These pistachio brownies are dense, rich and deeply chocolatey, with a crackly top and fudgy middle studded with toasted pistachios and milk chocolate chips.
It’s a recipe that delivers on both flavour and bite, balancing smooth, intense chocolate with the gentle crunch and mild nuttiness of pistachios.
The base starts with dark chocolate and butter melted together to create a glossy, smooth mixture. Caster sugar is gently whisked in while the mixture is still warm, which helps the crystals start to dissolve.
This is followed by eggs and vanilla, which help give the brownies their signature fudgy consistency.
A touch of flour adds just enough structure without making the texture cakey.
Toasting the pistachios before folding them into the batter is optional, but highly recommended.
It helps bring out their natural sweetness and adds a subtle crispness that holds up during baking.
The nuts are added whole, so you get bursts of flavour and texture throughout each slice and gorgeous flashes of green in the finished brownie slices.
Milk chocolate chips are added with the nuts, creating little pockets of creamier sweetness that contrast perfectly with the more intense dark chocolate base.
When the brownies are served warm, the chocolate chips also give the finished brownies little pools of melted chocolate, which pairs nicely with the crunch of the nuts.
The batter is poured into a lined tin and baked at a relatively low temperature to keep the centre moist.
Once set with a slightly firm top and sticky crumb, the brownies are cooled completely and then chilled in the fridge, which helps them firm up and makes slicing cleaner and easier.
The finished brownies are dense and satisfying, with a deep cocoa flavour and flecks of green pistachio running through each piece.
Chilling overnight is worth the wait. It improves both texture and flavour, letting the chocolate and pistachio settle into something rich and cohesive.
You don't have to serve them chilled though. They can then be served cold if you like a firm bite, room temp if you like a yielding bite (my personal favourite), or lightly warmed if you want to serve them in their gooey, indulgent glory.
However you serve them, if you enjoy brownies with a bit of crunch and a lot of depth, these pistachio brownies are a total winner.
They work well as a dessert with cream or ice cream, but are also perfectly good on their own, kept in a tin and enjoyed over a few days.
They also freeze super well, if you can resist eating them all at once.
Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 400 g (14.1 oz) dark chocolate
- 280 g (9.9 oz) salted butter cubed
- 450 g (15.9 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 6 medium free range eggs room temp, beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 170 g (6 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 200 g (7.1 oz) pistachios (shelled weight)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk chocolate chips
Equipment
- Rectangle 20x28cm (8"x11") nonstick cake tin
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F (150C fan-assisted).
Spread the pistachios on a tray. Toast for 10 minutes. You can skip this step if you like, but it helps bring out the pistachio flavour and give them a bit of extra crunch. Tip onto a plate and set aside to cool.
Grease and line a 20cm x 28cm (8 inch x 11 inch) non-stick shallow rectangular cake tin.
Turn the oven up to to 180C/350F (160C fan).
Put the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl.
Gently melt until smooth. You can use the microwave to do this, using 30 second bursts and stirring after each burst. Alternatively, you can put an inch of water in a pan, place the bowl on top (so that the water isn't touching the bowl) and bring to the boil so that the steam gently melts the chocolate, stirring as you go.
Add the sugar.
Whisk in. The mixture will thicken - graininess at this stage is fine.
If the mixture is hot, wait until it's just slightly warm before adding the beaten egg and vanilla.
Whisk together until smooth.
Sift the flour into the bowl.
Gently fold through until evenly combined.
Add the whole pistachios and milk chocolate chips.
Stir through.
Pour the brownie batter into the tin and level off.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until set all the way across. A skewer pushed into the centre should reveal sticky crumbs.
Place the tin on a wire rack to cool, then place in the fridge to chill overnight.
Slice into 15 neat squares in a 5 x 3 pattern with a sharp, serrated knife.
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Print this Pistachio Brownies Recipe
Pistachio Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g (14.1 oz) dark chocolate
- 280 g (9.9 oz) salted butter cubed
- 450 g (15.9 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 6 medium free range eggs room temp, beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 170 g (6 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 200 g (7.1 oz) pistachios (shelled weight)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk chocolate chips
Equipment
- Rectangle 20x28cm (8"x11") nonstick cake tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C / 340F (150C fan-assisted).
- Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes. You can skip this step if you like, but it helps bring out the pistachio flavour and give them a bit of extra crunch. Tip onto a plate and set aside to cool.
- Grease and line a 20cm x 28cm (8 inch x 11 inch) non-stick shallow rectangular cake tin.
- Turn the oven up to to 180C/350F (160C fan).
- Put the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a large, heatproof bowl. Gently melt until smooth. You can use the microwave to do this, using 30 second bursts and stirring after each burst. Alternatively, you can put an inch of water in a pan, place the bowl on top (so that the water isn't touching the bowl) and bring to the boil so that the steam gently melts the chocolate, stirring as you go.
- Add the sugar and whisk in. The mixture will thicken - graininess at this stage is fine.
- If the mixture is hot, wait until it's just slightly warm before adding the beaten egg and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
- Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold through until evenly combined.
- Add the whole pistachios and milk chocolate chips and stir through.
- Pour the brownie batter into the tin and level off.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until set all the way across. A skewer pushed into the centre should reveal sticky crumbs.
- Place the tin on a wire rack to cool, then place in the fridge to chill overnight.
- Slice into 15 neat squares in a 5 x 3 pattern with a sharp, serrated knife.
Nutrition
More pistachio recipes to try
Have you got my book?
'This is a great kids cookery book. Emily is a star' - Simon Rimmer
'The book I'd like to force into any mother's kitchen' - Prue Leith
"A fab book with a plan." - Jane Devonshire, 2016 Masterchef UK winner
'Emily has managed to combine her mummy knowledge and passion for food to make a truly helpful and brilliant cookbook' - Priya Tew, RD, BSc (Hons), Msc
Get Your Kids to Eat Anything is an achievable 'how to' for parents in the battle to overcome picky eating and 'make new the norm'. Emily Leary's unique 5-phase programme looks at the issue of 'fussy eating' in a holistic way that links imagination with food, and which situates parents alongside - not in opposition to - their children.
Leave a Reply