These pistachio muffins filled with hazelnut chocolate are so soft, flavorful and perfectly sweet. These no pudding muffins are full of ground pistachios and filled with a hazelnut chocolate spread surprise in the middle. They are topped off with a pistachio crumb to make sure each bite is bursting with that pistachio flavor.
Although pistachios are available all year around, they are harvested from about late August to early October. Making this a great time to highlight a few recipes featuring pistachios! And I am loving finding new recipes to use the sweet and earthy nut, such as my goat cheese stuffed figs from a few weeks ago. And then these delicious muffins! And they are not lacking in pistachios! I really love there is no pistachio pudding used in this recipe, so you really taking full advantage of the pistachios.
And of course, the hazelnut chocolate center of each muffin takes these to the next level. The hazelnut chocolate flavor pairs with the pistachio so well! You can use any brand of hazelnut chocolate spread, such as the popular Nutella. But to be honest, I did not use Nutella in this pistachio muffin recipe, so it is perfectly fine to go with whatever brand you love!
Why you will love these pistachio muffins filled with hazelnut chocolate
Easy and simple ingredients: These muffins only take about 30 minutes to make from start to finish! And no crazy hard to find ingredients, just wholesome goodness!
Family Friendly: My family went CRAZY for these muffins! They are really a crowd pleaser and do not last long! We love them as an after-school snack!
Seriously delicious: Always an important part of any recipe! It has to taste GOOD! And these easy muffins go above my expectations! They are fluffy and soft with gooey chocolate middle and packed with pistachio flavors!
Tips and tricks when making these pistachio muffins
- Blend the pistachios for the batter and the topping separately. The pistachios used for the muffin batter will need to grinded down to smaller pieces. However, the pistachios in the crumb topping are better left a little chunky to give it some more texture.
- Use your favorite hazelnut chocolate spread for this recipe. If you go with a more natural brand that has more oil in it, make sure to fully stir the spread together before adding it the recipe.
- Try not over mix the muffin batter. This can cause a denser texture in the muffins. So just mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. It is ok if there are some lumps!
- If possible, try to use saltless pistachios in this recipe. If you do use salted pistachios, you might want to not add a pinch of salt in the pistachio crumb topping.
- Baking times will vary from oven to oven due to external factors so watch the bake time carefully. Start low and check in on the muffins. A toothpick will come out clean when the muffins are fully baked.
- You can store these pistachio muffins on the counter for up 3 days….if they last that long.
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
Greek Yogurt: You can swap the Greek yogurt out with plain yogurt or sour cream if needed.
Buttermilk: In a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk if needed. To do this, use 2/3 cup regular milk and add 3/4 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Cardamon: The cardamon goes with the pistachio flavor nicely. But if you do not have cardamon, you can either leave it out of the recipe or replace it with cinnamon or allspice.
Cooking Oil: For the cooking oil, use a neutral oil, meaning it does not have a strong flavor that will impact the recipe. You can use Avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. Melted coconut oil will work as well, but you might want to use refined coconut, so you do not get the coconut flavor profile in the muffins.
Hazelnut Chocolate Spread: This one of the best parts of the muffins! You can use your favorite brand, just make sure to stir it really well if the spread has excess oil. If you do not want to use the hazelnut chocolate spread at all, you can remove it from the recipe all together. Or you could add 3/4 cup of chocolate chips to the batter as an alternative.
If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Your feedback is really appreciated!
And you can tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
From my kitchen to yours, happy baking! I hope you love these muffins as much as my family does!
Pistachios Muffins Filled with Hazelnut Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1/2 C. Greek yogurt
- 1/2 C. Oil Canola or Avocado work well
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 C. Buttermilk
- 1/2 C. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 C. Pistachio
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. Cardamom
- 1/4-1/3 C. Hazelnut Chocolate spread such as Nutella
Pistachio topping
- 4 Tbsp. Butter unsalted cut into small pieces
- 1/4 C. Brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
- 1/4 C. Pistachios
- 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
- Pinch of cardamom
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place 1/2 cup of pistachios into a food processor or blender. Pulse until the pistachios are broken down into very small pieces (they do not need to be as finely ground as flour, some small chunks are ok).
- Combine the ground pistachios, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom and salt together in a medium bowl. Mix and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium for about 20 seconds. Add in the oil, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix together until smooth with the hand mixer or whisk. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- To make the pistachio topping, place the remaining1/4 cup of pistachios into the food processor. Pulse a few times to break the pistachios into smaller pieces. Combine the ground pistachios, brown sugar, flour, and pinch of salt and cardamon. Add the cold butter and cut into the flour pistachio mixture using a fork or pastry cutter. When done, the butter will be mixed in and it will have a sand like texture.
- Fill into 12 muffin tins with muffin liners about halfway with batter. Place roughly a teaspoon of the hazelnut chocolate spread into the middle of each muffin. Top with remaining batter over the hazelnut chocolate spread. Evenly top each muffin with the pistachio topping. Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 11-14 minutes more or until the batter is set. Let cool and enjoy!
