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Pistachio Bread

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Simple, easy and quick are three words I’d use to describe this Pistachio Bread with almond icing.  It all starts with a cake mix, a pudding mix and a little love and soon you’ll be biting into a little slice of heaven.

 

 

Have you ever had Blue Bell Pistachio Almond ice cream?  It’s one of my favorite flavors.  The combination of pistachios and almonds in a fun green color is something I look forward after the kids go to bed.  

This Pistachio Bread is a my attempt at recreating the flavors of my favorite ice cream but in a fun cake like bread. 

Some would call this a quick bread, others a cake.  Either way, I call it delicious!  

It’s a fun green color which makes it perfect for  St. Patrick’s Day, a baby shower or just for fun! My kids absolutely love it. And the flavor is delicious. 

It’s not an overpowering flavor, but a subtle, delicious flavor even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!

Not only is this green pistachio bread great to bring to parties or to enjoy with your family, it is perfect for gifts. If you are running out of ideas for teacher or neighbor gifts, here is a great one. Just bake this bread in smaller loaves and voilà, the perfect gift.

 

 

How to make Pistachio Bread

This recipe for pistachio quick bread is so easy, you’ll be making it a regular part of your life.  It takes only 20 minutes to whip up and another 40 to bake!  So within 1 hour, you’ve got yourself a tasty breakfast, snack or dessert!

  • White Sugar: Everything is sweeter with sugar.
  • Cinnamon: This will add an extra flavor and spice things up.
  • Yellow Cake Mix: This is the base of the bread, without it your pistachio bread wouldn’t really be bread. This is also why some call this a pistachio cake, instead of pistachio bread!
  • Pistachio Pudding Mix: This is what will give it the unique pistachio taste and color.
  • Eggs: Eggs are what create structure in cake, it thickens the batter and adds moisture into the batter.
  • Oil: This is extremely important in baking, it adds richness and tenderness into your bread. My favorite oil to use is vegetable oil but canola oil works just as well.
  • Water: This will probably be the easiest ingredient to come by.
  • Sour Cream: This ingredient will also add more moisture into the bread to make it soft and enjoyable.
  • Green Food Coloring (Optional): If you are looking for a more vibrant green color you can always add some food coloring in. Though the cake itself will already be green.

 

 

How do You Make the Almond Icing:

Making the almond icing is a piece of cake. This five ingredient icing will have your bread tasting even better. It is quick to make and so good you may end up licking the bowl.

  • Vanilla Extract: This will enhance the flavor of the icing and will help with the tasty flavor
  • Almond Extract: This is what will give it the almond flavor.
  • Milk: This will make your icing a little thicker and will help your ingredients blend together smoothly.
  • Powder Sugar: This is the main ingredient in almost every icing or frosting.
  • Shelled Pistachios: Nothing better to top off pistachio bread then some pistachios on top, right?


Can Pistachio Bread Go Bad?

Yes Pistachio Bread can go bad.  It’s a bread or cake if you choose to make it in a cake pan.  And like all baked goods, it can dry out or mold if not stored correctly or eaten in a reasonable amount of time. 

I recommend eating this bread within 5 days.  When not enjoying, cover completely and store in fridge, cuttings slices as you need.

 

 

Can you Freeze Pistachio Bread?

Yes, you mostly certainly can freeze your pistachio bread. Like most things if you are going to freeze your bread make sure you store it in an airtight container and let it thaw out overnight before serving it. 

Also if you plan on freezing your bread right away you might want to hold off on the icing until you are ready to serve your delicious green cake bread.

 

 

More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

 

More Green Recipes You’ll Love…

 

I never thought I would be making green bread on a regular basis, but since this pistachio bread recipe came into my life, I haven’t stopped.

This bread recipe will be a fan favorite for sure, especially during the holidays. Easy recipes are the best, but you would never expect how simple it was with it’s beautiful pistachio taste.

 

Yield: 2 loaves

Pistachio Bread

A loaf of bread on a cutting board with almond icing and chopped nuts drizzled on top. Two slices have been cut off.

Simple, easy and quick are three words I'd use to describe this Pistachio Bread with almond icing.  It all starts with a cake mix, a pudding mix and a little love and soon you'll be biting into a little slice of heaven.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 yellow cake mix
  • 2 (3.5 ounce) boxes of instant pistachio pudding mix (dry)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon green food coloring (optional if you want your bread greener than mine)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped shelled pistachios

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F
  2. Grease two bread pans with a spray oil or butter.
  3. In a small bowl combine white sugar and cinnamon, mix well.
  4. Pour cinnamon sugar into loaf pan and gently shake it all around coating the bottom and sides of pan. Coat both pans..
  5. In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, pistachio pudding mix (dry), eggs, oil, water & sour cream.
  6. Add additional green food coloring if you wish for your bread to be a darker green. Mine is a lime green color, mix well.
  7. Batter will be very thick. Pour half the batter into each pan. Spread smoothly on top in preparation for baking.
  8. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
  9. Let bread rest for 5 minutes before removing from pans and allowing to fully cool on a wire rack.
  10. Once cake is fully cooled, make icing.
  11. In a small bowl with a hand whisk, combine vanilla extract, almond extract & milk. Mix well.
  12. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  13. After icing is mixed pour over bread.
  14. Top immediately with chopped pistachios as icing will dry quickly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g
Originally Posted: February 27, 2015

Photos & Text Updated: April 28, 2021

 

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Lisa Mihailovich

Sunday 10th of December 2023

I love this bread I make it all the time. Thank you.

Joan

Thursday 20th of July 2023

I made this and everyone loved it. My brother asked for recipe and my daughter asked if I would make it for her to take to visit someone. My grandson keeps asking me to make one for him. It was a hit!

Janelle

Sunday 1st of October 2023

Joan I love comments like yours. You have a generous heart that has been passed on through your children as they are thinking of others! Great job!

Monya

Wednesday 12th of April 2023

Hello, my name is Monya I made this Pistachio Bread it’s pretty good, have tried to tweak it to get it a little bit more moisture, just asking.

Janelle

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Hi Monya, Are you asking how to get this to be a more moist bread? You could try adding in 1/4 cup mayonnaise, sour cream or greek yogurt. That should add in moisture. We personally like it just as written, but if you feel it needs more moisture I'd start with one of those three. Thanks for the comment.

Adam

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

Can you freeze the batter?

Janelle

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Hi Adam. I have never tried to freeze the batter. I do know the bread after baking and cooling can be frozen. If you try with the batter, let me know how it turns out.

Marsha

Saturday 11th of March 2023

I didn’t have pistachios on hand so I topped it with Heath Chips and a few chopped almonds. It was fabulous!

Janelle

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Great idea Marsha! I'm sure many will want to try this too!

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