You’ll be saying “ciao bella” to this creamy green treat.

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While recipes vary, the basics of pistachio cream are white chocolate, pistachios, and milk. It’s been around for centuries in some form, but you may not have heard of it until recently, in part due to the viral videos of people opening and eating Dubai chocolate bars (which use it as a filling).

Crema al Pistacchio, as it’s known in Italy, is smooth, slightly sweet, a little nutty, and a bright green color. It’s a versatile, nutrient-rich treat that can be used similarly to Nutella — as a spread, filling, or topping.

Want to give it a try? Here’s how to whip some up at home.

While you can purchase little jars of pistachio cream from specialty stores, they’re typically pricey due to being made in Italy. If you enjoy making things yourself, here’s how to try it out. You can also play around to make the recipe your own by adding vanilla extract, sugar, butter or oil, more or less of the white chocolate, etc.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw pistachios, shelled and unsalted*
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk or cream
  • 4 oz white chocolate, chopped (Lindt white chocolate bars are 4.4 oz)

*Roasted pistachios can also be used, and will still taste great, but the cream won’t be as smooth.

Steps

  1. If the pistachios haven’t already been shelled, shell them. Make sure to also peel the papery part off. It can be hard to remove every single bit, but the more you’re able to remove, the smoother the cream will be.
  2. Add the pistachios to the blender and pulse until chopped.
  3. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, 20 seconds at a time, to make sure it’s fully softened but not bubbling.
  4. Add the melted white chocolate to the blender. Pulse while adding in the milk until it’s a thick but pourable consistency. Blend on high for around 1 minute until smooth and creamy.

Make sure to keep your pistachio cream refrigerated between uses. You can store it in an airtight container in your fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.

Tip: Shelling this many pistachios can be hard on your fingers (and fingernails!), so use a nutcracker to help with the more difficult shells. It’s best to find shelled pistachios if you can.

Drizzle it on …

  • ice cream
  • waffles or pancakes
  • toast or croissants
  • sandwiches
  • fruit
  • oatmeal
  • cheesecake

Fun fact: Pistachios are grouped into the nut category, but they’re technically seeds of the pistachio tree fruit. They’re a good source of healthy fat, fiber, have very few carbs, and are considered a complete protein.

Some other pistachio benefits include that they’re high in antioxidants, have a low glycemic index, and are among the lowest calorie nuts.

What’s the difference between pistachio cream and pistachio butter?

Pistachio cream is a sweet, creamy spread, like Nutella.

Pistachio butter is made from roasted pistachios and sometimes added oils and salt — a nut butter similar to almond butter. Pistachio butter may be slightly gritty depending on the processing.

While pistachios are considered a healthy snack, the other ingredients in pistachio cream add calories. As with all things, keep portion size in mind.

Due to the high fiber and fructan content, if you have IBS, you might want to use caution when eating pistachios. Those with a tree nut allergy may want to avoid pistachios.

If you do opt to purchase pistachio cream, avoid Emek-brand pistachio cream, which is contaminated with Salmonella Oranienburg and is currently being investigated.

You don’t need many ingredients to make a jar of sweet pistachio cream, and you can alter the ingredients to make your recipe to your liking. It can be used as a topping, filling, or spread on a wide array of foods.

Though pistachios are a healthy food, adding milk and white chocolate to the mix does add calories and saturated fats, so be conscious of portions when enjoying this delicious green treat.