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What could be more delicious than a hot, flaky croissant filled with homemade pistachio cream and topped with melted chocolate? This is the simplest way to take an ordinary croissant and turn it into something truly sensational. Homemade pistachio cream is very simple to make, but of course this recipe would work with store-bought too.
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The idea of these croissants is simple, which is so often the way with all the best things. Store-bought croissants are brushed with sugar syrup, then spread with Nutella and also pistachio cream, and baked all together until crispy outside but melted in the middle. It is so decadently delicious.
Why you will love this recipe
- Uses pre-baked croissants, so it’s extremely easy.
- Filled with Nutella and pistachio cream are the perfect nutty combination.
- A simple bite that also looks lovely, so it’s a great option for entertaining at a brunch, tea time, or whenever!
What is pistachio cream and how do you make it?
Common in Italy, pistachio cream is a sweetened pistachio paste that you can use in a multitude of ways. It’s also surprisingly easy to make pistachio cream – I recommend a strong food processor and blender.
The reason you use both is that the food processor chops the pistachios finely, whereas a blender will get the paste super smooth once you add the melted white chocolate. This means you can achieve the perfect final texture. If you only have one and not both, it will work, but you might need to be more patient with the final texture.
Ingredients
- Pistachios – Use unsalted raw pistachios. The shelled nuts speed up the time needed, but you can shell them yourself. Some go into the cream, and chopped pistachios are added with the fillings.
- White chocolate – Adds just a hint of chocolate that perfectly complements the pistachios.
- Croissants – The recipe uses pre-baked croissants, and if they’re slightly stale, that’s best. You’ll simply slice each croissant and add the filling.
- Nutella – This popular hazelnut spread forms the base of the filling.
- Milk chocolate – Drizzled over the baked pistachio croissants, along with a sprinkling of confectioners’ (icing) sugar.
Substitutions and variations
Pistachio cream: If you don’t want to make your own pistachio cream, you can find it online pretty easily – Amazon stocks it, but you can also buy it in some big supermarkets, and Italian delis will often sell it too.
Topping options: All of the final toppings are optional and customizable. Drizzle extra pistachio cream or melted milk chocolate over the warm croissants, add extra pistachios if you like, or skip the sugar dusting.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you have a favorite homemade croissant recipe, use it. Or stop by the bakery and pick some up. Either way, because of the filling, these pistachio croissants do work best with slightly stale croissants, which is a great way to use them up.
Nutella may be the best known, but there are many other hazelnut spreads that are fantastic as well. You can also make or buy spreads with other nuts like almonds, macadamias, and cashews. Some even use a blend of different nuts.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you love pistachios, I can highly recommend this Pistachio-Filled French Toast and, of course, my Dubai Chocolate and Strawberry Dessert, which is just so good. Or try my Pistachio Tiramisu – a lovely twist on a classic!
Easy Lamb Recipes
One-Pan Slow Cooked Lamb with Baby Potatoes & Oregano
Pancake Recipes
Kaiserschmarrn (Traditional Austrian Pancakes)
High Protein Recipes
High Protein Dinner Recipes
Easy Baking Recipes
Cornflake Dream Cake with Mini Eggs
If you tried these Pistachio Croissants or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Pistachio Croissant with Homemade Pistachio Cream
Ingredients
For the pistachio cream:
- 5.25 oz shelled, unsalted raw pistachios, you can shell them yourself but it takes a while so buy shelled if you can!
- 6 fl oz whole milk, divided
- 1 oz salted butter, about 2 tbsp
- 3.5 oz white chocolate
- 1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar), powdered sugar
For the croissants:
- 6 croissants, store-bought is perfect and a little stale ideally
- 1 handful shelled pistachios, chopped
- 1 jar Nutella
- confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar), for decoration
- Milk chocolate, melted (to drizzle on top)
For the syrup:
- 3.5 oz sugar, about 1/2 cup
- 3.3 fl oz water, about scant 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
For the cream:
- I always start by boiling the shelled pistachios for 3 minutes to soften them. Then drain them and set them on a clean towel to dry.
- Then use the towel to rub the pistachios to loosen the skins. You want to separate the pistachios from the skins and discard them. This step does take a little time but I promise it’s worth it.
- Tip the pistachios into a food processor with 3 1/3 fl oz (100 ml) of the milk, about scant 1/2 cup, and 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar. Blitz for around 5 minutes until the pistachios turn into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides every minute or so. Be patient – to begin with, it will resemble breadcrumbs but eventually, it will turn into a paste – this is important.
- Heat the rest of the milk along with the butter and white chocolate in a saucepan and heat gently until melted.
- Scoop the pistachio paste into a blender and then pour in the melted white chocolate mixture. Blitz until extra smooth and creamy.
For the syrup:
- Add the sugar, water, and vanilla to a pan. Heat over medium and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for one minute then remove from the heat.
To assemble:
- Heat the oven to 392°F (200°C/180°C fan).
- Slice the croissants in half and brush each side with sugar syrup. Place on a baking sheet. Spread the bottom with Nutella then pipe on some pistachio cream. Sandwich together and pipe the top with more pistachio cream. Scatter with chopped pistachios and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until toasty and golden.
- Dust with icing sugar and drizzle with melted chocolate or more Nutella and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
