This triple pistachio tart is a luxurious dessert for pistachio fans. It layers a pistachio-flavored sweet shortcrust pastry with a pistachio sponge and a silky pistachio pastry cream for a concentrated, nutty experience.
Why we love this recipe
If you enjoy pistachio desserts, this tart delivers pistachio flavor in every bite. The combination of a tender pistachio pâte sucrée, a buttery pistachio sponge with crunchy kernels, and a smooth pistachio crème pâtissière makes a refined, balanced dessert.
The tart features three main components:
- pistachio pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust) for a crisp, buttery shell
- a pistachio cream sponge studded with whole pistachios for texture
- a pistachio pastry cream (crème pâtissière) that adds richness and silkiness
It’s finished with a scattering of chopped pistachios for crunch and optional citrus zest to brighten the flavors.
Ingredients
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
Overview of the components and key ingredients:
1. Pistachio Pâte Sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry)
This is a classic sweet shortcrust where almond meal is replaced by finely ground pistachios for aroma and color.
- Wet: soft unsalted butter and a large room-temperature egg.
- Dry: icing (powdered) sugar, plain/all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, and finely ground pistachios.
If needed, almond meal can substitute the pistachio meal, but pistachio gives the distinctive flavor.
2. Pistachio Pastry Cream
A traditional crème pâtissière enriched with pistachio paste for a smooth, nutty custard.
- Milk: use whole/full-cream milk for best texture and flavor.
- Egg yolks: from large eggs, room temperature.
- Sugar + starch: caster or fine granulated sugar and cornstarch (or AP flour as a substitute).
- Pistachio paste: made from 100% ground pistachios; store-bought or homemade works well.
3. Pistachio Cream Sponge
A frangipane-style filling adapted to pistachios to create a moist, flavorful sponge layer.
- Butter: soft, unsalted.
- Sugar: icing/powdered sugar, sifted.
- Eggs: large, room temperature.
- Pistachios: finely ground, with optional larger pieces for texture.
How to make Pistachio Tart step-by-step
1. Pistachio Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- Cream the soft butter with icing sugar until smooth, but don’t overwork—no need to incorporate air.
- Mix in the egg and ground pistachios until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add sifted flour and a pinch of salt, mixing slowly until the dough just comes together. Stop the mixer as soon as it forms a cohesive paste to avoid developing gluten.
- Flatten between two sheets of parchment and roll to about 4 mm (1/8 inch). Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before lining a 22 cm / 9-inch tart ring.
- Gently press into the ring, trim the edges, cover loosely with parchment, and refrigerate for another 2 hours (or overnight) before blind baking.
- Dock the base, freeze briefly while the oven heats to 160°C / 325°F, then blind bake 15–20 minutes until the bottom looks set and mostly dry. Cool.
2. Pistachio Pastry Cream
Make the pastry cream after preparing the crust so it has time to chill. It can also be made up to 24 hours ahead.
- Heat the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat. You may infuse vanilla if desired.
- Whisk egg yolks with sugar until smooth, then add cornstarch and whisk again until lump-free.
- Temper the yolk mixture by slowly whisking in warm milk, then return everything to the saucepan over low heat.
- Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens—when large bubbles appear, whisk vigorously for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Aim for about 82–84°C (180–183°F) to avoid curdling.
- Off heat, whisk in pistachio paste until glossy and smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin and chill at least 2 hours.
3. Pistachio Cream Sponge
- Cream softened butter until pale, then add sifted icing sugar to form a thick paste.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing to combine. If the mix splits because of temperature differences, it will come back together once the pistachios are added.
- Fold in ground pistachios (and any coarser pieces if you want texture) until just combined to form a coarse batter.
4. Assembling the Tart
- Spoon the pistachio sponge into the par-baked tart shell, level with an offset spatula, and scatter raw pistachio kernels on top.
- Bake at 160°C / 325°F for 20–25 minutes or until the sponge is golden and set. Cool completely.
- Whisk the chilled pistachio pastry cream to loosen, fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe or spread the cream evenly over the sponge. Create a spiral pattern if desired.
- Finish with roughly chopped pistachios around the edge and optional lime zest for brightness.
Recipe FAQs
Pistachio paste is made from 100% ground blanched or roasted pistachios blended into a paste. It can be coarse or very smooth and is available pre-made or easy to prepare at home.
Yes. You can use a classic pâte sucrée or pâte sablée, or even a chocolate shortcrust for a pistachio-chocolate variation.
Pistachio pairs beautifully with chocolate (dark or white) and bright citrus like lime, lemon, or orange zest to balance its earthy sweetness. A touch of zest in the crust, sponge, or cream adds freshness.
Recipe Troubleshooting
- Cracking pastry when lining the ring: let the dough sit at room temperature a few minutes to soften. If it becomes too soft, chill briefly and patch any cracks by pressing the dough together.
- Tart shell collapsed: the dough needs sufficient resting and chilling. Chill overnight if possible before baking to prevent shrinking or collapse.
- Pistachio cream lumpy or too thick: this usually results from cooking at too high a temperature. Cook slowly to the recommended temperature and strain through a fine sieve to remove any lumps.
- Sponge mixture split after adding eggs: ensure eggs and butter are similar, room temperature. Properly creamed butter will help the mixture come together once the ground pistachios are added.
Storing & Freezing
Store the assembled tart in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days for best texture, ideally within 24 hours. The pastry dough can be frozen either raw or par-baked, but avoid freezing the assembled tart, the sponge, or the cream for best quality.
More Tart Recipes
- Pear Frangipane Tart
- Chocolate Ganache Tart
- Raspberry Tart
- Chocolate Raspberry Tart
- Apple Almond Tart
- Apricot Frangipane Tart
- Strawberry Custard Tart
- Lemon Curd Tart
- French Almond Tart
- Passion Fruit Tart
My cookbook “Bite-Sized French Pastries for the Beginner Baker” is available now.
Recipe
Pistachio Tart
Equipment
- 9 inch / 22 cm perforated tart ring
Ingredients
Pistachio Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 100 gr Unsalted Butter, soft
- 50 gr Icing or Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 large Egg, room temperature
- 40 gr Ground Pistachio
- 200 gr Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 1 pinch Salt
Pistachio Pastry Cream
- 250 ml Full Cream / Whole Milk
- 2 large Egg Yolks, room temperature
- 25 gr Caster Sugar
- 20 gr Cornstarch
- 50 gr Pistachio Paste
Pistachio Sponge
- 100 gr Unsalted Butter, soft
- 100 gr Icing or Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- 120 gr Ground Pistachio
- 20 gr Raw Pistachio Kernels
Toppings (optional)
- 20 gr Raw Pistachio Kernels, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp Lime Zest (optional)
Instructions
Pistachio Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- Beat soft butter with icing sugar until smooth. Add the egg and ground pistachios, then the sifted flour and salt. Mix until a rough dough forms; stop as soon as it comes together.
- Place between parchment sheets, flatten, and roll to about 4 mm thick. Chill for 2–24 hours.
- Line a 22 cm / 9-inch perforated tart ring, trim edges, cover loosely, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Dock the base and freeze briefly before blind baking.
- Blind bake at 160°C / 325°F for 15–20 minutes until the base looks set. Cool.
Pistachio Pastry Cream
- Heat the milk to a simmer. Whisk yolks with sugar, add cornstarch, and whisk until smooth.
- Temper the yolks with warm milk, return to the pan, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. When large bubbles appear, whisk 30 seconds more and remove from heat.
- Off heat, whisk in pistachio paste until smooth. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
Par-baking the shell
- After resting, dock the shell and blind bake as directed above. Cool before filling.
Pistachio Sponge
- Cream the butter until pale, add icing sugar to form a paste, then add eggs one at a time. Stir in ground pistachios to form a thick mixture.
- Fill the par-baked shell with the sponge, top with raw pistachios, and bake 20–25 minutes at 160°C / 325°F until golden. Cool completely.
Assembling the Tart
- Whisk chilled pastry cream to loosen and pipe or spread over the cooled sponge. Smooth into an even layer or create a spiral pattern.
- Finish with roughly chopped pistachios around the edge and optional lime zest.
Notes
- Stop the mixer as soon as the shortcrust comes together to avoid overworking it.
- If you don’t have a tart ring, use a removable-bottom tart pan; depth may vary.
- Patch small cracks with your fingers. If the dough softens too much, chill briefly.
- Tempering the eggs prevents curdling when adding hot milk.
- Cook the pastry cream gently and strain if any lumps form. A thermometer helps achieve the right temperature.
- If the sponge mixture appears split after adding eggs, it will usually come back together once the pistachios are incorporated.
- You can spread the cream with a spatula instead of piping if preferred.
- Using a smaller ring over the cream while sprinkling chopped pistachios helps create a neat border.
Nutrition (per serving)
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