Flavour of the Month: Pistachio
Posted: 02 Dec 2024

Go Nuts for the Pistachio Flavour Trend!
This month, we’re celebrating the humble pistachio and sharing our favourite products, recipes and flavour pairings with you!
by Lyndsey Hall
02 December 2024
Why is Pistachio the Biggest Flavour Trend of 2024?
Pistachios have been growing in popularity for a few years now, with a 60% increase in web searches since 2019 and a 10% rise in social chatter in 2024 alone. With their salty-sweet flavour and vibrant green hue, they’re a great ingredient to add taste and visual appeal to your recipes, whether you choose whole pistachios, pistachio paste, bake stable pistachio spread, praline or topping sauce.
Pistachio flavoured treats first hit the mainstream back in 2019 with Starbucks’ range of pistachio drinks and bakery items. The trend reached new heights with the explosion of the Dubai chocolate bar in 2023, which became a viral TikTok sensation and lead to every chocolatier and baker releasing their own version or twist on the popular flavour combination.
The Little Green Nut That Packs a Punch
The nutty, creamy, both sweet and savoury (another huge trend!) flavour profile of pistachios means they give a more premium look and taste to your products, whether you’re making chocolate bars, baked goods, drinks or ice cream. With consumer need for comforting, healthful, but delicious treats still growing, pistachio’s novelty is unlikely to wear off any time soon.
Not only are pistachios attractive and delicious, they’re also lower in fat and higher in nutrients and more sustainable than many other nuts. They’re high in protein and amino acids, as well as vitamins A, E, C, B and K, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. They also require less water to grow than both almonds and cashews and they produce a third of the CO2 of almonds.
With both health and the environment being huge deciding factors for consumers right now, the pistachio trend is perfectly timed.














Which Flavours Pair Best with Pistachio?
Pistachios stand out among nuts as luxurious and distinctive with a rich nuttiness and sour hints, and just a touch of bitterness in the skin. They pair perfectly with both sweet and savoury flavours, as well as fruits and spices:
- Pistachio and Raisin – The classic sweet and salty pairing. Ideal as cookie inclusions or to back a dark chocolate bar.
- Pistachio and Coconut – Sweet and earthy tones. Mix coconut ganache and Cacao Barry’s pistachio praline into a bonbon!
- Pistachio and Raspberry – Tart, salty and a little sweet… Swirl in some Colac bakestable raspberry filling to a cheesecake and top with a healthy amount of pistachios!
- Pistachio and Vanilla – Sweet and aromatic. A classic vanilla bean ganache paired with crushed pistachios can make a decadent, filled milk chocolate bar…
- Pistachio and Orange – Citrus forward notes with earthy tones of pistachio. Mix Colac orange compound with a whipped ganache and swirl in pistachios to top your cakes!
Our Favourite Recipes with Pistachios
Have we tempted you to give pistachios a whirl? Try one of our delicious recipes:
Keep an eye out for our next flavour of the month article in January, where we’ll be exploring the complex and well-loved taste of vanilla!
We love to see your creations, tag us on social media @keylinkltd with all your pistachio adventures!

Lyndsey is a marketing executive, writer and lover of books and chocolate from Sheffield.
Her favourite chocolate is Cacao Barry Lactee Superieure.