Pistachio Cream Is The Sweet Spread Your Breakfast Is Missing

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Whether you now dream of pistachio because of those viral Dubai chocolate bars or you were a die-hard pistachio ice cream fan long before the flavor was cool, there's a good chance you have a fondness for that serene green hue and sweet, nutty profile. What's strange, then, is that pistachio cream — or spread, or paste — isn't a more common pantry staple in American kitchens. Pistachio cream is ubiquitous in Italy, especially Sicily, and you can also find it in Middle Eastern sweets. It's made from ground pistachios, milk, butter, a sweetener like sugar or honey, and vanilla or white chocolate. It's fairly easy to make at home, and you can find brands like Gusta Etna on Amazon for about $13.99 a jar. It's high time we upgrade our meals with the richness of pistachio paste. 

We rounded up some of the best ways to use pistachio spread, and while one might immediately think of desserts, there's a world of possibilities for the most important meal of the day. Many breakfast dishes would benefit from pistachio cream.

Most simply, there's toast, and pistachio paste would spread just as easily and deliciously on waffles, pancakes, and muffins — sweet pistachio would beautifully balance the tartness of home-baked pomegranate muffins. You can mix a tablespoon into oatmeal or overnight oats, adding crunch with chopped pistachios and brightness with berries. When you have time for more of a full recipe, the sweet rewards will prove worthwhile. 

You can really have fun with pistachio spread as just that, a spread, thinking about all the other fixings that would work well with it. Citrus tempers its rich sweetness with bright zing, so a sprinkle of lemon zest or grapefruit segments would be a treat; raspberries or cherries would bring both complementary sweetness and tartness, and chopped dates would contribute warmer, more spiced sweetness. You can also add chopped nuts or coconut shavings.

To get a bit more involved for a pistachio cream-boosted breakfast, try a pistachio smoothie. Where some recipes might call for a ¼ cup of pistachios and a ½ cup of Greek yogurt, take a shortcut with a ½ cup of pistachio cream. More advanced bakers can make classic croissants with pistachio cream inside, while those with less time can buy croissants, half them length-wise, and spread pistachio paste in the middle. You can make pistachio cream brioche — try a chocolate brioche recipe, swapping the chocolate for pistachio. Anywhere you'd use peanut butter, you can use pistachio spread for a fresh twist, like these sweet breakfast cookies with oats, bananas, and chocolate chips. You'd also wow the whole family with cinnamon rolls that incorporate pistachio cream on top. For a health-conscious approach, mix pistachio paste into homemade chia pudding.

While pistachio cream contains sugar, it also features pistachios' healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants. So when used in moderate amounts, it's a tasty breakfast update you can generally feel good about.