Belula

Chocolate Dipped Pistachio Madeleines

These chocolate dipped pistachio Madeleines are flavored with ground pistachios and pistachio paste. French madeleines are delicious small cakes shaped like shells.

Belula April 17, 2017 February 15, 2022
One pistachio French madeleine covered in chocolate glaze in focus at the center of the frame with other small madeleines around it.

French Madeleines are small cakes that get their shape from pans with shell-like depressions. They are a traditional treat from the Lorraine region in northeast France. These pistachio madeleines are easy to make, you just need to follow some tips and notes so that you get that beautiful bump. These chocolate-dipped madeleines are moist, buttery, and full of flavor thanks to the pistachio paste and the freshly ground pistachios in the batter. And to make them even better they are dipped in a light chocolate glaze and topped with crushed pistachios. I hope you love them!

Material & Ingredient Notes

  • Butter: needs to be unsalted and with high-fat content. When added to the madeleine cake batter it should be melted and hot (60 C°).
  • Honey: gives the batter a nice moist touch and prevents the madeleines from drying out.
  • Pistachio paste, for the extra pronounced pistachio flavor. Try to get one that has no added sugar and it is made purely of pistachios like this one Pariani 100% Pure Sicilian Pistachio Paste.
  • Grounded pistachios, for the crunch and the flavor.
  • Madeleine pan.If you don’t have one, you can still bake them in a muffin tin, they will taste just as good! Don’t let the madeleine pan stop you
The baked pistachio madeleines inside the madeleine pan, turned 90 degrees with other madeleines on wire rack in the left top corner.
A basket covered in a beige linen holding the pistachio madeleines covered in chocolate glaze and pistachios as seen from above with some flowers blurry in the corner.
One pistachio French madeleine covered in chocolate glaze in focus at the center of the frame with other small madeleines around it as seen from above.

How to make this recipe

Making these chocolate dipped pistachio madeleines is straight forward:

  1. Make the pistachio madeleine batter
  2. Bake the pistachio madeleines
  3. Prepare the chocolate glaze
  4. Dip the madeleines in the chocolate glaze
  5. Enjoy!
A bowl with the blanched eggs and sugar.
A bowl with the blanched eggs and sugar plus the grounded pistachios and the dry ingredients.
The pistachio madeleine batter inside a bowl with a small pan holding the melted butter.
The pistachio madeleine batter ready, before chilling, in a glass bowl.
The madeleine pan buttered and floured with a brush, and small sift around it.
The chilled and smoothed out madeleine batter inside a glass bowl with a spatula in it.
The madeleine pan filled with the pistachio madeleine batter with a piping bag on the side.
The baked pistachio madeleines inside the madeleine pan, turned 90 degrees as seen from above.
One hand dipping a madeleine inside a bowl of chocolate glaze with a wire rack filled with baked madeleines in the top left corner and plate full of grounded pistachio on the side.
One hand holding a glazed pistachio madeleine and the other hand sprinkling it with some grounded pistachios with a blurry wire rack filled with more madeleines right underneath.
One pistachio French madeleine covered in chocolate glaze in focus at the center of the frame with other small madeleines around it.
A basket covered in a beige linen holding the pistachio madeleines covered in chocolate glaze and pistachios and some madeleines surrounding the basket.

Recipe notes

  • Before you start prepare all the ingredients to make the pistachio madeleine batter.
  • Butter should be hot when incorporated into the batter (about 60 °C).
  • You can ground the pistachios using a food processor or by placing the pistachios in a bag and tapping them with a rolling pin.
  • When preparing the batter, use a mixer and simply mix in the ingredients in the order stated in the recipe, including the flour, which you can also whisk in quickly.
  • Once the batter is ready, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, so plan accordingly.
  • It is very important to butter and flour the madeleine pan using softened butter and a brush. This will help the pistachio madeleines to slide and evenly grow while baking (amongst other things. See below!)
  • When ready to bake, don’t forget to smooth out the madeleine batter before filling the madeleine pan with it!
  • Each oven is different so make sure to test and adjust the cooking time according to your oven.
  • When you remove the pistachio madeleines from the oven, immediately turn them on the side inside the madeleine pan to make sure they don’t stick to it.

Notes on how to get the beautiful madeleine bump

  • Chill the madeleine cake batter: once you have finished making the batter, transfer to an hermetic container and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 48 hours. The hermetic shock from putting a cold batter inside an extremely hot oven will help get that bump.
  • Filling the madeleine pan: this is the most important key to your success! If you fill the shell depressions too much, the batter will overflow, and you won’t get those nice little bumps. Make sure to fill the madeleine pan to ¾ of the rim of each shell depression. It may seem that you are not being generous, don’t worry. Don’t be tempted to fill them with more batter.
  • The oven should be preheated to 180 C°/360 F. Place an empty baking tray in the middle rack of the oven to help with the thermic shock.

Notes on the chocolate glaze

To make these chocolate dipped Madeleines is super easy. Some tips to follow:

  • Chocolate can be melted over a water bath or in the microwave at 10-second intervals and then mixed with the sunflower oil.
  • Keep it warm until you are ready to use it!
  • Pistachio madeleines must be completely cooled down before glazing.
  • Dip the madeleines into the chocolate glaze then shake to remove any excess. You can dip as much or as little of each madeleine as you like.
  • Top with some ground pistachios before the chocolate glaze sets so that they stick to the chocolate.
  • Let the chocolate glaze set completely before serving the pistachio madeleines.

Storing tips

You can keep these pistachio madeleines stored in a hermetic container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

Freezer instructions

You can freeze them once they have completely cooled down (before dipping into the chocolate glaze), wrapped individually in saran wrap, and then placed in a freezer bag. They keep for up to 1 month.

To defrost, let them sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Unwrap, glaze, and enjoy!

Variations to this recipe

If you feel like having regular madeleines, you can find a classic lemon brown butter madeleine recipe here Madeleines.

You can serve these pistachio madeleines without the chocolate glaze, just sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

The ingredients used in all recipes on this site are measured using the metric system. I use a scale to be precise with my measurements and ensure good results. If you would also like to use a scale, here are some: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, France.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Servings: 24 madeleines
Nutrition: 94 cal
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Pistachio Madeleines

  • All-purpose Flour 130 g
  • Baking Powder 6 g
  • Butter 125 g
  • Sugar 80 g
  • Milk 40 g
  • Honey 20 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Salt 2 g
  • Pistachio Paste 20 g
  • Grounded Pistachio 50 g

Chocolate Glaze

  • Dark Chocolate 150 g
  • Sunflower Oil 15 g
  • Crushed Pistachios 50 g

Procedure

  • 1. Prepare the ingredients: Sift the flour with baking powder and salt and set aside. Warm the milk and mix in the honey. Melt the butter: it should be hot when incorporated into the (about 60 °C). Grind the pistachios.
  • 2. Prepare the madeleine batter: Blanch the eggs and sugar. Once they are blanched, whisk in the milk/honey mixture. Next add the flour/baking powder/salt mixture, the ground pistachios, and the pistachio paste, and continue to whisk at low speed until incorporated into the batter. Finally, add the hot melted butter and continue to whisk at low speed, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • 3. Chill the French madeleine batter: Transfer the pistachio madeleine batter to a hermetic container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, and up to 48 hours.
  • 4. Prepare to bake the pistachio madeleines: Preheat the oven to 180 C°/360 F and place an empty baking tray in the middle rack of your oven (if you have a steel/pizza stone you can put that in instead). Butter and flour the madeleine pan; Use melted butter and a brush and remember to remove any excess flour. Remove the madeleine batter from the fridge and use a spatula to homogenize it and smooth it out.
  • 5. Bake the pistachio madeleines: Transfer the batter to a piping bag (no tip necessary) and fill the madeleine pan up ¾ of the way. Place the madeleine pan on top of the hot baking tray inside the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until a small bump has formed, and the edges are slightly colored. As soon as you remove them from the oven, turn the madeleines 90 degrees so that they are perpendicular to the madeleine tray, with the bottom fluted part looking to one side. Place over a wire rack and let them cool down at room temperature.
  • 6. Prepare the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate over a water bath (or in the microwave at 10-second intervals), then add the sunflower oil and mix to combine; Keep it warm.
  • 7. Glaze the pistachio French madeleines: Once the madeleines have completely cooled down, dip 1/3 (or ½) of each Madeleine into the chocolate glaze for a few seconds, then remove it and shake slightly so that any excess glaze can drip off. Place over a wire rack and sprinkle with ground pistachios. Let the chocolate glaze set before serving them! Enjoy!
If you made this recipe I would really appreciate it if you leave a rating or comment below! Also, if you share on social media please use #cookwithbelula, I would love to see what you create!
5 comments
(0)
Share
You May Also Like
5 Comments
employment lawyers May 05, 2017

Saved as a favorite, I love your blog!

Belén Gowland
Belula October 24, 2017

HI!! Thanks so much! So happy to hear this :)

Sara December 07, 2019

When do you add in the pistachio paste??

Belén Gowland
Belula December 15, 2019

Hi sara! You add the pistachio paste in before the brown butter. :) Have a nice day!

Rushita December 28, 2021

Hi Belen,
Instead of All purpose flour can I use cake flour? does that work?

Belén Gowland
Belula January 18, 2022

Hi Rushita,
I have never tried with cake flour, but I'd say it works just fine!
do let me know if you try them out!
Thank you!

April Peterson January 18, 2022

In your comment it said “before adding the browned butter” is the butter to be browned first or just melted?!

Belén Gowland
Belula January 18, 2022

Hi April,
You can either brown it or just melt it. They bothvwork great. I have a light preference for browned butter!!
Hope this helps!

Martina March 03, 2022

Hello,
I can’t eat the pistachio pastes in the market because of a soy allergy. All the ones I have seen use soy as an emulsifier.
If I make my own at home, I would make it out of roasted pistachios and nothing more. Usually the ones in the market have added sugar.
If I make my own would you recommend adding sugar to it?

Belén Gowland
Belula March 04, 2022

Hi Martina,
I had no idea about the soy sauce. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
If you will be making your own, don't add sugar at all. Pure pistachio paste is the best!
Have a great weekend!

Leave a comment and/or rating
Would you like to rate this recipe? (optional):