Satisfy your pistachio cravings with a plethora of scrumptious sweet treats that spotlight the earthy and nutty ingredient: from creamy gelato to flaky pastries and fluffy donuts.
Pistachios seem to be having a moment. While it’s often eaten as a snack in its original form and has a long history of being incorporated into classic Middle Eastern and Italian desserts, you can now get your hands on the likes of pistachio lattes whipped up by coffee shops, pistachio butter products on the supermarket shelves and even a pistachio-based milk alternative (move over, oat and almond milk).
Singapore has no shortage of dessert stores, bakeries and restaurants selling creative confections that feature this ingredient (fun fact: pistachios aren’t nuts, but are actually the edible seeds of a fruit). Here are some spots where you can sink your teeth into the likes of gelato, cookies and tiramisu that have been given the pistachio treatment.
Located in the Chinatown neighbourhood, Nom Gelato is a funky and colourful takeaway establishment that crafts high-quality desserts in a range of creative flavours. But they also do right by the classics, and the luscious gelato made with premium Bronte pistachios is an absolute must-try. Feeling like a double scoop? Pair your pistachio gelato with inventive options including mascarpone with honey figs, olive oil rosemary and blue cheese with walnut praline. You can also order pints via their website for home delivery.
Nom Gelato is at 33 Erskine Road, #01-08, Singapore 069333.
Le Matin Patisserie, helmed by an owner who spent two years working as a pastry chef at Michelin-starred Noma, has opened a highly anticipated new outlet at Ion Orchard. Long-time fans will be pleased to know that many of their original creations have also made the trip. This includes the almost-too-pretty-to-eat pistachio and rose escargot: a shatteringly crisp pastry swirl layered with nutty pistachio custard and rose-scented cranberries and decorated with pink dried rose petals and chopped pistachios.
Le Matin Patisserie is at #B2-49 Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801, tel: 8030 7303.
Lady M – which has outlets at Westgate, Orchard Central, Jewel Changi Airport and more – is the go-to spot for Singapore residents to dine on mille crêpes, and one of the standout flavours is the pastel-hued pistachio offering. Each delectable, light slice is composed of 20 handmade crepes layered with a smooth pastry cream crafted out of pistachio paste. A smattering of finely crumbled pistachios rounds out the eye-catching creation, which makes for a perfect tea-time treat.
Lady M has multiple outlets in Singapore. Visit its website for more information.
Opened by a trio of friends in 2021, this bakery quickly made a name for itself with its scrumptious French bakes. Pistachio lovers can head straight for the pistachio strawberry tart. The gorgeous confection features a crunchy and buttery sablé base, and is piped with pistachio almond cream and raspberry confit before being crowned with whipped pistachio ganache, fresh strawberries and chopped pistachios. It’s available as an individual portion or in a larger size that can serve up to 12 people (do note that you’ll need to order this three days in advance).
Nuage Patisserie & Boulangerie is at 47 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 169361, tel: 8772 7730.
Doughnut Shack is arguably one of the city-state’s most popular donut shops and makes the sweet treat in a myriad of permanent and seasonal flavours. One of our favourites has got to be the pistachio donut (or, to be pedantic, bombolone). It has a lovely pillowy and airy exterior, comes filled with a rich pistachio ganache that’s fragrant, nutty and isn’t too sweet and is finished with a sprinkling of bright green pistachio crumbs and sugar. Grab them as a box of six to share with everyone at home.
Doughnut Shack is at 151 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208526, tel: 9030 0337.
As its moniker suggests, this former home-based business is where you’ll find all things pistachio: such as their signature pistachio cookies, which are made with roasted Sicilian pistachios and are great for those who like bite-sized cookies with a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Other items worth trying are their pistachio ice cream, pistachio granola and pistachio crisps – ideal for keeping in a drawer at the office for when those mid-afternoon munchies hit.
Pistachio Everything is at 2 Jalan Lokam, #01-18, Singapore 537846, tel: 8749 7740.
Baklava is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made of paper-thin phyllo pastry, chopped pistachios, spices and syrup. Get yours at Ottoman Turkish Delights in the Kampong Glam area, which specialises in Turkish confectioneries. The freshly made baklava is portioned into small squares that are perfect for sharing, and you can also sample the knafeh – a salty-sweet dessert made with pastry, cheese, pistachios and syrup. We recommend pairing it with some robust Turkish coffee to cut through the sweetness.
Ottoman Turkish Delights is at 59 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199475, tel: 9810 2071.
It may be tricky to score a reservation at this homey Italian restaurant, but it’s worth it to dig into their pistachio tiramisu after you’ve polished off your pasta and pizza. The dessert features coffee-soaked sponge fingers layered with a decadent pistachio paste and velvety mascarpone, plus a dusting of pistachio crumbs to boot. The rather large portion is good for two, but we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to have it all to yourself.
iO Italian Osteria is at 4 Hillview Rise, #02-01, Singapore 667979, tel: 6710 7150.