Pistachio-inspired sweets, or more specifically Dubai chocolate-inspired treats, are everywhere at the moment. So too are luscious jars of, albeit expensive, pistachio spread which I would love to load my shopping trolley with but can’t quite bring myself to pay the eye-watering price for — either the Dubai chocolate variations or the spread. But I needed to get in on the pistachio action because, quite simply, they are delicious. Especially when paired with caramel, chocolate and brown butter, as they are in these Salted Caramel Pistachio Bars.
I also love a caramel slice. A good one, that is, not the condensed milk-heavy versions. But as much as I love a salty bite of caramel, traditional caramel slice can be a bit much. Added to that, I wanted a bar that would travel well — or at least travel better than the traditional version.
Don’t worry, these don’t require purchasing expensive pistachio paste or anything labelled ‘Dubai bar’. They do require decent-quality chocolate, homemade caramel and a not-break-the-bank amount of pistachios. You absolutely don’t have to buy them in their shells — I didn’t. My time is better spent mixing up a cocktail than shelling pistachios! If in the shell is all you can find, they’re still worth making. It’s just a bit more effort, and if you need your teenagers (like mine) to do a mindless task to keep them off their phones, then it’s a win-win.
What you end up with is my kind of caramel slice: a little thinner, a little nuttier and with enough salt to stop you feeling like you’ve eaten a brick of sugar. There’s brown butter pistachio shortbread underneath, a proper homemade miso caramel, a thin layer of dark chocolate and plenty of roasted pistachios on top. They’re rich — there’s no pretending otherwise — but cut them into small bars and they’re exactly the sort of salty-sweet bite that has you going back to the container for just one more.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you want pistachio to actually taste like pistachio, rather than disappear underneath a mountain of chocolate and sweetness.
- Yes – for a caramel slice with a little more going on. Brown butter, roasted pistachios and miso turn a familiar combination into something richer, nuttier and slightly salty.
- Skip it – if you want thick, gooey caramel. The caramel layer here is deliberately thin and chewy, making these much easier to cut, pack and take with you.
Salted Caramel Pistachio Bars
Ingredients
Pistachio Shortbread
- 150 grams unsalted butter
- 170 grams plain flour
- 70 grams unsalted shelled pistachios, roasted and cooled
- 60 grams light brown sugar
- 25 grams caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Miso Caramel
- 130 grams caster sugar
- 40 ml water
- 70 grams thickened cream
- 45 grams unsalted butter
- 10-12 grams white miso paste
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 80 grams 60–65% dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 45 grams thickened cream
Pistachio Crumble
- 45 grams plain flour
- 35 grams unsalted shelled pistachios roasted and roughly chopped
- 25 grams light brown sugar
- 30 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Pistachio Shortbread
- Preheat oven to 170°C conventional / 150°C fan force and line a 20 cm square baking pan with baking paper.
- Place the 150 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it foams and the milk solids turn deep golden brown and smell nutty.
- Immediately pour into a bowl, including all the browned milk solids. Cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Process the roasted pistachios until finely ground. Don’t take them so far that they become a paste.
- Combine the ground pistachios, flour, brown sugar, caster sugar and salt.
- Add the browned butter and vanilla and stir until you have a soft, crumbly dough.
- Press the dough firmly and evenly into the lined pan. Bake for 20–23 minutes, until golden around the edges and lightly coloured across the surface. Cool completely.
Miso Caramel
- Put the sugar and water into a small, heavy-based saucepan. Cook over medium heat without stirring until it reaches a fairly deep amber.
- Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the warm cream. It will bubble aggressively.
- Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until smooth and return to low heat and cook until the caramel reaches about 116–118°C.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the miso and vanilla. Pour over cooled shortbread base and allow to cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just steaming and pour over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
- Spread ganache over cooled and set caramel and before ganache sets, sprinkle over the pistachio crumble.
Pistachio Crumble
- Combine the flour, chopped pistachios, brown sugar and salt. Stir through the melted butter until irregular clumps form.
- Spread over a lined baking tray. Bake for 10–14 minutes, stirring once, until crisp and golden. Cool completely.
Make it your own way
Switch the chocolate: Dark chocolate keeps the bars rich and balanced, but white chocolate works particularly well with pistachio. Keep the layer thin and finish generously with flaky salt.
Lose the miso: Replace the miso with sea salt for a more traditional salted caramel. Start conservatively, taste and adjust before pouring it over the base.
Add some citrus: Finely grate a little orange zest into the pistachio shortbread. Keep it subtle — enough to lift the nuts and chocolate without turning these into orange-flavoured bars.
Change the nuts: Keep pistachios as the main event but replace a small portion of the topping with roasted hazelnuts or almonds for a different crunch.
Turn up the salt: A little extra flaky salt over the chocolate works particularly well if you like that sweet-salty contrast. Don’t increase the salt throughout the recipe; keep those occasional salty hits on top.
