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Get the Recipe: Chewy Pistachio Pudding Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 20 bars
Author: Michelle Lopez
These chewy pistachio pudding bars are made with instant pistachio pudding mix, making them extra moist and flavorful. The bars are topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting that complements the nutty, salty flavor of the pistachios.
(4.67 stars) 3 reviews

Ingredients

For The Pistachio Pudding Bars

  • 2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces or 227 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 ¼ cups (8.75 ounces or 248 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pistacho extract
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) box instant pistachio pudding mix

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¾ cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon pistachio extract
  • 3 ¾ cups (15 ounces or 425 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted if necessary
  • sprinkles, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • First, make the pistachio pudding bars. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the pan’s two long sides. Spray the parchment, too.
  • Mix the dry ingredients for the pistachio pudding bars. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Mix the wet ingredients, then add the instant pistachio pudding mix. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until combined. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, only adding the next egg when the previous one is fully incorporated. Add the pistachio extract and mix until just combined.
    Gradually whisk in the instant pistachio pudding mix until just combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. 
  • Assemble the pistachio pudding bars. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across the pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake and cool the pistachio pudding bars. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
  • Make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, and pistachio extract. Beat on medium-high for 5 minutes, until very soft and creamy.
    Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until just combined.
    Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once more. Then, beat on medium-high for 5 minutes, until completely smooth.
  • Frost and decorate the pistachio pudding bars. Use an offset spatula to cover the top of the cake with the frosting completely. Garnish with any decorations.
  • Serve and store. Run a butter knife or offset spatula along the edges of the pan and use the overhanging parchment as handles to lift the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into 20 rectangles, each about 2 ¼ inches wide and 2 ½ inches long, and serve. 
    The pistachio pudding bars can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • To save yourself a dish, melt the butter in a large bowl. This bowl will eventually become your batter bowl! You add the sugar, eggs, and remaining ingredients directly to the melted butter in this bowl. I like to melt the butter first, then measure out all the ingredients for the recipe. Doing so gives the butter time to cool to the perfect warm-yet-not-too-hot temperature needed for this recipe!
  • I recently discovered that you don’t really need to sift cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar when making frosting. Because you’ll be mixing the frosting at high speed, most of the lumps in these ingredients work themselves out pretty easily! Save yourself time and energy—don’t bother sifting these ingredients. That being said, DON’T apply this advice to other recipes beyond American buttercream. I still encourage you to sift these ingredients (ESPECIALLY if they look really lumpy) when making baked goods with delicate crumbs like angel food cake. You’ll also need to sift confectioners’ sugar when making royal icing.
  • I decorated my bars with sprinkles. However, if you love pistachios, I truly recommend roughly chopping up shelled, unsalted pistachios and using those as a garnish instead!
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