Coffee-shop syrup
Pistachio Syrup
Real pistachios blended into a fresh nut milk, then sweetened. Creamy, buttery and made for lattes.
- 30 min total
- 12⁄3 cups400 ml
- Keeps 1 week
Quick answer
Pistachio syrup is a creamy, nutty syrup made by blending shelled pistachios with hot water, straining out the pulp and dissolving sugar into the pistachio milk. Blend 1 cup raw pistachios with 1¼ cups just-boiled water, soak 20 minutes, strain, stir in 1¼ cups sugar over low heat, and use 2 tbsp per 12 oz latte.
Café pistachio lattes and the viral Dubai chocolate bar have made pistachio one of the most-searched coffee flavors. Bottled pistachio syrups lean on flavorings. This one is made the way bartenders make orgeat: real nuts blended into fresh nut milk, then sweetened.
Expect a creamy, pale sage-to-ivory syrup, not a bright green one. The vivid green in café drinks usually comes from coloring. What you get here is the real thing: buttery, a little savory-sweet and unmistakably pistachio.
Tastesbutterynuttycreamymarzipan
The recipe
Pistachio Syrup
Ingredients for 12⁄3 cups400 ml
You’ll need: blender, nut-milk bag, shelled pistachios, small saucepan, kitchen scale, pump bottleblender, nut-milk bag, shelled pistachios, small saucepan, kitchen scale, pump bottle
Method
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Blend
Put the pistachios in a blender and pour over the just-boiled water. Blend on high for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and milky. With hot liquid, fill the jar no more than half full and hold the lid down with a folded towel.
1 cup120 g shelled raw pistachios, unsalted1¼ cups300 ml water
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Soak
Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes to draw out more flavor.
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Strain
Pour into a nut-milk bag set over a bowl and squeeze firmly until the pulp feels fairly dry. You should have about 1 cup (240–260 ml) of pale pistachio milk.
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Sweeten
Pour the pistachio milk into a small saucepan with the sugar and salt. Warm over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Don't let it boil, or the nut milk can split and scorch.
1¼ cups250 g granulated sugar
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Finish and bottle
Let it cool, then stir in the vanilla, plus the almond extract if using. Bottle, refrigerate and shake before every use, because it settles as it sits.
½ tsp½ tsp pure vanilla extract¼ tsp¼ tsp almond extract
Storage. Keeps about 1 week sealed in the fridge; like any fresh nut milk, it's perishable. Separation is normal, so shake it well. Throw it out if it smells sour, turns lumpy or fizzes. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months, and label the bottle for anyone with a nut allergy.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 36 kcal, 9.4 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Pistachio latte
2 tbsp (30 ml) per 12 oz latte: stir into 2 shots of espresso, then add steamed milk. Top with a few chopped pistachios.
Iced pistachio latte
2 tbsp (30 ml) with 2 shots (60 ml) espresso and 6 oz (180 ml) cold milk over ice. Oat milk suits it.
Pistachio cold foam
Froth 1 tbsp (15 ml) syrup with 3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream and 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk; spoon over iced coffee or cold brew.
Pistachio hot chocolate
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) stirred into 8 oz (240 ml) milk or white hot chocolate.
Pistachio Espresso Martini
½ oz (15 ml) with 1½ oz (45 ml) vodka, 1 oz (30 ml) fresh espresso and ½ oz (15 ml) coffee liqueur. Shake hard, strain.
Gear for this recipe
Glass Coffee Syrup Dispensers with Pumps (16.9 oz, set of 2)
A pump gives the same dose every press, so every latte tastes the same. Glass washes clean between flavors.
Best for Home coffee bars
Zulay Kitchen Handheld Milk Frother
Best for Lattes and cold foam on a budget
Ninja Professional 72 oz Countertop Blender (BL610)
Best for Orgeat and no-heat syrups
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (11 lb)
Best for Exact ratios, every batch
More gear for this recipe (4)
Ellie's Best Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag (12 x 12 in)
Best for Orgeat and pulpy fruit syrups
Pure Almond Extract (2 oz)
Best for Nut and stone-fruit syrups
Raw Shelled Pistachios, Unsalted (1 lb)
Best for Pistachio syrup and lattes
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- Buying shelled pistachios saves about 20 minutes of cracking. In the shell, you need roughly twice the weight.
- Want it greener? Blanch the pistachios in boiling water for 1 minute, then rub off the purple-brown skins in a towel. It's fiddly, but the syrup comes out noticeably greener.
- A few drops of almond extract make it taste more like a café pistachio syrup, which usually leans toward marzipan. Go easy: too much tastes like cherry candy.
- Weigh the strained pistachio milk and add an equal weight of sugar for a consistent syrup from batch to batch.
- Save the pulp. It's essentially pistachio flour: stir it into oatmeal or yogurt, or dry it in a low oven for baking.
Variations
Clear pistachio syrup
Coarsely chop the pistachios, simmer them in 200 g sugar and 300 ml water for 5 minutes, steep 1 hour and strain. Clearer and milder, and it keeps about 2 weeks.
Pistachio rose
Stir ½ tsp rose water into the cooled syrup for a Persian-style pistachio-rose latte.
Toasted salted pistachio
Toast the pistachios at 160°C/325°F for 6 minutes and add an extra pinch of salt. Browner and toastier, and very good in iced lattes.
Questions people ask
Why isn't my pistachio syrup green?
Pistachio milk is naturally pale: the nut is green, but its skin is purple-brown and the water dilutes the color. Café syrups get their green from coloring. Skin the nuts for a greener syrup, or add a drop of green food coloring if you want the café look.
Can I use roasted or salted pistachios?
Raw, unsalted nuts give the cleanest flavor and color. Unsalted roasted pistachios work but make a browner, toastier syrup. If you only have salted, rinse and dry them, and leave out the pinch of salt.
How much pistachio syrup goes in a latte?
About 2 tbsp (30 ml) for a 12 oz latte and 3 tbsp (45 ml) for 16 oz. Real-nut syrup is subtler than bottled, so adjust to taste.
What's the difference between pistachio syrup and pistachio orgeat?
The method is the same. Orgeat is a cocktail syrup finished with orange blossom water; this one uses vanilla instead, so it tastes rounder and creamier in coffee.
How long does homemade pistachio syrup last?
About 1 week in the fridge, because it's made with fresh nut milk. Freeze it in cubes for up to 3 months, or make the clear steeped version, which keeps about 2 weeks.