A cup of pistachios is 120 g — the King Arthur Baking figure, measured spooned and levelled. Shelled pistachio kernels, green and mildly sweet. It is used for baklava, salads, pesto and ice cream. They are the most expensive nut in most baking cupboards, which is exactly why measuring them by weight matters: a careless cup can be 20 g over, and at pistachio prices that error costs real money as well as a different bake. This guide covers the weight of pistachios in every measure you will use — cups, tablespoons and teaspoons — how to measure it correctly, what to use instead when you run out, and how to store it. All weights on this page are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
Pistachios: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of Pistachios in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 120 g per cup, spooned and levelled. Every figure is approximate — spooned and levelled is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 2.5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 7.5 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 30 g |
| 1/3 cup | 40 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 60 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 90 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 120 g |
| 2 cups | 240 g |
| 100 g | 0.83 cups |
There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.83 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
What is Pistachios?
Shelled pistachio kernels, green and mildly sweet. Pistachios is used for baklava, salads, pesto and ice cream. The ingredient is a familiar one in most kitchens, but it is worth knowing what it actually is before you measure it, because the form it comes in decides how it behaves in a recipe. Pistachios as sold is the form the weight on this page refers to: 120 g per cup, spooned and levelled, from King Arthur Baking. If you buy it in a different form — chopped, ground, toasted, sweetened or unsweetened — the weight per cup changes, sometimes by a lot, so weigh the ingredient in the form the recipe asks for, or weigh it before you change its form. That single habit, weighing before chopping, grinding or toasting, is what keeps the recipe consistent from one bake to the next.
How to measure Pistachios
Spoon the pistachios lightly into the measuring cup or spoon, then level the top with the back of a knife. Do not scoop the measure straight from the bag or the jar, because scooping packs the ingredient down and adds weight with every spoonful. Do not press it down or shake the measure to settle it, because that packs it too. The spooned and levelled method is a technique, not a machine setting, so two people measuring the same ingredient can still differ by a few grams, which is why the figures on this page are approximate. When the recipe matters, weigh the pistachios on a kitchen scale instead: put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the pistachios until the scale reads the weight you need.
How to store Pistachios
Airtight container in a cool place; refrigerate for longer. That storage advice is worth following, because pistachios goes stale faster than most cooks expect, and stale pistachios will spoil a whole batch of baking. Keep it sealed, because air and moisture are what make it go stale, and keep it away from strong smells, because it absorbs odours from the cupboard. Check the ingredient before you use it: smell it, taste a little, and look at it. If it smells sharp, stale or off, or if it has changed colour or texture, replace it rather than risking a recipe on it. A small amount of fresh pistachios is always better than a large amount of stale pistachios, and the cost of replacing it is far less than the cost of a ruined bake.
What to use instead of Pistachios
If you run out of pistachios, the closest swaps are Almonds at 142 g per cup, Walnuts at 113 g per cup, Cashews at 113 g per cup. Swap by weight, not by volume, because the cup weights differ, and a volume swap gives the wrong amount. Each substitute changes the flavour a little, so choose the one that suits the dish: a mild substitute for a delicate bake, and a stronger one where the flavour can carry it. Taste the finished dish before serving, because a substitute that works in a salad may not work in a cake, and the other way round.
Worked examples: Pistachios in real recipes
1. A pistachio and rose layer cake
A pistachio layer cake for a celebration uses 12 tablespoons of ground pistachios, about 90 g, folded into the batter with a little rose water. The nuts replace some of the flour, so the cake stays moist and keeps its green colour, but the balance is delicate: too much ground pistachio and the cake sinks in the middle, too little and it tastes of nothing but sponge. Weigh the kernels before grinding them, because a food processor turns a measured cup into a much smaller volume and you cannot re-measure it afterwards.
2. A pistachio pesto for spring pasta
A spring pesto made with pistachios instead of pine nuts uses 8 tablespoons of kernels, about 60 g, blitzed with basil, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Pistachios give the pesto a richer, sweeter base than pine nuts, and the sauce clings to pasta better because the nuts are slightly oilier. Toast the kernels lightly first to bring out their flavour, but let them cool before blitzing, or the pesto turns into a warm paste and the basil goes dark.
3. Pistachio ice cream from scratch
Homemade pistachio ice cream takes 10 tablespoons of pistachio paste, about 75 g of kernels ground with a little sugar, stirred into the custard base before churning. The paste is what gives the ice cream its colour and its deep nutty flavour, and shop-bought paste is often mostly almond, so making your own is worth the effort. Grind the kernels with the sugar rather than alone, because the sugar stops the nuts turning into butter in the processor.
Why the weight of Pistachios matters
Pistachios matter by weight because they are usually the most costly ingredient in the recipe, and because their shape makes cup measures unreliable. Whole kernels leave air gaps that change with every spoonful, so two cups scooped by two people can differ by 20 g or more. In a pistachio cake or a baklava, that gap changes the texture: too many nuts and the crumb turns dense and oily, too few and the flavour disappears. In a pesto, the nut-to-oil ratio decides whether the sauce is creamy or greasy. Weighing 120 g per cup removes the guesswork, and when a recipe calls for chopped pistachios, the weight stays the same while the cup volume shrinks, which is another reason the scale beats the measure.
The King Arthur Baking figure, and how it was measured
The King Arthur Baking figure for pistachios is not disputed: 120 g per cup, spooned and levelled, is the accepted value, and other sources agree within a few grams. Small differences between brands and batches are normal, because natural ingredients vary, but the variation is small enough that the figure on this page is a reliable guide for everyday cooking. The figure on this page, 120 g per cup, was measured spooned and levelled, which is the standard method for this kind of ingredient. If you measure it differently — scooping instead of spooning, packing instead of levelling, or measuring after chopping — the weight changes, and the recipe changes with it. The source matters too: King Arthur Baking is the reference used throughout this site, because its figures are consistent and widely used in baking, and the USDA figures are used where King Arthur does not publish one. When two sources disagree, this site says so, and the figure given is the one judged most reliable for everyday cooking.
Common mistakes with Pistachios
The most common mistake is measuring pistachios after chopping them and expecting the same cup weight: chopped nuts pack tighter, so a cup of chopped pistachios weighs far more than 120 g. Measure whole kernels first, then chop. The second mistake is buying salted, roasted pistachios for baking without thinking: the salt changes the recipe and the roasting changes the flavour, so use unsalted, raw kernels for cakes and ice cream. The third mistake is storing them in a warm cupboard in an open bag, where their oils turn rancid within weeks; keep them sealed and cool. Finally, do not assume a cup of pistachios in the shell equals a cup shelled: the shells take up most of the volume, and the kernels inside are barely a third of the weight.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of pistachios?
One cup of shelled pistachios weighs about 120 g, spooned and levelled, using the King Arthur Baking figure. That is for whole kernels as sold, and chopped or ground pistachios weigh more per cup because they pack tighter. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of pistachios?
100 grams of pistachios is about 13.3 tablespoons, spooned and levelled, because one tablespoon weighs about 7.5 g. Count out 13 level tablespoons and add a small pinch more, or weigh the kernels on a scale, which is faster and more accurate.
Can I use salted pistachios for baking?
It is better not to. Salted, roasted pistachios add salt the recipe did not ask for and their roasted flavour is stronger than raw kernels. If salted pistachios are all you have, reduce the salt in the recipe slightly and expect a saltier, more savoury result, which suits a salad or a pesto better than a cake.
How many pistachios are in a cup?
Roughly 200 shelled kernels make a cup, but the count varies a lot with the size of the nuts, so counting is a poor way to measure. A cup weighs about 120 g, and weighing is the reliable method, especially for baking, where the nut content decides the texture.
How should I store pistachios?
Keep shelled pistachios in an airtight container in a cool place, and refrigerate them for longer keeping. Their oils turn rancid quickly in warmth and light, so a sealed jar in the fridge lasts months while an open bag in a warm cupboard goes stale in weeks.