Pistachios substitute

Substitutes for Pistachios with ratios

1. 2Blanched Almonds (slivered or chopped)

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by weight

   Almonds are the most reliable swap for anywhere pistachios are providing crunch and mild sweetness rather than colour.

   What changes

   Buy blanched (skinless) and chop them yourself so the pieces are irregular, like chopped pistachios.

   Best for

   baklava, pilaf and rice dishes, biscotti and shortbread, ice cream topping, granola

   Almonds are harder and snappier, so the crunch reads crisper and drier rather than tender. They are also sweeter and much plainer, so the dish loses the faint pine-and-resin note pistachios give. Toast them at 160C for 6-8 minutes to wake up their flavour before using.

2. 3Pine Nuts

   Different texture

   Use the same amount by weight

   The closest aromatic match of any nut.

   What changes

   Pine nuts share the soft, buttery, faintly resinous quality that makes pistachios taste the way they do, which is why Turkish cooks use them interchangeably in stuffings.

   Best for

   ic pilav and stuffed vegetables, baklava, borek fillings, fish and lamb dishes, pesto-style pastes

   They are much softer, with almost no crunch once baked, and they are usually as expensive as pistachios so this is a flavour choice rather than a money-saving one. They also burn very quickly, so toast in a dry pan over low heat and stir constantly.

3. 4Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by volume

   Use these when the green colour is the whole point, for example scattered over a cake, a semolina halva or a rice pilaf where pistachio is the visual signature.

   What changes

   Best for

   garnish where colour matters, cake and loaf toppings, salads, nut-free baking, granola

   The green is duller and greyer, and the flavour is grassy and savoury rather than sweet, so they can taste out of place in very sweet pastry. Their crunch is thin and papery, not dense. Chop them roughly and toast briefly so they puff. They are seeds, not tree nuts, which makes this the option for tree-nut allergies.

4. 5Cashews

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by weight

   Good where the pistachios are ground or blended into a filling rather than left in visible pieces, because cashews break down into something creamy and sweet.

   What changes

   Best for

   ground nut fillings, nut butters and pastes, rice pilaf, curries, sweet fillings

   Distinctly softer and sweeter, with no crunch to speak of after baking, so scattered over baklava they go pasty. There is no green at all. Use raw unsalted cashews and toast them lightly, or the filling tastes flat.

5. 6Hazelnuts

   Different taste

   Use the same amount by weight

   A strong-flavoured, cheap and widely available Turkish nut.

   What changes

   It works structurally in baklava and cakes but it does not hide.

   Best for

   chocolate desserts, cakes and tortes, baklava on a budget, praline and nut brittle

   Hazelnut is the loudest flavour on this list and will take over the dish, so a pistachio baklava becomes a hazelnut baklava rather than a near miss. Roast at 175C for 10 minutes and rub the skins off in a tea towel, or the bitterness carries through.

6. 7Pistachio Paste (for pistachio-flavoured recipes only)

   Close match

   See notes

   There is no honest substitute when the recipe is about pistachio flavour rather than pistachio texture.

   What changes

   Pistachio ice cream, pistachio cake, pistachio buttercream and the pistachio-cream chocolate bars people are making at home all need real pistachio.

   Best for

   pistachio ice cream, pistachio cake and buttercream, pistachio cream fillings, chocolate bars

   If you have whole pistachios but the recipe wants paste, blitz shelled unsalted pistachios in a food processor for 4-6 minutes, scraping down, until they turn from crumbs to a loose paste; add a teaspoon of neutral oil if it stalls. If you have neither, change the recipe rather than substituting, because almond or cashew versions taste like almond or cashew and the green colour will not appear.