Pistachio milk, properly explained

Pistachio milk is a plant-based drink made by blending pistachios with water — either by grinding whole soaked nuts and straining out the pulp, or by stirring pistachio butter or paste straight into water so there's nothing to strain. It has a pale green colour, a mild and lightly sweet nutty flavour, and a creamier body than almond milk. You can buy it ready-made from brands like Táche and Elmhurst, or make a fresher, cheaper version yourself at home.

This page is the map. Each section gives you the short answer and a link to the full guide, so you can go straight to what you need — making it, tasting it, comparing it, the nutrition, or the brands.

How to make pistachio milk

Soak about a cup of shelled pistachios, blend with three to four cups of water, and strain through a nut-milk bag — that's the whole idea. A pinch of salt and a date or a little maple syrup round out the flavour, and a drop of vanilla makes it taste shop-bought. If you'd rather skip soaking and straining, blend a couple of spoonfuls of pistachio butter into water instead. Full method, quantities and timings → how to make pistachio milk.

What does pistachio milk taste like?

Mild, lightly sweet and clearly nutty, with a rounder body than almond milk and none of oat milk's porridge-y note. Unsweetened versions are subtle; barista and sweetened versions taste richer and dessert-like. More on the flavour, and how to make a better-tasting batch, in what pistachio milk tastes like and the wider drinks & uses guides.

Pistachio milk vs almond and oat milk

Pistachio milk is creamier and more distinctly nutty than almond milk, and lower in carbohydrates than oat milk — but almond is usually lightest in calories and oat foams best for lattes. None is simply "best"; it depends on the job. See the head-to-heads: vs almond milk and vs oat milk, or all of them in comparisons.

Is pistachio milk good for you?

Pistachios are nutrient-dense — protein, unsaturated fats, fibre and potassium — and the Harvard Nutrition Source notes nuts fit well in a balanced diet. A glass of pistachio milk is mostly water, though, so it's lighter than the nut itself, and unless it's fortified it won't match cow's milk for protein and calcium. Unsweetened versions are low in sugar — always check the label. The honest detail is in benefits & nutrition, is pistachio milk good for you? and the wider nutrition guides.

Best pistachio milk brands

A handful of brands make pistachio milk and creamer — Táche, Elmhurst, Three Trees, Whole Moon and 137 Degrees among them. They differ on ingredients, sweetness and whether a barista version exists. We cover them honestly, with no affiliate links, in pistachio milk brands (and Elmhurst's pistachio creamer specifically).

Cooking and drinks with pistachio milk

Beyond the glass, pistachio milk and pistachio paste turn up across the kitchen — in pistachio coffee, desserts, and bakes. Browse recipes and drinks & uses, or start with the basics: what is a pistachio?