These Lemon Pistachio Muffins are topped with a sweet lemon glaze and a sprinkle of candied pistachios! The muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, and they get their tender, moist crumb from Greek yogurt and a mixture of coconut oil and butter! They’re the perfect treat to make to have around during the holidays for brunch or for snacking!
Lemon and pistachio might be up there with my love for lemon and blueberry. It’s such a good combination – the tart lemon and the nutty pistachios are such a perfect match. I almost made these lemon muffins into a loaf, but I decided to go with muffins – perfectly portable and such a good treat to serve to guests during the month of December!
What makes these little treats for me, is the lemony glaze and the crunch of the candied pistachios. My love for candied pistachios started last winter – when I made them to add to this incredible salad. I’ve been making them ever since, mostly for savory recipes, but I thought they’d be amazing on a baked good!
Kind of like a more grown-up version of sprinkles. They are SO GOOD and you’ll want to make them all the time. They take less than 10 minutes to make – so if you’re intimidated by the words “candied pistachios” don’t be. They’re ridiculously easy!
All you need is a little brown sugar or coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Along with some roasted, salted pistachios. They also make a really great snack if you’re craving something a little sweet, but not too sweet. In other words, something that won’t make you feel like crap for the rest of the day!
The muffins themselves are ridiculously moist – and this took me many, many tries to perfect. These were stubborn little muffins to figure out, but so worth it! It turns out the key to these is a mixture of oil and butter (in this case I used coconut oil!) and Greek yogurt.
I also sweetened these with maple syrup instead of sugar, so they’re a little more breakfast friendly. Which basically makes room for more powdered sugar glaze on top, right?!
For even more lemony goodness (there’s no such thing as too much lemon for me!), I like to finish them with a little lemon zest too. It just gives them that little bit of brightness and makes all of the lemon flavors really pop!
When I was testing these muffins, I was also looking for a texture that would really stay moist for days after making them. I’m happy to report that these absolutely do. I know that the month of December is pretty hectic for everyone, and sometimes you need something on hand to grab or make for guests that are kind of festive + seemingly fancy, but actually really easy and delicious.
These lemon muffins are exactly that!
Also, you can totally make the candied pistachio component ahead of time, and keep them in a sealed container on the counter. They will keep for a couple of weeks! The rest of the muffins come together super quickly!
I think these are best for brunch, or for that afternoon-pick me up with your favorite festive hot beverage. For me, that’s a dirty chai. What is it about a fancy coffee drink and a pastry that literally seems SO fun and indulgent?! I love it so much.
For the glaze, it helps to let the muffins cool completely before adding it, because it’ll stick to the muffins a lot easier! I know that’s really hard, especially for impatient people like me when it comes to food! Some will naturally drip off, and that’s totally fine. I kind of like to dip my muffin in the puddles of glaze that has run off while I eat it (don’t judge me).
It’s such a treat!
Who else is SO excited for all of the December food?!
Lemon Pistachio Muffins with Lemon Glaze and Candied Pistachios
These Lemon Pistachio Muffins are topped with a sweet lemon glaze and a sprinkle of candied pistachios! The muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, and they get their tender, moist crumb from Greek yogurt and a mixture of coconut oil and butter! They're the perfect treat to make to have around during the holidays for brunch or for snacking!
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
For the candied pistachios
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios, chopped
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
- pinch of salt
For the lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a standard muffin tin liberally with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, butter, and coconut oil until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon zest, Greek yogurt, and milk, and whisk until mixture is completely smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the pistachios.
Scoop batter into muffin tins using a 1/3 cup measure, filling them 3/4 of the way. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until tops are set and golden brown. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the tins, then remove and let cool completely on a cooking rack. Lower oven temperature to 350℉ for the pistachios.
While muffins are cooling, make the candied pistachios. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Place the pistachios on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Pour mixture over the pistachios and toss to coat. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until golden and caramelized. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before breaking them apart.
While pistachios are cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cooled muffins, and immediately sprinkle with the candied pistachios. Sometimes I like to finish them off with a little lemon zest for extra lemony goodness!
these are so easy and so delicious!
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!! Thanks Melissa!
Can you use butter instead of coconut oil
Linda
Yes absolutely! Let me know if you make them 🙂
These are my favorite muffins of all-time. The beautiful pistachio nuts paired great with the lemon zest. Then the lemon glaze with the candied pistachios takes the flavor to new heights. Thanks for your post!
I made two additions to the recipe; 1/4 cup almond flour since I like 2 cups total flours for my muffins in general, and 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips. I made a few substitutions to make it GF Gluten Free and Dairy Free. For the 1 3/4 cup flour, I used a 1:1 GF All Purpose blend. For the butter I used a cashew based variety, and for the yogurt, I used an almond based variety.
Some variations to suit my taste buds was I doubled the lemon zest in both the muffin and glaze; and halved the coconut sugar for the glaze. I also used 1/2 cup nuts instead of 1/3 cup.
One tip I would like to add for those that are interested in keeping baked goods as light as possible, is try a Danish Whisk. They really excel for both the blending of the wet and dry ingredients, and the folding of the dry goods at the end. It quickly and evenly distributes the nuts/fruits/chips throughout the mix better than a spatula.
Thank you so much Charles, so happy to hear you loved them! Love your swaps/additions!