Pistachio Cheesecake

Originally published: September16, 2019.

I can’t remember what the topic of conversation was, but over dinner one night my husband suggested I make a pistachio cheesecake. I thought the idea sounded lovely but surely it had been done before. I wasn’t too invested when I started looking into it, but after about half an hour of searching, I found dozens of recipes online for pistachio cheesecake, and they were all made from… pistachio-flavored jello. I get that the color is kind of attractive, but there is no way any of those cheesecakes actually taste like the pistachio nut. Of course, this meant that coming up with a recipe was now totally necessary.

How to make an utterly creamy cheesecake

I ultimately found my perfect pistachio cheesecake by balancing the three mains: cream cheese, pistachio butter and sour cream. To get the perfect texture without lumps, I aggressively use a food processor on the cream cheese. To get a cheesecake that cooks well without cracking or sinking, I use a cake pan to bake the cheesecake and place it in a larger cake pan which acts as the water bath. These four steps made all the difference! We end up with a gorgeously tall, dense, and creamy dish that really, really tastes like pistachios.

Getting that real pistachio flavor with Pistachio Butter

When I want to incorporate a nut flavor front and center into a bake, I make the nut paste and then use as much as the recipe will allow. It’s a fairly simple process: you toast the raw nuts and then grind them in a food processor until the oils are released and you have a smooth paste. If you have been following this space for awhile you’ve already read my spiel about making pistachio butter at home: it’s cheap, it’s easy, and oh, so delicious.

Pistachio butter/paste is basically nuts ground until their oils are released. As for a source, I’ve got two options for you. You can take the easy route and buy this heavenly stuff, or ..

Make your own pistachio butter

To make your own, preheat your oven to 400 and toast 8-10 oz pistachios for about 5-7 minutes. Using a food processor, blend until it turns into a soupy paste. This can take up to 20 minutes, with on and off scraping to get the nuts to release their oils.

Key Recipe Ingredients

Cookies:Since we’re going by grams to accommodate any kind of cookie used (rather than giving you the number of cookies which can lead to major differences) you can weigh them before using. If you want to use a sandwich cookie like an oreo you’ll use less butter (there’s already added butter and sugar in the filling).

Cream Cheese: Full fat is necessary to get a firm and creamy texture. Low fat cream cheeses have more water added to them so they are softer and not ideal for cheesecake. Don’t use whipped or spreadable, it should be the kind sold in packaged bricks.

Sour Cream: Full fat again! If you don’t have it you can use labneh.

Pistachio Butter: You can buy this or make your own by toasting then processing the shelled nuts until they are a soupy paste (see directions in the above section).

Eggs: Large eggs, if your eggs are particularly small use three, if they are medium use 2 then add another yolk.

Lemon zest: Lemon can help coax out the very delicate flavor of pistachios but if you don’t like them together or don’t want bits of zest in your cheesecake, skip it.

Tips to make the perfect cheesecake

Room temperature ingredients: A lot of recipes will ask you for this and it might not always be necessary but in the case of cheesecake, it absolutely is. Especially for the cream cheese! If it’s cold it won’t mix easily and you’ll have lots of lumps in the batter and then in the baked cheesecake.

Press lumps, scrape often and mix well: In the recipe video you’ll see me using a rubber spatula to press the cream cheese before I start mixing. This helps remove any of those pesky cream cheese lumps. Once the sugar is mixed in scrape the bowl and mix it again. If you are using a food processor, scrape that often too (it’ll work quicker too). Do the same once the pistachio butter and sour cream are in the batter.

Don’t overmix once the eggs are in: Eggs go in last and only need to be mixed into the batter until they are *just* incorporated, no more than 30 seconds. If you overmix the eggs the cake can sink.

Bake slowly and carefully: We’re going to bake this at a low temperature, in a water bath. Cheesecake is a custard, if you bake it too quickly it will cook the eggs first and they’ll cause a, not smooth, kind of gross, texture. In the water bath the cheesecake is surrounded by water rather than hot air, which conducts heat more evenly and slowly. This protects the custard and eggs from baking too quickly.

Don’t overbake: The marker for cheesecake doneness should be taken by visual cues. Your oven could run colder or hotter than mine, the pan you are using could be bigger or be made of a different material so don’t abide by my instructions too closely if you see signs of doneness: the cheesecake should be only slightly wobbly in the center, not at all browned on top, have a matte top and be ‘set’ on the sides.

Chill slowly: Once you’ve determined the cheesecake is done baking, shut off the oven and prop open the door. This will help the cheesecake start cooling but slowly. Sudden temperature changes can cause the cheesecake to collapse. After it has cooled in the oven, take it out of the water bath and transfer it to the counter. Let it cool on the counter until it’s room temperature then place it in the fridge for 4 or preferably 8 hours to chill before serving.

Topping this pistachio cheesecake

Food processor whipped cream: I talk about this more on this chocolate pie page, but basically if you make it in the food processor whipped cream is more stable. Simply place 1 cup heavy cream, some vanilla and a pinch of salt along with 2 tablespoons of sugar (brown or granulated) and process on high for a minute or two until it’s thickened. It’ll be beautifully spreadable and won’t separate even if left in the fridge overnight.

Pistachio praline: Use the praline recipe located above the recipe box on this page, and swap the pecans for pistachios!

The cheesecake will keep for a week in the fridge.

Super creamy cheesecake made from ground pistachios.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Chill Time: 8 hours hrs

Yields: 10

4.97 from 29 votes

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Ingredients

Cookie Crust

300g cookie crumbs graham crackers or digestive cookies
113g or 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
pinch fine sea salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Pistachio Filling

453g cream cheese two bricks, softened and at room temperature
200g or 1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
200g or 1 scant cup pistachio butter
240g or 1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon optional, rub it into the sugar before adding it to the batter

Method

To make the crust:

In a food processor, process the cookies, salt, butter and sugar on high until very finely ground.
Add the melted butter and process until mixture is fully wet and comes together.
Press the crumbs up the sides and on the bottom of an 8″ cake pan with tall sides, lined with parchment paper.
See Also
The Classic Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies Gluten Free & Keto Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bread - Dairy Free Brownie Bites (with a cookie crust)
Bake the crust 350 for 10 minutes. Place somewhere to chill while you make the filling.

To make the filling:

Lower oven heat to 325.
In a food processor or in a stand mixer, blend the cream cheese with the sugar and salt on high until it is utterly lump-free and completely smooth. Add the vanilla and scrape down the bowl and process for another minute.
Add the pistachio butter and process until it is very smooth and well-blended. Scrape down the bowl and process again to ensure all is combined.
Add the sour cream and process until combined.
Add the eggs, pulse until they are just incorporated.
Pour batter into the crust, and place it in a 13x9" cake pan. Fill the pan halfway with water. This is the water bath.
Bake for about 50, rather than relying on time here look for visual cues for doneness: if it’s set on the sides and jiggly in the center it’s done. If the crust is browning, it's overdone.
Shut the oven off and put a wooden spoon in the door to crack it open. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
Once 30 mins has passed, close the oven door and leave the cheesecake for another 15 minutes.
Remove and cool on the counter for about half an hour.
Transfer to fridge and let cool for 8 hours before serving.

Notes

In some of the pictures the cheesecake is made in a 6" springform pan which makes for a very tall cheesecake. It will sink slightly in the center in this size but is doable. If you use a springform pan, do not place it into the water bath. Instead place the cake pan with hot water on the rack underneath where the cheesecake is baking. It will bake quicker and brown more on the top so keep watch.

Alternatively (and preferably!) you can use a tall 8 or 9" cake pan: grease it, line it with parchment paper pressing in the creases and use metal clips to hold it in place. See caramelized white chocolate cheesecake for photos on how to do this. With this method you can place it directly into the water bath without wrapping the pan in foil. You see this method in the recipe video.

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40 comments

Rate + Review

What do you think of this recipe?

I made the cheesecake yesterday and it looks a lot like the recipe pictures. This cheesecake is a little too sweet for my liking. I used the store bought pistachio butter instead of grinding my own. If I was to make it again, I would make my own pistachio butter, half the vanilla and reduce the sugar.
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This recipe was incredible. I browned the butter for the crust and added rose water to the whipped cream on top (food processor whipped cream was a success), then topped with chopped roasted pistachios and dried rose petals. Homemade pistachio butter was a total game-changer! Thanks Sam
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Can I make with a 8 inch cake pan with 2 inch sides or needs to be taller??
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- preferably taller, you can use a 9″ round (2 inches high) instead to be safe
  Reply
hi there! coming from your newsletter about your newest recipe for small batch cheesecake. it has me wondering if this can be scaled down in a similar way by halving the ingredients and baking it in a loaf pan. I figure that it is something you’ve yet to experiment with for this recipe, but do you think it’ll turn out okay?
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- hi!! I do think it would work the same way, halve it and bake for about a half hour. But check it because that one might require a bit longer, so judge by shaking the pan a bit and seeing how the center wobbles (and thank you for subscribing :D)
  Reply
Followed the recipe almost exactly, subbing greek yogurt for sour cream. Baked in a 9″ springform pan with a water tray on the rack below. Baking time of 50 minutes was perfect. This came out great texture and flavor-wise, but was almost too rich. Next time I might decrease the amount of pistachio butter or add a layer of plain cheesecake filling on top.
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Do you think this could be halved and baked in a tiny pan? Or frozen? Just 2 of us at home and it would take us a while to scarf the whole thing!
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- you could halve it and bake it in a 5 or 6 inch pan (baking time will be less in this case), but if you wanted to make the full recipe and freeze some that would totally work too (just keep it in something airtight in there)
  Reply
Looks great ,definitely gonna try it
See Also
Caramel Almond Pie - David Lebovitz
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Great recipe, but when I had put it in the oven I noticed the lemon that I completely forgot, and realized that it doesn’t say in the recipe when to put it in. It would also be useful with some advice about how much time that should be added in the oven when using a smaller cake pan.
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Pistachio lovers look no further!! So rich and I especially loved that you make your own pistachio paste- much better flavor result than a store bought paste. Delicious!
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This recipe is absolutely phenomenal. It is creamy and perfect by all counts. I used Greek yogurt in the place of sour cream and there were no issues. Thank you!!!
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I made this recipe and it was delicious! It was really creamy, almost like it was undercooked, but that texture was the same throughout the cheesecake. Would three eggs help it to be a little firmer? Also I made a chocolate wafer crust that only went about an inch up the sides of the spring form pan, which was terrific with the pistachio filling; could that have effected the creaminess?
Thanks,
Debby
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- Hi Debby! It is designed to be quite creamy but if you find you’d like it more ‘fluffy’ you could add another egg or, (and I’d start with this one) reduce the sour cream.
  Reply
hello, I was wondering if I can add melted white chocolate to the batter ? thanks
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- that would alter the cheesecake quite a bit in terms of structure and texture. I’d do a ganache on top if you wanted white chocolate with it.
  Reply
Dear Sam,
I have tried so many different cheesecake recipes which were absolutely delicious! But your pistachio cheesecake, with pistachio being my favorite flavour, has exceeded all expectations.
This is the fluffiest, creamiest, most delicious and light at the same time cheesecake we have ever had.
It was my birthday yesterday and I made It for our guests. Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world ?
Everyone was amazed and I believe from now on it will be my standard one.
Marianna
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I don’t have a food processor. Do you think I could make this in my KitchenAid – the Professional model?
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- The cheesecake portion yes. You’ll need to crumble the cookies (a ziplock bag and a rolling pin can work here) and you’ll have to buy the pistachio butter, as that definitely needs to be made with a fp to grind the nuts.
  Reply
So, I see lemon zest listed on the ingredient list, but not in the recipe; am I missing something?
Regardless; it’s in the oven and smells great, thanks!
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- It’s optional – can go anytime into the batter!
  Reply
Hello, i love cheesecake and love pistachios so I can’t wait to make this!
The amazon link you provided for the pistachio butter is roasted and sea salted whereas in your recipe you don’t add any sea salt in your homemade version or even in the rest of the recipe. Will the cheesecake have a salty aftertaste if I used the amazon version? Many thanks in advance 🙂
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- You may have missed it; salt is listed in the filling ingredients on the recipe. If you do use the store-bought one and it’s salted I’d omit the salt from the filling.
  Reply
Omg, i made this for Christmas and it was so so so good. Definitely one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever made. Making it again for my bday.
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I swapped out the digestives for gluten free ginger biscuits. This was delicious! Definitely will make this again and again.
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- Yum! I can see the ginger complementing the pistachio well. Thanks Becca!
  Reply
Hi! I’ve made this a few times now and I love it! But it always cracks 🙁 I bought an oven thermometer to make sure my oven isn’t too off base with its temperatures and tried moving the tin on different racks of the oven but nothing works…
Do you have any recommendations about what could be going wrong?
Thanks!
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- Hi Christiana! That’s a bummer that it’s always cracking =( If you can, DM me on instagram so I can ask you a few questions and we can try to figure this out!
  Reply
I’m so excited to try this recipe, but I’ll cook it in my Instant Pot for that perfectly steamed cheesecake texture. (If you haven’t instant-potted a cheesecake yet – you’re missing out!) Thanks for another beautiful recipe!
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- I have never! I’m a little intrigued (and a little scared lol). Let me know how it goes!
  Reply
Hello!
What is pistachio butter? I am afraid I’ve never heard of it? Can I make it? Or are there any subs??
Thanks!
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- Nis, scroll up to the section titled ‘pistachio butter’! You can make it or buy it.
  Reply
Hello I have got a jar of pistachio paste at home, I wonder if its equivalent to the pistachio butter you used?
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I’ve got one in my oven right now I’m so excited to see how it comes out ? I’m going to bring it to work for our employee appreciation lunch and serve it with fresh raspberries
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- Awesome Heather, thank you for trying it! Fresh raspberries sounds like the perfect addition!
  Reply
  - Thank you for the recipe! I made a chocolate sauce and swirled it through the batter when I made this. Nice touch of flavor to the pistachios! Awesome stuff! And again, thank you. I’ll be following!
    Reply
    - A chocolate swirl sounds awesome! I love that idea!
      Reply
Made this the other day and it was delicious!! Everyone loved it! And the instructions were very easy to follow 🙂 thanks for sharing!
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- Christiana, that is wonderful!!! Thank you so much for the comment, made my day!
  Reply