Spider Web Brownies
    Home » Recipes » Frostings

    Pistachio Buttercream

    Published: Oct 22, 2021 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Liz Mincin · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Are you a pistachio lover? If so, this buttercream is for you! A pistachio buttercream frosting, perfect for giving a pistachio kick to your next bake. Easy recipe with only five ingredients, for a nutty and naturally green buttercream full of flavour!

    Close up bowl of pistachio buttercream.

    Making Pistachio Buttercream Frosting

    Ingredients

    For pistachio buttercream, you'll only need five ingredients:

    • Powdered icing sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar).
    • Butter - the key to any good buttercream is good quality unsalted butter at room temperature. You don't want it too soft, of the frosting may be too runny, but similarly too stiff and it will be difficult to beat.
    • Pistachio paste - you can buy pistachio paste from specialty stores or make you own. My recipe for easy pistachio paste makes plenty for use in this recipe and other bakes!
    • Vanilla extract
    • Milk - use whole milk to control the consistency of your frosting. You can leave this thicker by reducing the amount of milk or make a thinner icing with a bit extra liquid. Whole (full fat) or semi-skimmed (2%) both work in this recipe, but I don't recommend using skimmed (1%).
    Ingredients for pistachio buttercream frosting.

    Simple Buttercream Process

    This buttercream follows roughly the same process as my classic vanilla American buttercream.

    First, using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on a medium low setting for about 30 seconds. This helps to make the butter creamy and will enable you to incorporate the sugar more easily.

    Next, add the pistachio paste to the butter and beat again for about 30 seconds. As a nut butter, this blends into the softened butter nicely and gives you a more even spread of pistachio in your finished buttercream.

    Mixing bowl from a stand mixer with butter lightly beaten and added tablespoons of pistachio nut butter.

    Once you've blended the butter and nut paste, add in sifted powdered sugar. I like to do this in two additions, to avoid an explosion of sugar in the kitchen! Add about half, beat until it is incorporated and then add in the rest, along with the vanilla and milk.

    Continue to beat for about 5 minutes until you have a light creamy pistachio buttercream.

    Key Tips for Buttercream

    • Keep the beater on a low setting and use a paddle attachment. You are not aiming to add air to the buttercream - the goal is not to whip it. For a smooth buttercream, a low or medium low setting on a stand mixer is perfect.
    • Consistency can be controlled with milk. Add milk to pistachio buttercream slowly. The measurements in this recipe should produce a spreadable creamy buttercream. If you want a thicker buttercream, you do not need as much milk. Similarly if you have added the 1½ tablespoons but feel that your frosting is still too thick, add a little bit more (adding about half a tablespoon at a time).

    Uses for Pistachio Buttercream

    Pistachio buttercream is super versatile and great on many bakes.

    Try it with:

    • Lemon Vanilla Pound Cake
    • Cinnamon Pound Cake
    • Devil's Food Cake
    • Banana Pound Cake

    FAQs

    How long does pistachio frosting keep?

    My pistachio buttercream keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. For best results, leave to sit at room temperature for an hour or so and beat lightly to smooth before using.

    Can I freeze pistachio buttercream?

    Yes, pistachio buttercream can be frozen in the same way as any other buttercream. Once made, place in a freezer safe container or ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost before use and beat lightly until smooth.

    My frosting is too thin, what can I do?

    It is possible that you over added milk to your frosting. This can happen when you have added the milk too quickly and not mixed thoroughly before adding more. Don't worry though! As long as you've not added a huge amount, powdered icing sugar will fix the problem. Add a bit more sifted powdered sugar (a few tablespoons at a time) until you reach your desired consistency.

    Now, unfortunately, if you did way over add milk (by more than 3 tablespoons), the powdered sugar might not bring things back together as well. You can still try adding the sugar, but it will likely require several tablespoons and impact on the overall flavour, diminishing the pistachio taste.

    Can I color pistachio buttercream frosting?

    Pistachio buttercream will have a lovely light green colour naturally from the pistachio nut butter. You can use food colouring on this, but you will find that your options are limited by the base green colour which will impact on the shades possible to achieve.

    If you like this recipe, you may also like these other frostings:

    • Dulce de Leche Buttercream
    • Classic Vanilla Buttercream
    • Cinnamon Buttercream
    • Cream Cheese Frosting with Spreadable Cream Cheese
    Bowl of pistachio buttercream, natural light green colouring.

    Pistachio Buttercream

    Liz Mincin
    An easy pistachio buttercream frosting recipe. Five ingredients and full of flavour. This buttercream is perfect for giving a pistachio twist to your bake.
    4.8 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 0 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 40 tablespoons
    Calories 81 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
    • 3 tablespoon pistachio paste
    • 3 cups powdered icing sugar or confectioners sugar
    • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1½ tablespoon milk

    Instructions
     

    • Begin by placing the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on a medium-low setting for about 30 second to loosen.
    • Add the pistachio paste and beat for another 30 seconds until combined.
    • Sift about half of the powdered icing sugar into the bowl of the mixer. Beat on medium-low until incorporated.
    • Finish sifting the remaining powdered icing sugar into the bowl and return the mixer to a medium-low setting, adding the vanilla extract and milk. Beat for about 5 minutes until light and creamy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 0.4gFat: 4.5gSaturated Fat: 2.3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 26mgPotassium: 3mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 9.6gCalcium: 5mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @waitingforblancmange or tag #waitingforblancmange!

    More Frostings

    • Close up of creamy Biscoff buttercream in bowl.
      Easy Biscoff Buttercream
    • Close up of a swirl of piped peanut butter frosting with a mini Reese's cup on top.
      Peanut Butter Buttercream - An Easy Nutty Frosting
    • Piped marshmallow frosting showing stable buttercream consistency.
      Marshmallow Frosting - Quick and Easy Fluff Buttercream
    • Bowl of easy cinnamon buttercream frosting.
      Cinnamon Buttercream

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lyndsay Lujano

      March 07, 2025 at 6:03 am

      Is pistachio paste the same as pistachio butter?

      Reply
      • Liz Mincin

        March 11, 2025 at 10:43 am

        Hi Lyndsay - this will depend a bit on the brands being used. Some pistachio pastes and butters are essentially the same, but others will have added ingredients (extra oils or sugars) that can impact the consistency. I'd look for something that is close to pure pistachio for best results!

        Reply
    2. kitchenmitts

      October 25, 2021 at 8:01 am

      Thanks for sharing!
      kitchenmitts

      Reply
      • Joe

        April 12, 2025 at 2:02 am

        5 stars
        Came out delicious.
        Just a heads up, in step 3, make sure to start the mixer on low before moving out up to medium low.
        *starts sweeping up powdered sugar*

        Reply
        • Liz Mincin

          May 22, 2025 at 12:57 pm

          I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!!

          But oh no!! That's definitely happened to me too - I'll aim to add a little note to the recipe card to hopefully avoid too many clouds of powdered sugar!

          Reply
    4.75 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Image of Liz Mincin blogger and recipe developer behind Waiting for Blancmange.

    Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an American expat in the UK, with over 20 years experience baking and creating desserts. Taught tricks and tips by my mother and grandmothers, I'm sharing recipes and baking tips from my Italian American and Southern roots, along with a few British staples picked up from my time living across various regions in the UK.

    More about me →

    Spring Faves

    • Close up shot of chocolate chip oatmeal pistachio cookie broken in half revealing gooey soft inside of a freshly baked cookie.
      Oatmeal Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
    • A slice of lemon and blackberry layer cake with blackberry filling and blackberry buttercream.
      Lemon Blackberry Cake
    • Close up of mini cheesecake with chocolate ganache sitting in its open cupcake wrapper after a bite has been taken.
      Mini Cheesecakes with Chocolate Ganache
    • Overhead shot of a piece of no bake pistachio cheesecake with a pistachio white chocolate ganache topping and pieces of pistachio and rose petals for decoration.
      No Bake Pistachio Cheesecake

    Easter Treats

    • Soft and chewy giant Peeps cookie with a gooey marshmallow centre, white chocolate chips and sprinkles.
      Peeps Cookies
    • Close up of hot cross bun cinnamon rolls.
      Hot Cross Bun Cinnamon Rolls
    • Large slices of mini egg brownies with two pieces on their side to show the fudgy brownie base with mini eggs.
      Mini Egg Brownies
    • Cadbury Creme Egg cookies.
      Creme Egg Cookies

    Featured In:

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Waiting for Blancmange

    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.