Last Updated: May 4, 2023 @ 11:07 am.

What is the best pistachio paste? To find out, we gathered the pistachio enthusiasts among our staff and did a blind taste test with 9 brands. Which is best for making gelato? Best overall smooth texture? Here are the ones we judged as best.

FYI: We've been reviewing and rating products for the home and families since 1994. We don't take money or freebies from the brands we review. Our work is 100% reader-supported!


Pistachio Paste 101

Popular in Italian desserts (especially pastries in Sicily), pistachio paste should probably more accurately called pistachio butter.

Most pistachio butter is made of 100% ground pistachios and nothing else. It’s used like peanut butter as a spread or in baking and gelato making when you want a more intense pistachio flavor. 

Their is an exception to the above: pistachio cream (often confusingly also called paste). It’s a mix of pistachio paste with sugar and other ingredients like milk powder. The cream version is great in sweets and as a topping. Pistachio cream is a bit like Nutella minus the chocolate.

For this article, we tested both pistachio paste and cream. To keep things fair, we hide the brand info in our tests. That way we just judge the taste! Here are the ones that we thought were best.

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Best For Gelato

Also works well for macarons
We loved the texture of this paste, which makes it a smart bet for ice cream, pastries and other baked goods.

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Best Smooth Texture

Dairy free
Great in muffins and cakes, this paste impressed us with its excellent flavor. Also great: the pouch makes it easy to use.
$24.99 ($3.12 / Ounce)

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Best on Bread

Made in Italy
This cream is heavenly as a spread or baked into cookies and cakes. Also great for frosting. Caveat: contains milk powder.
$24.50 ($3.48 / Ounce)

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About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York TimesWall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

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