Creamy, dreamy, Pistachio Lush! Give this recipe a try, any time of year. You’ll love the touch of salty pistachios in the buttery shortbread crust. The real whipped cream topping is like a fluffy cloud on top of a luscious layer of pistachio pudding. Or, make it easy and trade out the whipped cream for Cool Whip, but the homemade topping really pushes it over the edge. Looking for more great dessert recipes? Check out my Desserts Playlist here! Enjoy!
Toasted and salted pistachios create the perfect balance between a salty and sweet dessert. Reserve a little extra to sprinkle on the whipped cream for a finishing touch. Extra bonus: look for edible gold sanding sugar for a little extra sparkle. See video for the finishing touches.
I like using my trusty large blending fork to mix the crust. A regular size dinner fork will do, but the blending fork is my favorite. It makes mixing up crusts and pastry dough a snap! Definitely one of my most used kitchen items. See below for how to order one,…or two! Makes a great little gift for bakers.
I baked my crust in an Anchor Hocking 8 inch glass baking dish. Lighty butter the pan, or spray with oil slightly to prevent sticking. This shortbread crust is so good along with the creamy filling, pistachio pudding, and whipped topping made with real whipped cream.
You could always just dollop the whipped topping on with a spoon, but if you’re feeling fancy, try using a piping bag and star tip to pipe a large rosette on each piece of your pistachio lush before serving. Top with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and gold sugar if you’d like. Enjoy!
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Pistachio Lush, AKA Leprechaun Lush!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 c. all purpose flour (4.25 oz.)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. chopped pistachios (roasted and salted)
- 1 stick unsalted butter (omit salt if using salted butter)
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 1 8 oz. block cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. heavy cream
Pistachio Pudding Layer:
- 1 1/2 c. whole milk
- 1 3.4 oz box instant pistachio pudding mix
Whipped Cream Topping: (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 Tbsp. instant white chocolate pudding mix
* 2 extra Tbsp. chopped pistachios to sprinkle over whipped topping
Instructions
For the crust:
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, chopped pistachios. Mix together. Add softened butter. Cut butter into the flour mixture. Lightly spray or butter an 8 inch square pan. Press dough into pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Cool.
Cream cheese layer:
- In a mixing bow, blend together the cream cheese, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix in powdered sugar. Add heavy cream and beat on high for about 2 minutes or until thickened and fluffy. Spread evenly over cooled crust.
For the pistachio pudding layer:
- In a mixing bowl, add milk and pistachio pudding mix. Whisk together for about 2 minutes until thickened. Spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Cover na chill until ready to serve. Make the whipped topping (or top with Cool Whip, but I really hope you'll try my whipped topping recipe)!
For the whipped topping:
- In a mixing bowl, add heavy cream and beat until it just starts to thicken. Add vanilla and white chocolate pudding mix. Beat until thick and fluffy. Chill until ready to serve.
- This makes 9 servings. Add a dollop of whipped topping to each square, top with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, and if you like, add a little pinch of gold sparkly sugar on top. Enjoy!