Matcha Pistachio Donuts

Everything is coming up green in these Matcha Pistachio Donuts! The batter is light and fluffy and prepared with finely chopped pistachios and matcha. Dipped in matcha-infused icing and drizzled with white chocolate, these donuts are delicious and addictive!

Whenever I prepare a recipe with matcha, I always feel a little bad, but also a little greedy. You see, I love matcha, but John.e does not. So, I feel badly that he won’t partake in these delicious Matcha Pistachio Donuts, but also a little greedy, because that means I’m going to get them all to myself!

Since the first time I tasted the Green Tea Frappuccino at Starbucks, I immediately adopted a full-on love affair with anything matcha-flavoured.  I can still remember it, actually!  I’m guessing it was in 2005.  I had just been promoted to a director role at the college, and immediately found myself in a position to hire someone to fill my previous role!

I ended up hiring one of my best childhood friends, and contrary to what you might be thinking, she and I worked together very well.  One day, she brought me a Green Tea Frappuccino from Starbucks.  I thanked her and cautiously took the tiniest of sips through that popularly recognized green straw.  I was so nervous because it looked like one of those healthy green grass smoothies.  Yuck!

Much to my surprise, I loved it! Since 2005, whenever I order a cold drink at Starbucks, it’s always a Green Tea Frap. I’ve tried the Pumpkin Spice Frap once but hated it. So, if it’s not green tea, then it’s nothing at all for me, thanks. Oh, I did, however, graduate from the grande she bought me to a full-on venti cup! Calories do not count when it comes to matcha!

I’m going to tell you all about this donut recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re just kicking off the holiday season, but I have a lot of Christmas-themed recipes to share with you this year, so I’ve had to get started early.

This is my first holiday recipe series for this year, called Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. As you may know, I have several themes following their own series each holiday season! I hope you’ll join me over the next 12 weeks or so as I share over 70 brand-new Christmas recipes. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any of them! So, before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for this recipe, let me tell you about this series and more!

LORD BYRON’S 12 CHRISTMAS DONUT SERIES

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to the first of my annual holiday recipe series for this season! I’m calling this one Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts. This series will focus on easy-to-make donuts that you can make at home.  Not only are they delicious, but they’re also quite festive!

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Unlike most of the donuts from donut shops, all my donut recipes are baked and not fried.  But don’t let that fool you into thinking they are not super moist and scrumptious!  I promise that they won’t be too complex and that you can’t whip them up as a holiday treat for your family. 

Just like every other holiday series that I’ve shared over the years, this series will see a new recipe shared every day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Christmas Donuts series! Even though this is the first series for this holiday season, you can always take a look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

EVERYONE LOVES DONUTS!

If there is one thing in life that one should never live without, it has to be donuts! Am I right? This is precisely why I have opted to prepare 12 back-to-back donut recipes, starting with these Matcha Pistachio Donuts. The question is, can you handle it? To be honest, any excuse I can find to break out my donut pans, I’m going to find it!

Now, for some of you, making donuts at home might seem daunting. But, it shouldn’t be. These donuts are baked, not fried, so there’s much less mess. And, the recipe is quite easy too. The only thing you might need is donut pans.

Baking the donuts makes them super healthy, right?  Oh, if only that were true!  In fact, baked is better than fried in terms of health-conscious eating. So, these donuts are indeed healthier, so at least we have that going for us!

DONUT PANS – A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR THE AVID BAKER

When I first thought about the possibility of making donuts at home, I thought long and hard about purchasing donut pans. After all, how often will one make donuts at home?  Did I really need to spend money on a set of donut-baking pans? Would I use them more than just twice a year?  Then, I’d convince myself that I didn’t have much storage room and eventually, I’d leave the store without them.

Ever since I broke down and purchased a set of donut baking pans, I can’t stop thinking about making donuts.  Truthfully, Dear Reader, I will try to find any excuse I can to whip up a batch. I try not to do that, though. If I can limit them to special occasions only, I won’t feel so guilty for eating so many of them.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Donut:

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Matcha Powder
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance sweetness. 
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown the batter as it bakes.
• Pistachios – Use unsalted pistachios.
• Milk
• Sour Cream – Baking with sour cream is a great way to keep baked goods moist while adding texture and richness.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter.
• Vegetable Oil
• Vanilla Extract

For the Glaze:

• Confectioner’s Sugar 
• Matcha Powder
• Milk
• White Chocolate Chips
• Pistachios 

HOW TO MAKE MATCHA PISTACHIO DONUTS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream and eggs. Next, beat in the butter, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Add the flour, matcha powder, baking powder, baking soda, pistachios, and sugar. Beat into the wet ingredients.

Dump the entire batter into a large Ziploc bag. Cut one of the lower corners off the bag, and in a circular pattern, fill the donut pan about 3/4 way full. Tap the pan firmly on the kitchen counter to get the batter to settle into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.

When the donuts have fully cooled, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, matcha powder, and milk until the icing is smooth and consistent. Dip the donut, top side down, into the icing. Lightly shake the excess icing off the donut, or gently drag the iced part of the donut over the rim of the icing bowl. Place the glazed donut onto a wire cooling rack.

In the meantime, melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments on low speed, stirring well between each increment until melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the donuts and immediately sprinkle over the chopped pistachios. Allow the glaze to firm up before serving. Enjoy!

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

These donuts will stay fresh for about 3 days in a covered container. I like to pile them all onto a cake stand with a domed cover. They look great on your countertop! But, if you plan to freeze these donuts, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that donut freshness locked in!

You can freeze these donuts for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them! If you don’t finish all of the donuts in the first 3 days they will become a little stale. To breathe new life back into them, wrap one in a paper towel and microwave on medium power for 10 seconds! Let them cool on a plate for a minute just to avoid biting into what could possibly be very hot melted chocolate!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!