27 Must-Try Pine Nut Recipes That Will Satisfy Every Craving (2024)

This collection of pine nut recipes celebrates the buttery crunch they add to sweet and savory dishes. Just a small amount is all you need to enhance your meals with the delicate, nutty flavor.

27 Must-Try Pine Nut Recipes That Will Satisfy Every Craving (1)

Pine nuts are one of my favorite crunchy garnishes. You’ll find them sprinkled around the blog on lots of different dishes, from pastas and salads to omelettes and a classic pesto. But the versatility of these buttery little nuts goes far beyond that!

In this collection of pine nut recipes you’ll see just how many delicious ways they can be used. Check out savory dinners, sweet desserts, and more that highlight the flavor of these unique, tiny nuts.

Making the Most of Pine Nuts

You might find them sold as pine nuts, pignon, pinoli, or piñón. But no matter the name, they’re not exactly the cheapest nuts out there. Thankfully, with these tips you can maximize every bit of their flavor for as long as possible.

  • Keep them Fresh – Avoid the bitterness of rancid pine nuts by storing them in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 months. Need to store them longer? Pop them in the freezer for up to 6.
  • Toast them to draw out flavor – Just a few quick minutes in a hot pan will lightly toast and enhance the natural flavors. Keep an eye on them and toss them often to prevent burning.
  • Use them up! – It’s always tempting to use pricey ingredients sparsely, but with ones like this that are simply better fresh, use them while they’re at their best to enjoy every penny you spent.

With this collection of pine nuts recipes, I know you’ll have abundant inspiration to help you use up every last one.

1. Asparagus Omelette with Ricotta

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This asparagus and ricotta omelette with pine nuts makes a delicious and nutritious breakfast or brunch. It’s really easy to make and is ready in just 15 minutes!

Recipe by: Yummy Addiction

2. Creamy Romanesco Pasta

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This creamy pasta is made with romanesco, anchovies, raisins and pine nuts – and while it sounds like an odd combination, it actually comes together to make a delicious light yet filling family dinner.

Recipe by: Yummy Addiction

3. Shaved Brussels Sprout and Pomegranate Salad

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This shredded Brussels sprout salad with pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, red onion, and pine nuts requires less than 20 minutes to make and is packed with flavor!

Recipe by: Yummy Addiction

4. Beetroot and Feta Salad with Fennel & Pine Nuts

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With just 15 minutes of active cooking and a few simple steps you can make this flavor packed beetroot and feta salad. Loaded with beets, feta cheese, fennel and roasted pine nuts it’s a salad that works in all seasons – perfect to serve just slightly warm.

Recipe by: Always Use Butter

5. Basil Pesto

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Easy to make basil pesto which is better than anything you will purchase in a jar! Can’t beat that homemade freshness!

Recipe by: Herbs & Flour

6. Brown Butter Oatmeal Pine Nut Cookies

Soft and chewy cookies are made with nutty brown butter, classic oats, and buttery toasted pine nuts for a flavorful Southwest cookie.

Recipe by: Muy Bueno Cookbook

7. Middle Eastern Rice with Raisins and Pine Nuts

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This Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf has incredibly well-balanced sweet and savory flavors thanks to the raisins, spices (allspice and cinnamon), pine nuts and parsley. Makes a wonderful side dish or a meal on its own.

Recipe by: Give Recipe

8. Toasted Pine Nut Hummus

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Toasted Pine Nut Hummus is so easy to make at home, you will never want to buy it at the store again. It is perfect to serve as an appetizer, in your lunchbox, or as an after school snack!

Recipe by: The Two Bite Club

9. Roasted Broccoli Steaks w/ Butter toasted Pine Nuts

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Roasted Broccoli Steaks are a delicious and healthy side dish. They’re pretty enough to serve at a dinner party yet easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.

Recipe by: The Endless Meal

10. Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

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Healthy, delicious and tasty – my Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad is a great side-dish or light, meat-free meal. It’s fresh, nourishing, perfect for all occasions and can be made ahead of time.

Recipe by: It’s Not Complicated Recipes

11. Pesto Rosso (Sicilian Tomato Pesto)

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This traditional pesto rosso is creamy and perfect for tossing with your favorite pasta or eaten with toasted bread. It features ricotta cheese, tomatoes and pine nuts, and is made in just 10 minutes!

Recipe by: Maricruz Avalos

12. Pine Nut Cake

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You’ll fall in love with this light and fragrant pine nut cake with a tender, melt-in-the-mouth crumb, soft orange notes, and a gorgeously nutty crust.

Recipe by: A Mummy Too

13. Stuffed Mushrooms with Prosciutto and Toasted Pine Nuts

These mushrooms stuffed with a cheesy mixture of Parmesan, cream cheese, salty Prosciutto and pine nuts are perfect as a delicious appetizer or a main course if large portobello mushrooms are used!

Recipe by: Vikalinka

14. Torta della Nonna

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Topped with pine nuts and a dusting of powdered sugar, the Torta della Nonna features a lemon vanilla custard inside of a cookie-like crust. It’s delicious!

Recipe by: Spiced Blog

15. Ravioli with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

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This ravioli with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and pine nuts is a delicious, easy dinner that comes together in under 20 minutes!

Recipe by: Herbs & Flour

16. Asparagus with Melted Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts

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When I first tried this Asparagus with Melted Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts, I declared it to be one of the best things I’d ever eaten. And if you like those ingredients you might feel that way too.

Recipe by: Kalyn’s Kitchen

17. Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad

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This hearty Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot Salad recipe features roasted pumpkin and beetroot that has been tossed in a delicious maple vinaigrette and topped with feta, pine nuts and pepitas. The perfect fall/winter salad or holiday side dish!

Recipe by: Maple + Mango

18. Shaved Zucchini Salad

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This shaved zucchini salad recipe combines lemon, goat cheese, microgreens, and toasted pine nuts for an exquisite and luscious side dish.

Recipe by: This Healthy Table

19. Roasted Pears with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Brittle

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Roasted pears transform into an elegant, gluten-free cheese course-meets-dessert with vanilla-infused whipped goat cheese and a sweet, sophisticated pine nut brittle fused with maple syrup.

Recipe by: Yummy Beet

20. Baked Brie Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pesto

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Baked brie cheese is topped with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts for a delicious twist on this traditional cheesy, gooey appetizer.

Recipe by: Biscuits & Burlap

21. Easy Crustless Quiche with Spinach & Feta

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This crustless quiche recipe is packed with spinach, feta cheese, onions and garlic as well as a little lemon zest and nutmeg for added flavor. Plus it’s topped with pine nuts for extra crunch!

Recipe by: Elizabeth Chloe

22. Eggplant Miso Pesto Pasta

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A dish, full of bright, bold notes, from the squeeze of a lemon, toasty pine nuts and subtle toothsome bites of tender eggplant. It’s simple, easy and absolutely luscious!

Recipe by: Serving Dumplings

23. Beef Braciole with Pine Nuts and Raisins

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Beef braciole is Italian comfort food at its best! Comprised of thinly sliced beef rolled with breadcrumbs, cheese, pine nuts, and raisins, this is truly a dish that you will crave every time you’re making a pot of sauce.

Recipe by: Sip and Feast

24. Chicken Rice Pilaf

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This Chicken Rice Pilaf is a festive yet easy to make rice pilaf recipe that you can make in under an hour. It is made by cooking rice that is flavored with allspice, pine nuts, and currants and topping it off with shredded chicken and fresh herbs.

Recipe by: Foolproof Living

25. Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

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Green Beans with Lemon, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts are quickly stir-fried to to turn fresh green beans into a special side dish. And if you love pine nuts, this might become your favorite way to cook green beans!

Recipe by: Kalyn’s Kitchen

26. Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

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Sun dried tomato pesto pasta is a creamy vegan pesto sun-dried tomato sauce over whole grain pasta with artichokes, pine nuts, and fresh herbs.

Recipe by: Erica’s Recipes

27. Roast Vegetables with Feta and Pine Nuts

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This is a simple recipe for roast vegetables with feta and pine nuts that works well as a mezze/side dish. A recipe bursting with flavor!

Recipe by: Tiffin And Tea

27 Must-Try Pine Nut Recipes That Will Satisfy Every Craving (2024)

FAQs

Why cant you eat a lot of pine nuts? ›

Just a few pine nuts can result in a constant bitter or metallic taste in the mouth that can last for a couple of weeks.

What is the best way to cook pine nuts? ›

The easiest way to toast pine nuts is on the stove. Add them to a small dry skillet that fits them in a single layer. It doesn't really matter what kind of skillet you use. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook them, stirring occasionally or tossing the skillet, until they're golden-brown and smell quite nutty.

What are pine nuts good for? ›

Sprinkle onto yogurt with fruit and other nuts to create a delicious parfait. Add raw or roasted pine nuts to salads or pasta dishes. Blend pine nuts into a homemade hummus. Add them to vegetable side dishes such as roasted cauliflower, broccoli, or green beans.

What foods have pine nuts in them? ›

As stated above, pine nuts are often found in pesto sauce. You could also find them in sandwiches, cakes, bread, salads, pizzas, biscuits, confectionery and ice cream. Pine nuts are sold in health food stores as well as in supermarkets.

Who should not eat pine nuts? ›

Pine nuts, also known as pignoli or pinon nuts, grow on trees of the Pinaceae family. They are a kind of tree nut. A person with a tree nut or peanut allergy may or may not be allergic to pine nuts but should speak with an allergist before eating them.

Are pine nuts inflammatory? ›

Reduces Inflammation

Pine nuts contain pinolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. This compound has been shown in studies to reduce inflammatory markers. 9 Inflammation can lead to chronic illness, including cancer, cognitive decline, and heart diesease.

Should I refrigerate pine nuts? ›

Pine nuts should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one to two months. If you wish to extend the shelf-life, place pine nuts in a heavy-duty freezer bag in the freezer for three to six months. Once pine nuts turn rancid, they will give off an unpleasant odor and often develop a bitter taste.

Should I toast my pine nuts? ›

This tiny, tender nut can add a pop of flavor to cookies, texture to salads, and depth to many other dishes. I like to toast my pine nuts before using them, since it bumps up the buttery taste, golden color, and crunch.

What tastes closest to pine nuts? ›

Cashews. Cashews resemble pine nuts in color, texture and mild sweetness, and can be used as a substitute in just about any recipe. Stick to unsalted versions (roasted or raw varieties both work), and toast them to provide extra depth of flavor.

Is it OK to eat pine nuts every day? ›

Pine nuts contain omega3s and antioxidants. Research suggests taking two tablespoons of pine nuts per day, approximately 30 grams. You can serve pine nuts with different dishes and use them as a topping in dishes. However, eating too many pine nuts can leave a bitter metallic taste in the mouth.

Are pine nuts a laxative? ›

The protein content is essential for building and repairing tissues, supporting the formation of new cells and aiding in the production of enzymes and hormones. Additionally, the dietary fibre content in pine nuts can help alleviate constipation, a common discomfort during pregnancy,” Anand said.

How many pine nuts can I eat a day? ›

This is argued by the scientific journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, that claims that consuming up to 30g of nuts per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can both protect cardiovascular health and prevent weight gain in the medium to long term.

Can you eat too many pine nuts? ›

Eating pine nuts can occasionally cause some people to experience a bitter or metallic taste lasting from a few days up to 2 weeks. This taste disturbance has been referred to as 'pine mouth' or 'pine nut syndrome'.

Can I eat raw pine nuts? ›

Pine nuts are a nutritious snack that can be eaten raw or roasted. They can be added to salads, sprinkled on top of hummus, and blended up as part of pesto and other sauces.

What can I do with old pine nuts? ›

Stale nuts are totally fine to eat, of course, but they do need to be processed to make them delicious again. Just toasting them in a dry pan or oven should be enough to revive them, but they'll also go in any recipe that requires nuts.

What are the side effects of pine nuts? ›

Ingestion and side effects

They can also be used in pastries, pasta, rice, pesto, salad and many other dishes. Some people may experience side effects, such as a taste disturbance, after eating pine nuts. This phenomenon occurs one to several days after the nuts are eaten, and lasts up to a week on average.

What happens if you eat off pine nuts? ›

Eating nuts past their prime will not hurt you, but they will taste “funny”.

Are pine nuts bad for testosterone? ›

Pine nuts also contain a compound called marmesin that can increase testosterone levels in the body. In fact, researchers from Turkey's Selcuk University found that giving rats pine nuts improved their sperm count and mobility by 20 to 40 percent.

Do pine nuts make you less high? ›

Eat pine nuts

Pine nuts may counteract the effects of THC, according to some research . Pinene, a compound in pine nuts, is believed to have a calming effect and help improve clarity. Interestingly, pinene is also one of the terpenes found in cannabis that gives weed smoke a pine-like aroma.

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