Pistachio Tart

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Pistachio Tart, prepare to be transported to the streets of Paris with this mouth-watering French-style pistachio dessert! With a buttery pastry crust and pistachio filling topped with delicate pistachio cream, this tart is the perfect indulgence for any occasion.

pistachio tart, placed on a marble board with plates and spoons in the background.

Imagine serving this stunning Pistachio tart at your next dinner party or enjoying a slice with your afternoon tea. Try this irresistible recipe and let your taste buds take a journey today. You won’t regret it!

This tart is the perfect combination of rich and indulgent. And the best part? You can make this pistachio dessert at home! This recipe is totally approachable. It takes a bit of time, but this dessert is a compilation of several classic baking recipes. The process is similar to my raspberry frangipane tart, blackberry tart, or pecan tart.

pistachio tart with a top view showing the rosette piping decoration. Next to the tart, there are plates, spoons, a pink napkin and flowers.

Why you’ll love this pistachio tart recipe:

Rich and creamy flavor: The combination of a nutty filling with the pistachio cream creates an irresistible flavor.
Stunning presentation: With its beautiful light green hue and modern style decoration, this pistachio tart is an eye-catching dessert that will impress your guests.
Versatility: This pistachio tart is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a fancy dinner party or a casual afternoon tea with friends.
Approachable: although its professional-looking appearance, a home baker can make this tart at home. Follow my guidance.
This tart takes the classic tart to a new level, and you will be so proud of yourself for creating a French-style pistachio pastry.

Note about the Ingredients

For the tart case, check my sweet pastry recipe for all the details.

The pistachio frangipane filling is made with butter, sugar, eggs, pistachio butter and ground pistachios (pistachios, grounded in the food processor). The filling is topped with whole pistachios.

Pistachio butter. You can use a store-bought or make your own pistachio butter.

Pistachio Cream: It’s a delicious pistachio diplomat cream that requires 2 steps. First, we make a pistachio pastry cream with added gelatine. Once that’s set, we add whipped cream to it. Note: Not all gelatines are the same. Check your gelatine strength and adapt if needed. Check the blackberry tart recipe in the “How to adjust the quantity of gelatine?” section for information about gelatine and how to adapt.

Get all measurements, and full instructions are at the bottom of the page.

pistachio tart, placed on a marble board. A slice is already cut and ready to be served. In the background, there are dessert plates, pistachios, flowers and a pink napkin.

Equipment

A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is helpful but optional. It just makes things easier to make the sweet pastry.
Pie weights. If you use a silicone mat, perforated baking sheet and a perforated tart ring, you don’t need pie weights.
Food processor to ground the pistachios.
Electric mixer for the pistachio filling and diplomat cream.
Tart ring: 10in (25cm). I use a perforated tart ring, but you can use a fluted tart pan if you prefer. Choosing a loose-based tart tin will make it easier to remove the tart from the tin.
and equipment like rolling pin, baking paper…

How to make the pistachio tart?

I prepare the pistachio tart over 2 days. Each step is approachable, but slipping up the process in 2 days helps to stay organized and not feel overwhelmed.

Day 1:

Pastry shell: I prepare the dough and line a tart ring, then wrap it with cling film and let it chill in the fridge for 2 days.

Pistachio Cream: I prepare the 1st part, which means the pistachio pastry cream with added gelatine. Once done, cover with cling film, touching the surface, and place in the fridge overnight.

Ground pistachios, so it’s ready for the next day.

Day 2:

Bake, pistachio frangipane filling, 2nd part of the Diplomat cream (=whipped cream), and assembly.

Note: you can also prepare and assemble the entire tart recipe a day before you plan to serve it and let it in the fridge overnight under a cake dome.

pistachio tart in process with 3 steps: a tart ring lined with pastry dough, a pistachio filling, and pre-bake tart.

pistachio diplomat cream in process with 3 steps: pistachio pastry cream, whipped cream and the diplomat cream.

pistachio tart in process with 2 photos: the tart just after baking, and the final tart topped with the pistachio cream.

Tips

Here are some tips to help you succeed in making a pistachio tart:

Read the entire recipe before starting.
Use good-quality ingredients: This will ensure the best taste and texture in your tart.
Make sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. For more information on why this step is important, see this blog post: Sweet-Pastry Dough.
Pre-baking the crust for 15 minutes before adding the filling will help keep its crispness.
Toast the pistachios if you don’t have roasted pistachios. Toasting the pistachios before grinding them will bring out their flavor and give the filling a richer, nuttier taste. Simply toast them on the stove, in a skillet, on medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring, until a toasty fragrance.
Let the tart cool completely before adding the pistachio cream.
Check the following blog post: sweet pastry and pistachio cream. There are full of tips and very detailed. Note: The quantity for the pistachio pastry cream has been adapted for this recipe.
For decoration, feel free to decorate as you desire. If you like the same design, use a closed star piping tip and pipe a giant rosette. It keeps things easy but still WOW.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to create a delicious and beautiful pistachio tart that will impress anyone who tries it!

a pistachio tart on a marble cake board, with plates, cutlery, flowers and napkin in the background.

FAQ

Can I make this pistachio tart ahead of time?

Yes, I slip up the preparation over 2 days. Check the section “how to make the pistachio tart” just above if you haven’t read it.
The dough for the tart shell can be frozen; check the sweet pastry recipe for details. Freeze and defrost when ready to prepare the tart. Or you can prepare the dough 1 or 2 days before and let it chill overnight, as I recommend.
If you make your own pistachio butter, you can prepare it a few weeks in advance.

How to store it?

The tart is best when served the day it’s made. Any leftovers: under a cake dome or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Can you freeze the tart?

Unfortunately, one is finished, no, you can’t freeze this tart recipe. The diplomat cream will lose its texture.

Note:

The pistachio taste is light and not too strong. Toasting the pistachios help to bring out more flavor. And if you want a stronger pistachio flavor, add a bit of pistachio flavoring to the whipped cream when you prepare the diplomat cream.
Pistachio Filling: I had extra filling when I made this tart into a 2-cm height tart ring, but it fits perfectly into a 3-cm tart tin. Make sure you don’t overfill the tart case.

a slice of pistachio tart in a dessert plate with the remaining tart in the background, with pistachios and flowers.

Try these recipes, next

If you tried this Pistachio Tart or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below. Find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for even more tips and recipes.

Pistachio Tart

June 19, 2023Helene

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

Serves: 8
Dessert
American, French
Pistachio Tart

Pistachio Tart: a buttery pastry crust and pistachio filling topped with delicate pistachio cream.

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry

115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
75 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
25 g (1/4 cup) ground almonds, sifted
1 pinch salt
1 egg (about 55g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

Pistachio Cream

4 g (1.5 tsp) gelatine powder, strength : 200 Bloom
25 ml (1 tbsp + 1tsp) cold water
20 cl (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) milk
55 g (1/4 cup) pistachio butter
2 egg yolks
35 g (3 tbsp) fine sugar
20 g (2.5 tbsp) cornstarch
8 g (1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
20 g (1 tbsp + 1tsp) unsalted butter, diced
20 cl (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) heavy cream, 30-36% milk fat

Pistachio Filling

75 g (2/3 stick) unsalted butter, softened
75 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) fine sugar
2 eggs
75 g (3/4 cups) roasted, ground pistachio
15 g (1 Tbsp) pistachio butter
40 g (1/3 cup) whole roasted pistachios

Method

Sweet Pastry

1)
Prepare the sweet pastry. Line a 10-inch tart ring with the dough and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Follow this link for the sweet pastry recipe.

Pistachio Cream

1)
Bloom the gelatine: pour cold water into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water, give it a quick stir, and let it sit for a few minutes until the gelatin is fully bloomed. Set aside.
2)
Combine the milk and pistachio butter in a saucepan and heat the mixture until it simmers, almost reaching a boiling point.
3)
As the milk heats up, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are well combined, smooth, and have turned into a lighter color.
4)
Incorporate the cornstarch and flour into the egg mixture and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
5)
Once the milk begins to simmer and small bubbles appear, remove the saucepan from the heat. At this stage, you may need to strain your milk through a fine mesh, depending on the smoothness of your pistachio butter.
6)
Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken.
7)
Allow the cream to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, still stirring constantly. Once cooled, the cream will be thicker.
8)
Remove from the heat and transfer the cream into a glass / ceramic bowl. Add the bloomed gelatine and mix until fully dissolved and incorporated (Note: ensure the cream is not too hot before adding the gelatine, otherwise, wait a bit).
9)
Add the butter and let it melt for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, whisk until it is completely melted and mixed in. Initially, the pistachio pastry cream may seem curdled, but continue whisking until it becomes smooth.
Note: If you still have a grainy texture from the pistachio butter after whisking with the melted butter, give it a quick stir with an immersion blender.
10)
Cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent skin from forming on the surface of the pastry cream while it chills. As soon as possible, place the pastry cream in the fridge and allow it to cool completely for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Note: the heavy cream will be added later.

Pistachio Filling

1)
Note that the pistachio filling should be prepared while you prebake the tart shell.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy, soft, and easily spreadable.
2)
Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating the mixture between each addition until the eggs are fully incorporated. The cream will split a bit and get back to the right texture when adding the ground pistachio.
3)
Add the ground pistachio and pistachio butter to the mixture and mix until they are fully incorporated.
Use it immediately.

Assembly

1)
Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan assisted. Make sure you poke the dough of your tart shell. Line the tart shell with baking paper, and ensure it sits on the side of the dough. Fill with baking beans / ceramic pie weights. (With perforated tart rings, a perforated silicone sheet, and a perforated aluminum sheet pan, you can omit the pie weights).
2)
Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven. Carefully take out the paper and beans (be cautious as they will be very hot), and allow the tart shell to cool slightly for a few minutes. If you use a tart ring, you may remove it now.
3)
Add the pistachio filling and spread evenly with a palette spatula or the back of a spoon.
Add the pistachios and slightly push them into the pistachio filling.
4)
Return the tart to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until the pistachio filling is cooked. (It took me 18 min).
Allow the tart to cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
5)
When the tart is cooled, Finish the Pistachio Cream: Place the heavy cream in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using an electric mixer.) Gradually whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip it.
6)
In a large bowl, place the pistachio pastry cream (made previously, it should be a bit “sturdy” at this stage). With a rubber spatula, soften the cream. Add 1/3 of whipped cream and fold. Add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold until fully incorporated. Use it immediately or cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until ready to use.
7)
Place the Diplomat Cream in a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice and decorate the tart. I piped a large rosette with a closed star piping tip.

Notes

– US/UK baking spoons: teaspoon: 5ml / tablespoon: 15ml / cup: 240ml. For more accuracy and better results, use the measurements in grams & ml.

– The Pistachio Tart is best when serving the day, it’s made. Any leftovers: under a cake dome or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

– Scroll back to read tips and frequently asked questions within the blog post that you might find helpful.

– The pistachio taste is light and not too strong. Toasting the pistachios help to bring out more flavor. And if you want a stronger pistachio flavor, add a bit of pistachio flavoring to the whipped cream when you prepare the diplomat cream.

– Pistachio Filling: I had extra filling when I made this tart into a 2-cm height tart ring, but it fits perfectly into a 3-cm tart tin. Make sure you don’t overfill the tart case.

– I highly recommend getting a precise measurement for the gelatine to obtain the right texture. Make sure to use a gelatin with a strength of 200 Bloom (Gold gelatine) or adapt the quantity. See my Blackberry recipe,section “How to adjust the quantity of gelatine?”

Pistachio Tart

Why you’ll love this pistachio tart recipe:

Note about the Ingredients

Equipment

How to make the pistachio tart?

Tips

FAQ