Pistachio Ganache: Easy, 4-Ingredient Recipe (2024)

This pistachio ganache is made with 4 ingredients and is creamy, decadent, and perfect for filling macarons, cupcakes, and cakes!

How to Make This Pistachio Ganache

This pistachio ganache filling needs about 2 hours to set, so I recommend making it before you make whatever dessert you plan to fill! It can also be made up to a week in advance.

It can be made with either an immersion blender or a food processor.

I prefer using an immersion blender because it gives the ganache a smoother consistency.

After heating up the cream and pistachio ganache, pour it over the white chocolate and let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes.

Then use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients until the pistachios are broken down into small pieces.

While it isn’t mandatory, I recommend adding a small drop of neon green gel food coloring.

This ganache is naturally a greenish-yellow color, but I usually add a bit of coloring to give it a brighter green color.

If you want to use this pistachio ganache as a drizzle or add pistachio drips to a cake, use it while it’s still slightly warm and fluid.

If you want to use this ganache as a filling, press a piece of plastic wrap flush against the ganache and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.

This helps prevent the ganache from forming a skin as it cools.

Chill for at least 2 hours, if not overnight. It should thicken as it cools down. If you want to accelerate the cooling process, stir the ganache in 15-minute intervals.

When you’re ready to use the ganache, place it in a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. It should be thick enough to scoop into the piping bag and hold its shape.

If you make this ganache in advance and it’s too firm to scoop right out of the fridge, let the bowl sit at room temperature to thaw a bit until it softens to a pipe-able consistency. This usually takes me 30 minutes.

Pistachio Ganache – Substitutions and Swaps

As I mentioned above, this recipe is made using just three ingredients!! Below are some ingredient substitutions and recommendations for this recipe.

Heavy Cream – Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high-fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.

To make dairy-free pistachio ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.

White Chocolate – Use any type of good quality white chocolate. This includes white chocolate bars, couverture, or chunks.

You can also use white chocolate chips but be sure to use a good brand like 365, Ghirardelli, or Guittard. I like to use mini white chocolate chips that I get at Whole Foods.

Pistachios – It’s best to use unsalted, shelled, and peeled pistachios in this recipe. You can use salted pistachios, but the filling will taste saltier.

Note: The pistachios do give this ganache a bit of texture, but it’s worth it for the amount of flavor it adds to this ganache!!

How Much Ganache Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 2 cups of ganache. This is enough to fill about 30 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to fill more macarons if needed, but it will need more time to set.

For reference, I usually pipe my macarons with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, so they’re about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Pistachio Ganache

• Make this pistachio ganache before you make whatever dessert you plan to add it to. This will give it time to set.
• Measure the ingredients with akitchen scale. You want to be precise with this recipe.
• Use good quality white chocolate. It will make the ganache taste better and give it the best texture.
• Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, not milk or half and half. You need a high-fat percentage to allow the ganache to come together and have a smooth texture.
• If possible,use animmersion blenderto make sure your ganache turns out silky smooth!
• If you notice bits of unmelted white chocolate in the ganache once it’s been stirred, heat the ganache in the microwave for another 15 seconds. Let it rest for 30 seconds, then give it another stir. Repeat this process as needed until all the white chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.
• To make dairy-free white chocolate pistachio ganache, use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream in this recipe.

Can I Make Pistachio Ganache in Advance?

Yes! This ganachecan be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover ganache. Store it in an airtight container in thefridge for up to a week.

Macarons filled with this ganache should mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.

You can also refrigerate desserts filled with this ganache for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze desserts with this filling for up to a month in an airtight container.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this pistachio ganache filling, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Tag me @chelsweets on social media so that I can see your delicious creations!

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