The Nutty Ingredient That Has Transformed My Hot Chocolate Into a Delicious Green Drink

In the past, I have waxed poetically about my passion for pistachio cream, the sweet, spreadable nut butter that I fell in love with after coming across it at a specialty foods store last year. Ever since, the nutty green spread has had a regular place in my cupboard and I have found numerous uses for it even beyond my initial list of ways to use pistachio cream. 

My latest pistachio cream love includes pistachio in yet another form—milk. On its own pistachio milk tastes wonderful: nutty and earthy, with just a touch of sweetness. I love it in coffee and tea, and could easily drink it cold right out of the carton, but it’s even better when warmed with white chocolate, mixed with pistachio cream, and topped with a foamy layer of cold cream for the best version of a white hot chocolate you could imagine.

What Is Pistachio Milk?

Pistachio milk is a plant-based milk alternative made from blending pistachios with water. Commercially produced pistachio milks also sometimes include added vitamins, as well as emulsifiers to mimic the creamy consistency of dairy milk and make them shelf-stable. It has a warm nutty flavor that’s richer than almond milk, but not as creamy as cashew milk. It’s a little sweet and has a toasty aftertaste. 

This beige-green beverage could not be mistaken for cow's milk visually or otherwise—rather than mimicking dairy milk, like some other milk subs, it has a personality that's all its own. It’s not hiding in the background, and you’ll notice its subtle nutty flavor when you add it to any dish or drink. There aren’t many brands of pistachio milk on the market right now—Tache and Elmhurst are two brands to look for—but I’m willing to bet that will change in the near future. 

For the Richest Hot Chocolate, Add Pistachio Cream

Recently, I had the idea to combine pistachio milk with my other great pistachio love, pistachio cream. I somehow managed to hold onto half a container of Pistacchiosa brand pistachio cream (usually it lasts less than a week), and thought this would make a wonderful dessert beverage. I’ve often added Nutella to my hot chocolate, so why not pistachio cream? Be mindful of the pistachio cream you use for this, and definitely taste it on its own before adding to your drink. Brands can vary greatly in sweetness and can sometimes contain quite a bit of added salt, so you might need to adjust the amount of the salt used in the drink to suit your personal taste, or omit the salt completely.

Selecting the White Chocolate 

I’ll admit, I’ve never been a lover of white chocolate, even though it does have a very valuable place in the dessert world. The white chocolate in this recipe is subtle enough that it does not distract from the flavor of the pistachios, but it does have benefits: It thickens the hot chocolate and adds to the creaminess and sweetness of the pistachio milk. Before you yell at me to say that white chocolate isn’t even chocolate, know that you’d be wrong—it is derived from cacao. You can read more about it in our white chocolate taste test.

Make sure to use a good quality bar of white chocolate and avoid white chocolate chips, which are often overly sweet and contain emulsifiers and hydrogenated oils that help the chips retain their shape in cookies but can keep them from melting smoothly. The result could be an oil slick on top of your beverage and a saccharin coating on the back of your throat. 

The Case for Cold Foam on Hot Chocolate

Could you top this hot chocolate with basic whipped cream? Yes, and I have, but I don’t love the way whipped cream floats atop the beverage like a separate entity. I wanted a subtle topping that added texture, without distracting from the drink. The solution was making my own cold foam. Cold foam’s silky, delicate micro air bubbles really elevate this beverage. I’m such a fan of cold foam that I occasionally, gasp, stop in Starbucks to try their latest cold foam concoction. I’ll often even ask the barista to add cold foam to my hot drinks, which is how I had the inspiration to use it here. I assumed there’s some chemical additive required to achieve a luscious cold foam, but it turns out it’s actually easy to make cold foam at home with a frother, an immersion blender, or even a personal blender and some half-and-half. It takes just seconds to whip up your half-and-half into foamy, super-soft peaks. Once you reach that point, the bubble will begin to deflate, so don’t overblend. The bubbly layer of foam flows like a frothy blanket, adding a wonderful contrast to your hot beverage.

Together these few ingredients come together to create a smooth and luscious drink that will warm you from the inside out.

For the Hot Chocolate: In a small saucepan, bring pistachio milk to a simmer over medium heat. Add white chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Turn off heat.

Off heat, whisk in pistachio cream until well combined. Taste and season with salt if desired. Set aside while preparing cold foam.

For the Cold Foam: In a small jar or measuring cup, use a hand-held milk frother or immersion blender to whisk half-and-half until light and airy like sea foam and just barely flowing, 30 to 60 seconds. Alternatively, use a personal blender and pulse for a few seconds until light and airy.

Pour pistachio hot chocolate into 2 mugs and top with cold foam. Serve immediately.

Variation

Turn this into a latte by adding a shot of your favorite espresso to your pistachio white hot chocolate before topping with the cold foam.

Special Equipment

Small saucepan, whisk, hand-held milk frother, immersion blender, or personal blender

Notes

Pistachio cream is available at most major retailers and Italian specialty stores, usually located near the other nut butters and spreads. I recommend looking for a spread that uses pistachios from Sicily, such as Pisti or Pistacchiosa. 

Make-Ahead and Storage

This pistachio white hot chocolate is best enjoyed immediately.