Name: Chocolate Chip Pistachio Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter; 5 oz pistachios, unsalted and finely ground ((reserve a few Tablespoons for the tops)); 2 cups (230g) all-purpose flour; 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ⅓ cup (96g) sour cream; ⅓ cup (96g) whole milk; 2 large eggs (at room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅔ cup (120g) mini chocolate chips (reserve a few Tablespoons for the tops)

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These bakery-style Chocolate Chip Pistachio Muffins are loaded up with real pistachios for a bold pistachio flavor, without anything artificial. Speckled with just the right amount of mini chocolate chips to perfectly complement the nuttiness of the pistachios. Not only are these muffins delicious, but the batter comes together in one bowl. The base starts with melted butter and only needs to be mixed by hand – no electric mixer needed. Perfect for a quick and easy breakfast treat. These muffins come out soft, fluffy, moist, and full of real pistachio flavor!

How to Make Pistachio Muffins

Prepare muffin pans. Line two 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners, skipping every other tin. You can alternatively spray each tin with non-stick cooking spray if you don’t have any liners on hand.
Make the muffin batter. Start the batter by melting the butter. Combine the ground pistachios and all dry ingredients in one mixing bowl then combine the cooled, melted butter with the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined then fold in mini chocolate chips.

Portion the muffins batter. Scoop the muffin batter into the prepared pans using a large cookie scoop so each muffin has an equal amount of batter. Sprinkle extra pistachios and mini chocolate chips on the top of each muffin.
Bake the muffins. The muffins bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, turn down the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15-17 minutes, just until the center of the muffins spring back to the touch.

Cool and enjoy! I think these muffins are better after they are completely cooled. I personally prefer them the next day, after they have sat in an airtight container overnight, although they are hard to resist biting into right away!

Storing and Freezing

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These muffins can also be frozen, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the muffins from the freezer and allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Helpful Tools and Supplies

Kitchen Scale. The most accurate way to measure your ingredients when baking is using a kitchen scale, as opposed to measuring cups. I cannot recommend a kitchen scale enough. It will give you consistent and more successful results with your recipes every time!

Muffin Pan. These are my favorite baking pans, made by USA Pan. They are sturdy and long-lasting, and they distribute the heat evenly while baking. This is the brand of bakeware I use for my sheet pans, loaf pans, and square or rectangle pans as well.

Muffin Liners. I love these bakery-style tulip muffin liners. They will make your muffins look extra special like they were pulled fresh off the bakery tray. I’ve found that these also help give you a nice tall muffin that puffs up instead of spreading outwards like it would with a traditional cupcake liner.

Cookie Scoop. A good set of cookie scoops is a must-have tool for your kitchen. I use these not only for muffins but also for cookies, cupcakes, and any batter I need to portion out. It will help you get consistent and equal portions every time.

Tips for the Best Pistachio Muffins

Use raw, unsalted pistachios. Raw pistachios (rather than roasted and salted) are going to work best in this recipe. You don’t want to make the batter overly salty and since the batter is getting baked anyway, you don’t need to start with pistachios that have already been roasted. I’ve found that you can give salted pistachios a quick dip in some boiling water to take some of the salt off if those are the only variety you can find. Just be sure to let them dry out well on a towel before grinding.
Grind the pistachios. You can chop the pistachios by hand if you’d like but I’ve found the easiest and quickest way is the grind them. Using a food chopper or processor will give you a nice fine grind, like nut flour. Just be careful not to grind it too far down or the nuts will start to turn into a paste.
Don’t fill every muffin tin. Alternate filling every other muffin tin with batter. This will help prevent overcrowding in the pan and will allow the heat to more evenly distribute around the tins that are filled, producing tall and nicely domed muffins.
Bake at 425°F for 5 then drop the temp. The initial high temperature of 425°F for 5 minutes will help the muffins puff up and rise quickly to give them that classic domed muffin top. Be sure to turn down the temperature to 350°F after just 5 minutes or your muffins will get too dark and overbaked. Also, leave the muffins in the oven and keep the door closed when you turn down the temperature and then bake for another 15-17 minutes. They should bake for a total of 20-22 minutes.

More Breakfast Treats You’ll Love

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake Loaf

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Brown Butter Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Lastly, if you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and tag @sweetkitchencravings on Instagram or TikTok. Or if Pinterest is more your style, you can save my recipes to your collection there. Happy baking!