Homemade Pistachio Chocolate Loaf
This marbled loaf of quick bread pairs chocolate and pistachio flavors, making a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert option.
What’s not to love about a moist and tender pistachio chocolate loaf? It’s beautiful, tasty, and a great homemade alternative to the Starbucks version.

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I don’t visit Starbucks all that often, but I was recently traveling and stopped at an airport location to grab a snack and drink.
I saw the marbled pistachio chocolate loaf and knew I had to try it! After all, I’m a sucker for all kinds of pistachio desserts, and chocolate is basically my love language.
It was delicious, and I knew I had to figure out how to make my own version at home.
I’ve been making pistachio bread and cranberry pistachio bread for several years now, so I decided to make some tweaks and create this marbled version.
It’s a moist and tender quick bread with just the right amount of nutty flavor. You can serve it for breakfast, snack, or dessert!

How to Make Chocolate and Pistachio Bread
It’s really easy to make this loaf of quick bread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegetable oil
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Instant pistachio pudding mix
- Cocoa powder

How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Mix the base batter. First, you’ll mix together the oil and sugar. Add in the eggs and extracts, mixing to combine.
Then add in the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, pudding mix, and salt. You’ll have a thick batter.

Divide the batter. Then, you’ll remove one cup of the batter and put it in another small bowl.
In a separate dish, whisk together some milk and cocoa powder, then add that to the cup of batter to make your chocolate batter.
To the remaining green batter, add a little bit more milk to thin it slightly.

Layer and bake. Then, you’ll layer the batter in a greased loaf pan. I spoon out dollops of each batter, then run a knife through the batter in the shape of an “S” to swirl it together.
Just don’t swirl too much or you’ll muddy the colors.
Then bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let it cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely before slicing.

Notes and Adaptations:
- Leftover bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I like to use this loaf cake keeper.
- If desired, you can add 1/4 cup chopped pistachios to the batter, or sprinkle some on top of the batter prior to baking.
- For a more pronounced green color, you can add some drops of green food coloring.

Recommended Equipment:

Pistachio Chocolate Loaf
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 10 tablespoons milk (divided)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×4-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), mix together oil and sugar until combined.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and dry pudding mix.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in 5 tablespoons of milk, then mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Measure out one cup of the batter and transfer it to another small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together 4 tablespoons of milk and the cocoa powder until combined. Add this mixture to the one cup of batter, stirring to incorporate.
- Add one tablespoon of milk to the remaining green batter in the main mixing bowl, stirring to incorporate.
- Layer the two batters in the loaf pan (I use a spoon to drop dollops of both colors of batter into the pan), then use a knife to gently swirl the batter (I make an "S" shape with the knife). Don't swirl too much or the batters will bleed together.
- Bake in preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the loaf to ensure it's loosened from the pan. Remove loaf from the pan and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Leftover bread can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I like to use this loaf cake keeper.
- If desired, you can add 1/4 cup chopped pistachios to the batter, or sprinkle some on top of the batter prior to baking.
- For a more pronounced green color, you can add some drops of green food coloring.
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes:
- Grandma’s Pumpkin Bread
- Easiest Glazed Lemon Loaf
- Iced Orange Bread
- Spiced Apple Butter Bread
- Best Ever Pear Bread
- Amish Cinnamon Bread
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your quick breads board on Pinterest!

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