You’ve never had a cup of coffee like this creamy Pistachio Latte! Freshly brewed espresso, blended with pistachio simple syrup, homemade pistachio milk, and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios on top of a perfect layer of latte foam – it’s truly a pistachio lover’s dream!
Guysguysguys I think I’ve finally tasted the best coffee drink I’ve ever had.
Forgive the caffeine-induced run-on sentences but I’ve seriously been running on a steady diet of these incredible Pistachio Lattes for the last three days. Three bliss-filled days of rich green nuttiness in my otherwise hum-drum coffee routine.
Tomorrow’s looking like a sad day…I used up the last of the pistachio milk that goes in these this morning. I’m already in my PJs, so there will be no store runs anymore today (I REFUSE.) Do you think it would be worth calling in a last-minute Shipt order tonight just to have them bring me a bag of nuts so I can make more?
This is the Pistachio Latte of My Dreams.
I don’t know about you, but I had a very meh attitude towards pistachios until I tried them in ice cream a couple of years ago.
Nana often had a bowl of them on the coffee table for guests and occasional snacking. My little hands were never caught pilfering any. To me, they looked funny (too green), and they were so god-awful hard to open. I didn’t mind licking the salt off the shells (foreshadowing my adult love of sodium), but aside from that: Meh.
My bloggy friend Jessica released her new book, The Pretty Dish, a few weeks ago, and I am enamored with it. Completely. Obsessed. It is such a masterpiece – the recipes are so creative and unique, and the photos are absolutely incredible! And if you eat with your eyes, you’re going to be so happy with this book – every single recipe has a photo, and then some!
To think: she shot this whole book while pregnant with her daughter. There are days I struggle to balance the gym, laundry, and one recipe shoot…much less 8 or 10 recipes, a toddler, and morning sickness. Bless.
Jessica’s blog, How Sweet Eats, has been one of my very favorites since Day One. Her simple, stunningly real-life photographs inspire me. The creativity that goes into her recipes fuels my own. Her casual narrative makes me feel like we’re talking on the phone as I read her posts. She is so absolutely personable and I can’t wait to fangirl over her in Utah in May when I finally meet her.
It’s gonna be so gross. Grab your cameras.
(I swear, I’m still on track. This is about a latte.)
I already knew from reading her blog these last few years that we had a lot in common. Imagine my surprise, upon flipping to this Pistachio Latte recipe, that Jess was also a late-in-life pistachio love adopter.
To fall so head-over-heels for something you didn’t give a damn about for most of your life is sort of earth-shattering. The same thing happened to me with mushrooms. And burrata. And IPAs (still working on those, to be honest.)
All I’m saying is two things here, really.
- 1. Pick up The Pretty Dish
immediately.
- 2. Make this Pistachio Latte first and revel in its perfection.
- BONUS! The rest of the book is amazing, so make sure you check it out cover to cover. SO many tasty things to eat (margherita pizza donuts!) and drink (PICKLERITAS.) and wear (because face masks! She has beauty recipes in there, too!)
But wait. What is a latte?
With all of the many coffee drinks out there to choose from, it’s easy to get tripped up on terminology. Short for the Italian caffè latte (café con leche in Spanish/café au lait in French), meaning milk coffee, a latte is essentially just that.
It’s a base of one or two shots of strong espresso, steamed milk, with about 1/2-inch of milk foam on top. Lattes are naturally not very sweet and can be flavored with sugar or syrups to taste. These are considered the most “Instagram worthy” coffee drinks, and often come decorated with “latte art” designs created by talented baristas.
(If you want to really drill down into the world of espresso drinks, check out this infographic I stumbled on!)
How to make pistachio milk.
Nut milk is something I never thought I’d be making at home. And honestly…I don’t. Abe loves all things dairy, but he knows to stay away from cow’s milk as it irritates his lactose intolerance more than ice cream or cheese. It’s so much easier to simply buy his favorite brand of nut milk for cereal and coffee…but pistachio milk?
Pistachio milk isn’t something I’ve ever seen in any dairy case. Jessica to the rescue! This recipe is super simple, just make sure you have the required materials before trying to make it! I promise it will go much faster and easier if you’re prepared!
- 1. Place 1 cup of pistachios in a bowl and cover them with water. Soak overnight or for at least 6 hours. Drain.
- 2. In a blender
, combine the soaked pistachios, filtered water, and almond extract. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the milk and, if desired, add the honey and blend again.
- 3. Pour the milk from the blender into a nut milk bag
set over a large bowl. Gently squeeze the bag, getting every last drop of the liquid out of the soaked pistachios. Discard the solids.
- 4. Transfer the milk to a sealable glass bottle
. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
When using the pistachio milk in this latte recipe, be mindful that it doesn’t foam as much as cow’s milk when steamed and whisked. You may not be able to make any pretty latte art with it, but the effect with the chopped pistachios is just as lovely!
So, you love lattes? Try one of these other tasty coffee recipes!
- Mocha Panna Cotta with Mascarpone Cream
- Irish Cream Coffee Mud Pie
- Brown Butter Coffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Creamy Pistachio Latte
Ingredients
Pistachio Syrup
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup pistachios chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
Latte
- 2 shots espresso
- 6 ounces milk steamed
- Chopped pistachios optional
Instructions
To make the pistachio syrup
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, water, and pistachios. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes, turn off the heat and set the saucepan aside until the mixture has cooled completely. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the pistachios. Stir in the almond extract. You can keep the syrup in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week. The recipe with make 1/2 cup of syrup.
To make the latte
- In a mug, combine the espresso and syrup and stir together. Pour in the steamed milk. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios, if desired. Serve immediately!
Kristen Chidsey says
I am in LOVE. Seriously!!! I never thought to make pistachio milk before. But man, glad you convinced me. This is a perfect nutty compliment to coffee!
Linda says
I am a coffee addict and any drink that has coffee in it! I’m also a pistachio lover ever since I was a little kid so imagine my delight when I saw that you had actually made pistachio milk! I’m forever your fan for that! Love the idea of making a latte with a different non-dairy milk, seeing that I’m lactose intolerant too, and the flavor is bound to be phenomenal! Can’t wait to give it a try!