This delicious dairy-free pistachio lime cream first came about when I was looking for a way to boost the pistachio level in my gluten-free rhubarb pistachio financiers. The combination of the pistachios, maple syrup and lime zest is magical and somehow spans the flavors of all the seasons. I honestly could eat this by the spoonful, but it makes for a wonderful pastry or cake filling.
Pistachios don’t always take on as smooth a texture as cashews might when puréed, but if you follow the steps of this recipe, you’ll have a beautifully creamy result. If you do end up with slight graininess, you will notice that it all but disappears once paired with any baked good. I hope you love the flavors of this as much as I do!
Step by step instructions for dairy-free pistachio lime cream
Gather all ingredients: Pistachios, coconut oil, maple syrup, lime, fine sea salt, milk of choice.
Soak the pistachios in water for 6-8 hours.
Drain and rinse the pistachios and remove the skins for a bright green cream.
Process the pistachios in a food processor on high until they become very creamy and take on a nut butter-like consistency. Then add the remaining ingredients....
...and continue to process until you have reached a smooth and creamy consistency.
Dairy-Free Pistachio Lime Cream
A creamy and flavor-packed pistachio lime cream that’s dairy‑free and naturally sweetened; perfect for filling cakes, pastries or making sandwich cookies!
1.25
cups15
minutes0
minutes6-8
hoursKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 cup (140g) roasted, unsalted pistachios, soaked for 6-8 hours or overnight *
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp milk of choice (to keep it dairy-free, use a plant-based milk - I like homemade nut milk)
zest from 1 organic lime, about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp (or more to taste)
pinch of fine sea salt (omit if you are using salted pistachios)
1/3 cup (105g) maple syrup
Directions
- Soak the pistachios in cold water for at least 6 hours (or cover with just boiled water and let soak for 1-2 hours if in a hurry).
- When ready to make the cream, drain and rinse the pistachios. To achieve a brighter green cream, remove the skins from the pistachios once they have soaked (they will slip off easily). **
- Add the pistachios to a food processor and process on high until very creamy and nut butter-like (this can take 2-3 minutes).***
- Add the melted coconut oil, milk of choice, lime zest, pinch of salt and maple syrup. Continue to process until you have reached a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Use the cream right away, or refrigerate it in an airtight container to firm up slightly. Stir before serving. This cream will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator (or 1-2 months in the freezer).
Notes
- *If you cannot find unsalted pistachios, don’t worry. Look for lightly salted, but even roasted and salted will be just fine. Make sure to rinse the pistachios really well after the soaking period and omit the pinch of salt.
- **Removing the skins is optional, but it will give your cream a brighter, greener color.
- ***Processing the pistachios on their own first creates a smoother cream in the end. Adding all ingredients at once can result in a grittier texture (still delicious, just not as creamy).
