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Pistachio Cheesecake Recipe with Sour Cream Icing

Pistachio Cheesecake Recipe with Sour Cream Icing

by Sylvia Hofer
This easy pistachio cheesecake recipe with pudding is absolutely delicious, with its bright beautiful colors and creamy texture.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Resting time 16 hours
Total Time 17 hours 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 518 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Food processor
  • 1 Spring form pan
  • 1 Flat bottomed glass
  • 1 Roasting pan
  • 1 Aluminum foil
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Whisk

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Pistachio Cheesecake:

  • 32 oz cream cheese
  • 1 box Jell-o Pistachio pudding mix 3.4 oz
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups crushed graham crackers
  • 6 tbls butter
  • 4 tbls sugar
  • ½ cup chopped pistachios for decor

Ingredients for Sour Cream Icing:

  • ½ cup heavy cream chilled
  • ½ cup sour cream chilled
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • ​Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In your food processor, crush the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add 6 tbls melted butter to the crumbs, and 4 tbls sugar. Mix well.
  • Press into a spring form pan, use a flat bottomed glass to help press crumb mixture into the bottom and about ½ inch up the sides of the pan.
  • Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven.
  • Fill a roasting pan, or any larger pan with an inch of water, and set it on the middle rack of the oven.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 300.
  • Wrap the spring form pan with aluminum foil, making sure the edges of the foil fold up most of the way up the spring form pan. If there is a place for water to seep in, it will. Then your cheesecake crust will be soggy. I like to use extra wide foil and do 2 layers in case 1 pierces.
  • In your mixer, beat the cream cheese until its smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice with a rubber spatula.
  • Add the sugar, sour cream, extracts, and salt.
  • Next add in the pistachio pudding mix.
  • Then add your eggs and beat on low speed only until you see they are thoroughly mixed in.
  • Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared spring form pan.
  • Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 300.
  • The center should still be a bit jiggly at this point, but turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there to rest.
  • After half an hour you can crack the oven door.
  • Leave it for another hour then lift it gently out of the water onto the counter, where it will rest for another hour.
  • Move it into the fridge then for over night.
  • How to make the sour cream frosting:
  • Whisk ½ cup cream until it has stiff peaks. Mix in ½ cup sour cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar. Whisk until combined.
  • How to Assemble:
  • After the cheesecake has had a good nights sleep in the fridge, take it out.
  • Run a thin knife under hot water, and then around the edge of the cheesecake.
  • Release the spring form.
  • Scoop the icing onto the center and spread it out evenly on top of the cheesecake. Stay just a hair away from the edge.
  • Return to fridge where the icing will set just a bit.
  • Adding pistachios to top: optional.

Notes

  • Read the section in this post titled "how to get bright green pistachios" to learn how to get those bright beautiful green pistachios to top the cheesecake with. Wait to add the chopped pistachios to the top until just before serving, they will absorb some of the moisture if left to sit for too long.
  • Since this has such a small amount of heavy cream, I don't bother with using my KitchenAid mixer to whisk the heavy cream, the whisk attachment barely touches it. I have a smaller handheld blender with a whisk attachment I use, or maybe you have a frother with the whisk attachment.

Nutrition

Calories: 518kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 8gFat: 42gSodium: 339mgSugar: 27g
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