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pistachio cupcakes topped with raspberry frosting and crushed pistachios on plates and a wire rack.

Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting

These Pistachio Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting are made with real ground pistachios and fresh raspberries for a truly delicious vegan dessert!
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Course: Vegan Cakes + Cupcakes, Vegan Desserts
Cuisine: American, Vegan Desserts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Author: Megan Horowitch

Ingredients 
US Customary - Metric

Raspberry Jam:

  • ¾ cups frozen raspberries
  • 3 Tablespoons cane sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Pistachio Cupcake Batter:

  • ¾ cups unsalted roasted pistachios ground into a flour
  • ¾ cup oat milk
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup cane sugar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt reduce to ¼ teaspoon if using salted pistachios
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

  • ¾ cups vegan butter
  • ¼ cup raspberry jam *made above
  • 1 ½-1 ¾ cups powdered sugar start with 1 ½ cups and add more if a sweeter frosting is desired

Instructions

First, make the Raspberry Jam:

  • Add the frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a small saucepan and turn on the heat.
  • Stir the raspberries and cook over medium heat until the berries begin to break down and form a jam (about 5 minutes). You will need to use a fork to help break down the raspberry pieces as they warm up.
  • Once bubbling and thick, cook the jam another 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour the jam into a jar or bowl and place in the fridge to cool while you make the cupcakes.

Make the pistachio cupcake batter:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and grind the pistachios into a powder. To do this, add them to a food processor and pulse them until they are ground into small pieces, but not too long, or they can turn into a paste.
  • First, add the oat milk and lemon juice to a bowl and mix together. Let sit for 1-2 minutes to curdle to make the vegan buttermilk.
  • Then, add in the sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together.
  • Next, add in the dry ingredients, starting with the all-purpose flour then layering the ground pistachios, baking powder, salt, and baking soda on top.
  • Mix into a thick batter.  I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed.

Bake the cupcakes:

  • Fill a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Then, fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way full with batter.
  • Place the tin of cupcakes into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. You can use a toothpick to check that the centers are fully cooked before removing.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes. Carefully move the cupcakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

Make the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:

  • Remove the raspberry jam from the fridge and add it to a large bowl with the vegan butter.  Use an electric mixer to cream together until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  • Turn down the speed of the electric mixer and slowly add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, until a smooth frosting forms. I like to start with 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar and add more if I want a sweeter frosting.
  • Add the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto the cooled pistachio cupcakes.
  • Sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with extra crushed pistachios and top each with a fresh raspberry if desired. Serve & enjoy!

Notes

  • Please see the blog post for recipe tips & substitution ideas.
  • Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in a closed container for 2-3 days. However, once frosted, they should no longer be stored at room temperature.
  • Frosted cupcakes can be stored in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying.
  • Frosted cupcakes can also be stored in the fridge for around 24 hours. Any longer than that, and it tends to dry them out. That's why I always recommend storing chocolate cupcakes in the freezer, as it keeps the texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1frosted cupcake | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!