Pistachio Chocolate Snacking Cake (Printable)

Dense fudgy bar bursting with roasted pistachios and rich dark chocolate, inspired by Middle Eastern flavors.

# What You’ll 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold in chopped pistachios and dark chocolate until evenly distributed.
06 - Scrape the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with additional pistachios and flaky salt if desired.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool completely in the pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 12 squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes decadent and takes barely an hour from start to finish, so you can have dessert without the stress.
  • The pistachios add an earthy nuttiness that stops the chocolate from feeling one-dimensional, making each bite more interesting than the last.
02 -
  • The eggs need to be at room temperature or they'll seize up when they hit the melted butter, creating little scrambled-looking bits instead of a smooth batter.
  • Overbaking this cake by even five minutes turns it from fudgy and forgiving into dry and crumbly, so set a timer and check early.
03 -
  • Use a high-quality dark chocolate that you actually like eating on its own—it makes a noticeable difference in how the finished cake tastes.
  • If you're making the gluten-free version, use a blend that includes xanthan gum so the cake doesn't turn out gritty or fall apart.
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