This Pistachio Cream Buns Recipe yields soft vanilla milk bread buns filled with pistachio pastry cream and pistachio whipped cream, both flavored by pistachio paste. The pistachio buns' bread is also scented with optional orange blossom water, which boosts the pistachio flavor.
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These sweet buns are just another excuse to make my favorite pistachio paste by Serious Eats! You can absolutely use store-bought pistachio paste or pistachio butter in this recipe, but I make my own. If you use pistachio butter or a lower sugar content store-bought pistachio paste, you may need to add additional sugar to the pastry cream and/or whipped cream. Taste as you go! The pistachio whipped cream, or pistachio cream, is adapted from Serious Eats as well.
The base recipe for the buns and pistachio filling is adapted from my vanilla buns recipe. The dough is based on Japanese milk bread, which includes a tangzhong (paste made from water, milk and flour). Tangzhong helps the buns become fluffy and stay moist longer. I've also made these fluffy buns in a coconut version, but I shaped the buns in more of a hotdog style. So, if you like that shape, click into that recipe for instructions on shaping.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- These buns are a decadent labor of love! The brioche dough is enriched with milk, butter and eggs, the pastry cream is creamy and sweet, and the pistachio whipped cream is rich.
- With the help of egg wash and introducing moisture in the oven, the buns bake up perfectly golden brown.
- This is a great recipe to use up pistachio paste since you need a lot of it to flavor the fillings. I even added extra of it to the bottom of the buns before adding the pastry cream and whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Bread flour is the base of the buns.
- All-purpose flour and cornstarch thicken the pastry cream.
- Whole milk adds moisture and flavor to the buns and the pastry cream.
- Instant yeast gives rise to the buns.
- Vanilla, almond extract and orange blossom water (all optional) add additional flavor and help bring out the pistachio flavor. You can even add a touch of pistachio flavoring (this is my favorite one) if you prefer.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the buns and pastry cream.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the whipped cream and is used as garnish.
- Heavy cream is whipped up with pistachio paste, acting as another filling, and ruffly garnish.
- Unsalted butter adds richness to the buns.
- Eggs bind the dough and thicken the pastry cream.
- Pistachio paste flavors the pastry cream and whipped cream. I made my own using Serious Eats recipe, but you can also use storebought. You may need to increase the sugar in the whipped cream if you use a storebought paste that is not as sweet.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize this pistachio cream buns recipe to your liking:
- No bread flour — swap for all-purpose flour without issue. I do not recommend using cake flour.
- No pastry cream — omit the pastry cream and fill with store-bought instant pistachio pudding or double the whipped cream and fill only with that.
- Different shape — make the buns oblong or another shape you like. Find shaping instructions for an oblong hot dog-type shape in this recipe.
- Garnishes — omit the sugar coating garnish or garnish with something else, like powdered sugar or just chopped pistachios.
- Spices — add ground cardamom or cinnamon to the pastry cream or whipped cream. You can add the cardamom to the dough, but be careful adding cinnamon to dough as it can inhibit the yeast.
- No immersion blender — if you don't have an immersion blender to make the whipped cream, you can use a traditional blender, food processor or hand beaters.
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This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make This Pistachio Cream Buns Recipe Step-By-Step
Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine the tangzhong ingredients. Whisk and cook over medium heat until it becomes a thick paste. Remove from the heat to let cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the warmed milk and instant yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes to bloom. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand,) whisk together the bread flour, kosher salt and granulated sugar. Add the tangzhong, warm milk yeast mixture, vanilla bean paste, egg and egg yolk to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium-low until incorporated. Gradually add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. When the dough starts looking smooth, conduct the windowpane test. Pinch off a small bit of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center with your fingers. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it’s thin and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not ready yet. Beat for 1 more minute, and test again. When the dough passes the test, transfer to a large greased bowl and cover. Let the dough rise until doubled in a warm place, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. I proof my bread in the oven with the light turned on with a small mug of hot water.
Step 2: While the dough is proofing for the first rise, make the pastry cream. Prepare a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or plastic wrap to put the finished pastry cream on to cool faster. Alternatively, set out a heat proof bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat. Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk by hand until light yellow and fluffy. Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until thoroughly combined and lightened in color even further. Very slowly stream in the warmed vanilla milk with a ladle while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue slowly adding in the milk mixture until it is all combined. Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until the pastry cream has thickened to a pudding consistency (coats the back of a spoon). This can take 5+ minutes. Remove from the heat promptly and transfer to the prepared sheet pan or bowl. Refrigerate at least one hour or until chilled completely.
Step 3: Lightly grease or flour a clean work surface. Punch down the dough and dump onto the work surface. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces (84g each) for large buns or 10 even pieces (67g each) for smaller buns. Roll into balls and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. For the second rise, cover with an inverted baking sheet and proof for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Gently brush the buns with the egg wash mixture. When you put the tray in the oven you’ll want to introduce some moisture, either by spraying water inside the oven with a spray bottle, or by placing a ramekin with a few ice cubes onto the wire rack next to the tray. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and the interior temperature reaches 190°F. Let cool on a wire rack.
Step 4: In a large jug or high-sided bowl, add the chilled whipped cream, pistachio paste and optional extracts and blend with an immersion blender until thickened. If you do not have an immersion blender you can also use a regular blender or a large mixing bowl and hand beaters or a stand mixer.
Step 5: With a serrated knife or sharp knife, cut the tops off each bun. Remove a bit of the bread from the bun’s center to make room for fillings. If desired, brush the outsides of the buns with a bit of melted butter and coat in sugar and/or chopped pistachios.
Step 6: If you have extra pistachio paste, you can spoon or pipe some of it in a thin layer inside the bun. Then, spoon or pipe some of the chilled pastry cream into the centers of the buns. Pipe the pistachio whipped cream on top and replace the bun’s top. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Top tips
- I prefer rolling dough on a greased surface to avoid introducing additional flour. I clean my work surface and then just spray it with a little oil.
- To pipe the ruffle, cut the tip of a piping bag off, then make a ½ inch cut on one of the seams of the bag on the side.
- If you want to rest the dough for an overnight rise, place the dough in the refrigerator after the first rise. Let the dough warm up a bit at room temperature before shaping into buns. Continue the rest like normal.
Recipe FAQs
Store assembled cream buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store unassembled buns at room temperature for 4-5 days. Store leftover pastry cream and whipped cream in airtight containers for 4-5 days.
Yes, swap bread flour with all-purpose flour without issue.
Yes, swap in this recipe without issue.
I prefer to bake the buns on parchment paper, but it is not required. If baking without, I recommend greasing the sheet pan.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Pistachio Cream Buns Recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Pistachio Cream Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 2 tablespoon bread flour (20g)
- 2 tablespoon water (27g)
- 4 tablespoon whole milk (60g)
Milk bread dough
- ½ cup whole milk heated to 110°F (120g)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (10g)
- 2 ½ cups bread flour (320g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar (37g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional, or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water optional
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (42g)
Egg wash
Pistachio pastry cream
- 1 ¾ cup whole milk (430g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water optional
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 4 egg yolks (60g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (16g)
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch (24g)
- 6 oz pistachio paste (170g) homemade or store bought
Pistachio whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream chilled (470g)
- 6 oz pistachio paste chilled (170g) homemade or storebought
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water optional
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
Garnish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (14g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (41g)
- 1 tablespoon pistachios chopped
Instructions
Do ahead
- The pastry cream can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Prepare a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Make the tangzhong paste
- In a small saucepan, combine the tangzhong ingredients. Whisk and cook over medium heat until it becomes a thick paste. Remove from the heat to let cool slightly.
Make the dough
- In a small bowl, combine the warmed milk and yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand,) whisk together the bread flour, kosher salt and granulated sugar. Add the tangzhong, yeast mixture, extracts (if using), egg and egg yolk. Mix on medium-low until incorporated. Gradually add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.
- Mix with the dough hook on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. When the dough starts looking smooth, conduct the windowpane test. Pinch off a small bit of dough. Slowly pull the dough out from the center with your fingers. If the dough is ready, you will be able to stretch it until it’s thin and translucent like a windowpane. If the dough tears, it’s not ready yet. Beat for 1 more minute, and test again.
- When the dough passes the test, transfer to a large greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Make the pistachio pastry cream
- Prepare a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or plastic wrap to put the finished pastry cream on to cool faster. Alternatively, set out a heat proof bowl.
- While the dough is proofing, make the pastry cream. Combine the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat.
- Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk by hand until light yellow and fluffy.
- Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until thoroughly combined and lightened in color even further. Very slowly stream in the warmed vanilla milk with a ladle while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue slowly adding in the milk mixture until it is all combined.
- Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until the pastry cream has thickened to a pudding consistency (coats the back of a spoon). This can take 5+ minutes.
- Remove from the heat promptly and transfer to the prepared sheet pan or bowl, and cover with plastic touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least one hour or until chilled completely.
Shape the buns
- Lightly grease or flour a clean work surface. Punch down the dough and dump onto the work surface. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces (84g each) for large buns or 10 even pieces (67g each) for smaller buns.
- Roll into balls and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Cover with an inverted baking sheet and proof for 1 hour in a warm place.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Gently brush the buns with the egg wash mixture (egg beaten with milk). When you put the tray in the oven you’ll want to introduce some moisture, either by spraying water inside the oven with a spray bottle, or by placing a ramekin with a few ice cubes onto the wire rack next to the tray.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and the interior temperature reaches 190°F. Let cool on a wire rack.
Make the whipped cream
- In a large jug or high-sided bowl, add the chilled whipped cream, pistachio paste and optional extracts, and blend with an immersion blender until thickened. If you do not have an immersion blender you can also use a regular blender or a large bowl with electric beaters.
Assemble
- With a serrated knife or sharp chef knife, cut the tops off each bun. Remove a bit of the bread from the bun’s center to make room for fillings.
- If desired, brush the outsides of the buns with a bit of melted butter and coat in sugar and/or chopped pistachios.
- If you have extra pistachio paste, you can spoon or pipe some of it in a thin layer inside the bun. Then, spoon or pipe some of the chilled pastry cream into the centers of the buns. Pipe the pistachio whipped cream on top and replace the bun’s top. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 2/25/2026.
A labor of love, but SO delicious. Worth it if you love pistachio desserts. (Full disclosure, I am the author of this recipe.)