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–+ servings
A close-up image of a sliced pistachio cake with creamy frosting and crushed nuts on top.
4.50 from 2 votes

Vanilla Pistachio Loaf Recipe

Treat yourself with our Vanilla Pistachio Loaf with Pistachio Frosting – it's a moist loaf cake bursting with nutty flavor! With chopped pistachios baked into the loaf and blended pistachios in the frosting, you'll get that amazing pistachio flavor in every single bite.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour 20 minutes
Fat 33
Carbs 58
Protein 9
Yield 9

Ingredients

Dry

Wet

Frosting

  • ½ cup raw pistachios
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Optional Toppings

  • Leftover pistachio paste crumbles
  • Flakey sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Add the dry ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
    A clear glass bowl containing a pile of white flour and shelled green pistachios on a neutral surface.
  • Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until light and fluffy with an electric or stand mixer.
    Ingredients for baking, including butter, white sugar, and brown sugar, are placed in a glass mixing bowl on a textured surface.
  • Add one egg to the creamed mixture at a time until incorporated.
    A glass bowl containing crumbled dough and a whole raw egg on a textured surface.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix with the electric mixture until incorporated. Slowly add the almond milk to the mixture until the batter is thick but pourable.
  • Pour the batter into the lined pan and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on the top of the loaf. Use a butter knife to create a line down the middle of the loaf. Bake for 50-60 minutes.*
    Unbaked dough in a metal tray topped with chopped nuts, prepared for baking and lined with parchment paper.
  • Remove the loaf from the oven when the life comes out clean or almost clean. Let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes (it will continue to bake). Remove the loaf from the pan and let it rest and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
    A freshly-baked loaf of bread with pistachios sprinkled on top, sitting in a metal baking pan lined with parchment paper.
  • While the loaf is cooling, prepare the buttercream frosting. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the pistachios. Toast the pistachios for 4-5 minutes, toasting until golden, purple, and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
  • Transfer the pistachios to a small food processor, blender, or clean coffee grinder. Process the pistachios until they turn into a paste (similar to a nut butter). Set aside.
    Creamy pistachio butter in a food processor.
  • Use an electric or standing mixer and beat the butter, heavy cream and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar to the frosting and beat on low until smooth and combined.
  • Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pistachio paste to the frosting and mix on low until combined. The frosting will have bits of pistachio and may turn green depending on what type of pistachios are used. Option to add more pistachio paste here for a more pistachio flavor or color. Set aside extra pistachio paste for topping later.
    A person is using a silver cuisinart hand mixer to blend batter in a clear glass bowl on a kitchen countertop.
  • When the loaf is cool, frost the top of the loaf and sprinkle any extra pistachio paste on top of the frosting. Enjoy.
    A freshly baked loaf cake topped with a creamy white frosting and sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

Tips & Notes

  • The bake time may vary depending on If you are baking at altitude. Adjust accordingly.
  • In steps 4 and 5, be sure not to overmix the batter. If you over-mix you may end up with a dense loaf. You want it to be light and fluffy.
  • Every oven is different. In step 6, you have the option to turn the loaf pan 180º depending on if your oven bakes unevenly.
  • Cutting a line down the middle of the loaf before baking ensures that a crease will be baked on the top of the bread. It’s fully for aesthetics, feel free to skip.
  • The longer you keep the loaf in the loaf pan in step 7, the more it will bake. To keep the loaf from overbaking, remove it from the pan after 5 minutes.
  • If the pistachios aren’t blending into a paste or nut butter it could be because they were not toasted long enough.
  • We used a beast blender to make the pistachio paste.

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 33g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g