Pistachio Chocolate Snacking Delight (Printer-Friendly)

Dense cake loaded with pistachios and chocolate, inspired by a viral Dubai bar—ideal for anytime indulgence.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

09 - 3/4 cup shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
10 - 3.5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped or chips

→ Optional Topping

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
12 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Gently fold chopped pistachios and chocolate into the batter.
06 - Scrape thick batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with extra pistachios and flaky salt if desired.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment and cut into squares.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it when you actually only needed thirty minutes in the oven.
  • The pistachios add this subtle earthiness that chocolate alone could never achieve, making it feel sophisticated without trying too hard.
  • Dense enough to satisfy, but not so heavy that you can't eat another square an hour later.
02 -
  • A few moist crumbs on the toothpick is victory—pull it out when it looks almost underdone, because carryover heat will finish the job as it cools.
  • Room-temperature eggs are not optional; they emulsify into the butter mixture instead of sitting on top of it, and that changes everything about the texture.
03 -
  • Chop your pistachios by hand instead of pulsing them in a food processor—you want small pieces, not pistachio flour.
  • If your kitchen is cold, let your melted butter cool to about body temperature before combining it with sugar, or the mixture will seize and become grainy.
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