Pistachio bread is a lovely, festive dessert bread that makes a perfect gift for teachers, neighbors, friends, and family! It’s an easy Christmas treat you can enjoy without a lot of work!
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Well, it’s officially Christmas around here! It may only be mid-November, but we pulled out our decorations yesterday and decked the halls.
I usually try to wait until the weekend before Thanksgiving, but I couldn’t hold out that long this year. 🙂 I always say, Christmas only comes once a year, so why not enjoy it as long as we can? 🎄
At any rate, it wouldn’t be the Christmas season without baking and enjoying lots of holiday treats! Chief among those is this pistachio bread. Or as my children have dubbed it, “Grinch bread.” 😂
They love the fun, bright green color of the bread (what other holiday dessert boats such a hue?
Well, I guess all of our favorite pistachio pudding dessert recipes do–such as pistachio pudding cookies, pistachio ice cream, pistachio ooey gooey butter cake, pistachio fluff (AKA watergate salad), pistachio whoopie pies, pistachio banana bread, Italian pistachio cake, and pistachio cream pie!!) and think it is just so fun. And so delicious!
They gobble this stuff up faster than I can make it.
I love how simple it is to make this pistachio bread during the busy holiday season–it’s basically a doctored up cake mix, so you know it’s quick and easy.
Top it with some sprinkles for more color contrast, and your holiday dessert is ready to go!
Now, obviously, making this pistachio bread is not limited to the holidays–it could certainly be enjoyed year round! I just think the pretty color makes it the perfect Christmas treat!
And even though my kids call it Grinch bread, you won’t feel anything like the Grinch when spreading Christmas cheer with this tasty bread!
How to Make Pistachio Bread
First, you’ll start with a box of yellow cake mix. Add in some instant pistachio pudding, some hot water, vegetable oil, and eggs.
Need a recipe that doesn’t use cake mix? Try my from-scratch pistachio bread with cranberries instead!
The pudding mix will give the bread a good bit of green color, but if you want to brighten it up a bit, you can add a few drops of green food coloring.
Mix all of that together until it’s smooth and well-combined. Pour it into greased loaf pans and add some fun sprinkles on top if you want to take the festive factor up a notch.
Want to make it in cake form? Check out my easy pistachio cake recipe!
Bake the pans for about 40-50 minutes (the time will depend on the size and type of your pans) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
More Delicious Holiday Recipes You’ll Love:
- Festive Cranberry Streusel Pie
- Easy Eggnog Bread
- Creamy Speculoos Tiramisu Pudding
- Homemade Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows
- Amazing Gingerbread with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes and Adaptations for Pistachio Bread
- This bread makes a really fun, inexpensive, edible gift. Think teachers, neighbors, friends, coworkers, etc. (Obviously, just don’t give it to anyone with a nut allergy in their household). You can bake these in foil loaf pans, either full-size or mini-size, wrap with cellophane and a pretty bow or fun gift tag, and deliver Christmas cheer! Looking for another homemade gift idea? Try these stove top candied almonds and homemade peppermint swirl marshmallows!
- If baking in mini loaf pans, I recommend you fill them no more than halfway full, and start checking on them after 25 minutes of baking, because they will bake a little faster. Check on them every 5 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
- These freeze well! Wrap cooled, individual loaves tightly with plastic wrap and pop in the freezer until you need them. This is a great way to simplify your holiday baking, because you can make them ahead of time, or you can pull one out if you have unexpected holiday company!
- The green food coloring and sprinkles are optional, but I like the enhanced colors.
- Add in more pistachios if desired. You can certainly add some chopped pistachios to the batter if you’d like!
Recommended Equipment
- Electric stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Standard loaf pans (8.5″x4″) or mini loaf pans
Pistachio Bread for the Holidays
Pistachio bread is a lovely, festive dessert bread that makes a perfect gift for teachers, neighbors, friends, and family! It's an easy Christmas treat you can enjoy without a lot of work!
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 2 or 3 (**see note below) 3.4-oz boxes instant pistachio pudding mix
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2-3 drops green food coloring (optional)
- holiday sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Grease two 8x4" loaf pans (or 6 foil mini pans or desired combination thereof) and preheat oven to 350F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine dry cake mix, dry pudding mixes, hot water, vegetable oil, eggs, and food coloring (if using). Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium and continue beating for about two minutes.
- Divide batter among prepared pans. If desired, top with holiday sprinkles.
- Bake for about 40-50 minutes for full-size pans, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using mini pans, begin checking on them at about 25 minutes, then continue checking every five minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- **For years, I made this bread with 3 pudding mixes. However, over time, cake mixes have decreased in size from 18.25-ounces to 15.25-ounces. For some readers, using 3 pudding mixes to the smaller cake mixes has caused their loaves to sink in the middle. I did additional testing with the smaller cake mixes, and using 2 pudding mixes yields the most consistent results now. If you have had success with 3 mixes, feel free to continue using 3. But for the most reliable results, 2 boxes works well and still provides plenty of pistachio flavor.**
- This bread makes a really fun, inexpensive, edible gift. Think teachers, neighbors, friends, coworkers, etc. (Obviously, just don't give it to anyone with a nut allergy in their household). You can bake these in foil loaf pans, either full-size or mini-size, wrap with cellophane and a pretty bow or fun gift tag, and deliver Christmas cheer!
- If baking in mini loaf pans, I recommend you fill the pans no more than halfway full, and start checking on them after 25 minutes of baking, because they will bake a little faster. Check on them every 5 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.
- These freeze well! Wrap cooled, individual loaves tightly with plastic wrap and pop in the freezer until you need them. This is a great way to simplify your holiday baking, because you can make them ahead of time, or you can pull one out if you have unexpected holiday company!
- The green food coloring and sprinkles are optional, but I like the enhanced colors.
Adapted from Moritz Fine Designs
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UPDATE December 2021:
For years, I made this bread using 3 pudding mixes. However, over the past few years, cake mixes have decreased in size from 18.25-ounces to 15.25-ounces. For some readers, using 3 pudding mixes with the smaller cake mixes has caused their loaves to sink in the middle.
Because I don’t want the recipe to be unreliable, I did additional testing using the smaller cake mixes, and found that using 2 pudding mixes yields the most consistent results now.
If you have had success with 3 mixes in the past, feel free to continue using 3. But for the most reliable results, 2 boxes works well and still provides plenty of pistachio flavor.
I also recommend using 8×4″ loaf pans instead of 9×5″ pans, due to the fact that there is slightly less batter now than in the past with the larger cake mixes. I tested the recipe in both aluminum and stoneware loaf pans, and both worked perfectly.
Enjoy! 🙂
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Is the amount of pudding (3 boxes) correct? I make another flavor of bread this exact recipe except I only use 1 box pudding.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m going to bake some as soon as I hear from you.
Thank you!
Hi Daryl! Yes, I do use three small boxes of pudding in this recipe. You could probably decrease it to 2 boxes if you wanted, but I think using only one box in this case would make the pistachio flavor much less prominent. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂
Can you use sugar free pudding?
Hi Laura! I haven’t tried sugar free pudding, but as far as I can guess, I think it would work fine! I’d love to know how it turns out if you give it a try! 🙂
I baked mine in mini loaf pans. Filled them a little over half full. They smelled fabulous but rose up over the top like a mushroom cloud. I had intended them for gifts but will evidently be munching on them myself. But will share with family. Besides, I forgot to put sprinkles on them to make them look festive.
Hi Nancy! I’m sorry they overflowed the mini pans! At least you got a snack out of it! 🙂 Filling them a little less full should take care of it next time (about halfway full or a little less). It should be enough batter for about six mini-loaves for the standard miniature pans. I’ll make a note of this in the recipe to clarify!
This is the 3rd year making this at Christmas! I have 1 granddaughter who loves it so much that I make one for her and another for her family! It has become a little tradition between the two of us!
Hi Beverly! Thanks so much for your sweet comment–I love hearing that this has become a special tradition of creating cherished memories for you and your granddaughter! 🙂
Mixing this up right now and will add a cup of mini chocolate morsels. I’ll let you know how that turns out!
Yum! Chocolate is always a good idea, in my book! 🙂 Enjoy!
Made these two weeks ago and left one wrapped in my fridge. Just had a piece this morning and it was still very moist and delicious. Great recipe. Can you use a white cake mix instead of yellow if that is what is on hand.
Hi Mary! I love that you saved some in the fridge for later so you could enjoy a tasty treat after Christmas! I haven’t personally tried it with white cake mix, but I think it should work just fine. Enjoy, and Happy New Year! 🙂
I have made this with white cake mix & 2 boxes of pudding. Turned out great & was green enough for me without any food coloring. Delicious!
Thank you for letting us know, Darc! So glad it turned out well for you! 🙂
Hello Chrysti. I made this recipe with the mini loaf pan last Christmas and they were a hit. I now have a request to make them birthday cupcakes. Would you suggest any tweaks in this recipe for cupcakes?
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad to hear the mini loaves were a hit over the holidays! I haven’t tested this recipe as cupcakes, but I think you may need to decrease the amount of pudding mix to make sure the cupcakes don’t collapse or sink in the middle. I think one box of pudding would probably be the safest bet. Since you’ll be using less pudding mix, I’d probably decrease the oil to 1/3 cup and also use just 3 eggs instead of 4. Then bake according to the times and temperature listed on the cake mix box. I hope that helps–I’d love to know how they turn out for you! 🙂
Made this today and my husband just commented, “This is delicious.” Easy and so full of flavor.
Thank you so much, Susan! I love hearing stories like this–I’m so glad it was a hit! 🙂
Literally followed all steps and it fell apart completely! Would not recommend this recipe! Waste of time and food
So sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you, Mars–I’m sure that was frustrating. I’ve made this recipe countless times and have never had it fall apart, so unfortunately I can’t say for sure what went wrong!
Mine didn’t work out either. I think too much pudding. Had a funny consistency. We didn’t like it .
I’m sorry to hear that, Judy! It should be a moist and tender, cake-like consistency. I hate to hear it didn’t work out for you!
This looks so good! What a fun festive color too! It would be great to give as a gift or bring to office party!
Thank you, Suzanne! I agree, it’s such a fun holiday treat! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! It never lasts long in our home, but it should keep for at least a few days if kept in an airtight container. If you need it to keep for longer, I’d recommend freezing it. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi, I was very excited to make this. However, upon baking it, my loaves sunk in the center. What could have I done to cause this? Regardless of it be sunken in, is it still edible?
Hi Cynthia! I’m so sorry to hear this–it sounds like maybe they weren’t baked all the way through, so the proteins weren’t able to set completely in the center. That is a common cause of sinking. As long as the center isn’t gooey, it should still be edible.
My 2loaves sunk in the middle used a toothpick to test doneness at 25 min as advised and needed 15 more min
Then toothpick came out clean but as soon as they began cooling they sunk in the middle Argh ! I was going to give these as gifts I think pudding and sour cream and 3 boxes of pudding are too heavy and cake mixes are hers days are smaller at 15 oz vs 18 oz they use to be back a few years ago
Hi Joell! I’m sorry the loaves sunk. There isn’t any sour cream in this recipe, though, so I agree that may have been too heavy for the cake mix.
I agree that this recipe was a waste of time and money. I followed directions exactly. The result was dry and tasted off. None of my family liked it. Had to throw the whole thing out. But it was very pretty even without the food coloring.
Hi Glenda, so sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you! I know that must have been very frustrating. I’m surprised it was dry–the pudding mix usually keeps it nice and moist. Perhaps it overbaked, depending on the size of pans used?
Absolutely DELICIOUS! My family loves this as well as many of my friends! They are hinting to me all the time to make extra for them! 95% of the time they turn out perfect but once in a great while the center will sink alittle even though toothpick comes out clean? But even with the sinking center the bread is gone within a day or two! One of are all time favorites! So thank you so much for sharing! We also make grinch cookies with a very similar method.. so fun! And yummy!
Thanks so much, Nicki! Your family sounds a lot like mine–always wanting me to make more! 🙂 I’m glad everyone enjoys the bread!
Hi there.. just wanted to update about the muffins! As I mentioned I used your exact recipe minus one egg ( cause I unknowingly only had 3 left) but they turned out perfectly amazing without cutting back on ingredients! No sinking, nice and fluffy and delicious! I’m topping them with a pistachio cream cream frosting. So I’d say your recipe as muffins as an amazing success!
Oh this is really helpful to know–thanks so much for reporting back on how it worked for you! 🙂
Is these any way this can be made in a bundt pan?
I haven’t personally tried it, but I think it would work fine. I’d recommend using two pudding mixes instead of three, just to be sure it doesn’t sink in the middle. It may require a slightly different bake time in a bundt pan, so just keep an eye on it.
Enjoy! 🙂
I followed instructions. I did two of the puddings and mine still sunk in the middle. Don’t know what when wrong
Hi Meredith! I’m sorry to hear that! You may have just needed to bake a little longer (some ovens bake at higher or lower temperatures than their settings indicate). Baking for an extra 5-10 minutes should help!
I tried this recipe because I had a lot of pistachios (Sam’s Club) that I didn’t know what to do with and was tired of eating them. Made the mini-loaf version and took them to my daughter’s work for her employees when I played Santa and delivered a bunch of Christmas treats to them. The pistachio bread was the one thing they couldn’t stop talking about. Nobody (including me) had ever heard of pistachio bread (aka Grinch Bread), so it was something new for them to try and they LOVED it!
Forgot to leave a comment when I first made it but pulled the recipe up to make it again for their employee Christmas party they’re having tomorrow, so I’m leaving one now before I forget again.
I made the recipe as directed, using two boxes of pudding but not adding the optional food coloring, then baked in the mini-loaf pans. I got a total of six mini-loaves out one recipe.
Thanks for this recipe! It’s a new favorite! I’ll be making this again come St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.
Thanks so much for your comment, Peg! I love hearing that it’s becoming a holiday favorite! 🙂
Mine is in the oven now. It looks great but when mixed it’s a super think consistency! Is that normal?
Hi Terri! Yes, the batter can be on the thick side because of the pudding. Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s always turned out. Made it last night and when it started to cool it sunk on the ends and the middle had a big hump. When I cut into the bread the center baked normal but the ends that sunk looked dense. What do you think went wrong?
Hi Carie! I’m sorry to hear that! It’s hard to say for sure–the main reason cakes sink in the middle is usually underbaking. But if it was baked normal in the middle, it could be that the batter was overmixed? High humidity can also affect things. Did you use the same pans that you have used in the past? If the center sinks after you take it out of the oven, you can pop it back into the oven (if the cake is still warm) and bake it a little longer. You may want to lower the temperature a bit to keep the edges from burning, but sometimes that can help save the loaves!