The Best Pistachio Brownies Recipe
Pistachio is a classic, authentic flavor of Italy. Scattered throughout the country, you can find things like pistachio gelato, pistachio cake, pistachio cookies, and even pasta with creamy pistachio sauce. La voglia! It's. All. So. Good!
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The Middle East is home to the pistachio tree. But, when the Moors ruled the island of Sicily during the 9th-11th Centuries, they introduced pistachio trees to the region. Seeds were harvested by hand—one by one. This hard work of hand harvesting pistachios continues today. Much of the pistachio harvest in Italy still comes from the beautiful island of Sicilia. In fact, some say the best pistachios in the world come from the these slopes of the volcano, Mount Etna.
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I love pistachio everything. It's one of my favorite gelato flavors. I can close my eyes and I'm at one of my favorite gelaterie romane, Neve di Latte, in the neighborhood of Flaminio in north Rome. There are multiple locations across the eternal city. The gelato is smooth, creamy, and made fresh daily. If you are in Rome, make sure Neve di Latte is one of your stops.
Now back to my love for all things pistachio—pistachio cake is also one of my favorite desserts to make during the holiday season. In general, Italian desserts aren't as sweet as those from America. But, I think they are more decadent and more flavorful.
When I'm entertaining, one of my go-to, simple and easy-to-make desserts is always brownies. But what can make velvety chocolate brownies even better with an Italian flair? Yes, you guessed it—pistachio! And in honor of National Pistachio day this past week, I wanted to share this recipe with you. These pistachio brownies always impress and are so, so good!
If you make this recipe and think it’s buonissima, I would love if you gave this recipe a great review. Tag me on Instagram @oldworld.italian.
Buon appetito!
Pistachio Brownies
Ingredients
8 Tbsp butter
6 oz chopped dark chocolate
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 cup pistachio cream
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
Recipe Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 baking pan. (You can also place down parchment paper first to make for super easy clean up if you prefer.)
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or double broiler. Add the chopped chocolate pieces and stir constantly with a wooden spoon over low heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted.
Remove from heat while continuing to stir. Whisk in the cocoa powder until the mixture is smooth.
Add each egg one at a time. Then, stir in the sugar and the vanilla.
Add the flour slowly while mixing with a wooden spoon.
Pour all of the batter into the prepared pan. Then, drop heaping spoonfuls of the pistachio cream evenly spaced over the batter. Using a knife, drag the cream making swirling motions with your hand. This movement will create beautiful swirls of pistachio into the chocolate. Be careful not to over mix or you won't see the swirls of green pistachio.
Sprinkle the top with the chopped pistachios for an extra crunch.
Bake the brownies for about 40 minutes until the center feels just slightly firm (do not over-bake).
Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing.
*These are delicious paired with a nice cup of espresso.
*These can be made a day in advance and are just as tasty the next day.
This recipe is adapted from Dulce de Leche Brownies by David Lebovitz, author of the book A Sweet Life in Paris.