Pistachio Buttercream is a light and fluffy frosting made with just four simple ingredients, including a package of pistachio pudding mix. Be sure to try the buttercream on my Spumoni Cake.
Pistachio Buttercream
After attempting to make this frosting from scratch, I finally decided to use a packaged pudding mix. Pistachio Buttercream tastes delicious with a salt and sweet flavor in every bite. Again, I made this specifically for my Spumoni cake, but I can’t wait to try it on some of my other recipes like my vanilla wafers.
Pistachio Buttercream Ingredients
This creamy frosting can be made with just four simple ingredients.
Butter: Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making the buttercream.
Pistachio Pudding: You will just need a box of the dry pudding mix; no need to make the pudding.
Confectioners’ Sugar and Milk: The final process in this recipe is to alternate between adding the milk and remaining confectioners’ sugar until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
How to Make Pistachio Buttercream
This pistachio buttercream is so easy to make and would be delicious on all flavors of cake, from chocolate cake to vanilla cake to strawberry cake! To make the buttercream, first, cream the butter for about a minute until creamy. You can use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer.
Once the butter is smooth and creamy, add the pistachio pudding mix and one cup of the confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low until the ingredients have been incorporated. Finally, alternate between adding a tablespoon of milk and 1/2 cup of sugar until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
Looking for More Buttercream Recipes?
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Pistachio Buttercream
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) butter, room temperature
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) pistachio pudding mix
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
- 5 tablespoons cold milk, divided
Instructions
- Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Turn off mixer and add all the pistachio pudding mix and 1 cup of confectioners' sugar. Mix on low until ingredients are incorporated.
- Alternating the milk with the remaining sugar, add a tablespoon of milk at a time and a ½ cup of confectioners' sugar at a time until all ingredients are incorporated.
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And ALL CAKE. I want to EAT ALL THE CAKE and PISTACHIO BUTTERCREAM.
I will stop yelling now. But I still want to eat it all. And so will you!
Be sure to check out my new book, Surprise-Inside Cakes!
Should the pudding be instant or cook and serve? I’m making the spumoni cake tonight for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow. All of us can’t wait to eat it! 🙂
It should be the dry pudding powder. 🙂
Love the flavor, but it was gritty. The pudding did not dissolve. Do I need to beat it longer?
That might help, yes.
Yes, it was gritty! It felt like I was eating sugar in it…Do we have to refrigerate the cupcakes eith this frosting?
Sorry I’m a little slow. Should the pudding powder be the instant or cook kind? Thanks, Sharon from AL
Had awful time with this frosting..will never make it again..
Yes, using pudding in frosting can be challenging.
Try sifting the pudding powder so u get the sugar graules out .. this helps to not make it gritty
I have a very old recipe for a pistachio Bundt cake. I’ve made it many times. There is a cool whip/pistachio type icing that fills the center of the cake. The cake also has the same pudding in the mix. We are talking 1970’s but still very good.
From Kristi’s last comment, there are TWO kinds of pudding..instant and the cook/serve type. Both the instant and cook type are dry pudding powder. You just need to be a bit more clear and specify if the user should use the instant or the cook type pudding.
I didn’t have an awful time with this recipe, but mine was gritty too. 🙁 It tasted great and it’s a great idea to mix pudding in a buttercream Maybe I’ll mix half of the pudding with the milk and dissolve it before adding to the “mix” lol! Thank you for the recipe! There aren’t a lot of easy recipes for pistachio buttercream. 🙂
The frosting was perfect for me!!!
Have you tried with other flavor?
Vainilla pudding?
I love all your Buttercreams that I’ve tried. Your decorator icing is my go to. And your chocolate also. I’ve also tried many of your baked goods recipes. But I honestly say this was a fail. It tasted good, but I could not remove the gritty texture. I went back and added melted butter. And really it never had a creamy texture. I added a bit if whipped topping, hoping to lighten the texture, which it did. But the gritty is still there. I followed directions, but then had to take my own course. Not happy with this one sorry. But u still love following you and have appreciated every thing else I’ve tried.