These Frankenstein Pistachio Blondies are a playful, crowd-pleasing Halloween treat. Kids and grown-ups will adore the cute, edible Frankenstein faces and the rich pistachio flavor.
In recent years I haven’t always been the biggest Halloween enthusiast, but this season I’m fully on board. My three-year-old’s excitement has made the whole household giddy: he practices trick-or-treating, he named his decorated scary pumpkin “Aaaaah,” and he’s been set on a costume idea for months. That contagious enthusiasm turned me from indifferent to downright pumped. We’re decking the house and planning treats, and these blondies were the perfect Halloween project.
Pistachios inspired this recipe. Their natural green color is ideal for Halloween treats—think witches, slime, and Frankenstein’s monster—so I built a blondie recipe around a pronounced pistachio flavor and decorated the bars as Frankensteins. The result is both festive and delicious.
The finished blondies are delightfully characterful—each one gets its own personality from slightly different eyebrows, mouths, and scars. The faces are simple to make and use common candy decorating supplies: candy eyes, candy-coated almond noses, mini Rolos for bolts, and chocolate sprinkles for hair. A little red and brown candy coating adds mouths and scars. The decorations are straightforward, and you can easily involve kids in the assembly for a fun family activity.
These blondies are more than cute—they’re genuinely tasty. If you enjoy pistachio flavor, these will likely become a favorite. The texture is fudgy and moist thanks to pistachio butter stirred into the batter, plus a generous amount of toasted pistachios and chocolate chunks folded in for extra texture and chocolate balance. Even without the Frankenstein decorations, these blondies are worth baking for their flavor and texture alone.
More Halloween Dessert Ideas
- Witch Finger Cookies
- Brain Cupcakes
- Zombie Brain Brownie Bites
- Red Velvet Hot Chocolate
- Stamped Halloween Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Marshmallow Spiderweb Cake
Frankenstein Pistachio Blondies
These Frankenstein Pistachio Blondies are a fun, crowd-pleasing Halloween dessert. Kids and adults alike will love the cute edible Frankenstein faces and the rich pistachio flavor throughout.
Yields: 12 blondies
Prep time: about 2 hours (includes cooling and decorating)
Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the Pistachio Blondies
- 14 oz pistachios (about 3 cups), divided
- 2–3 tsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 9 oz all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (about 1 cup), chunks or chips
For the Decorations
- 24 oz green candy coating melts (vibrant green works well)
- 12 whole almonds
- 24 large candy eyes
- 24 mini Rolos
- 2 oz red candy coating melts
- 2 oz brown candy coating melts
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup chocolate jimmies (sprinkles)
Instructions
Make the Pistachio Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread 2 cups of pistachios on a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Transfer the warm pistachios to a food processor, add 2 tsp vegetable oil, and process until the nuts form a smooth pistachio butter, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add additional oil if needed. Allow the pistachio butter to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and yolks until satiny. Stir in the cooled pistachio butter, vanilla, and almond extracts.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of toasted pistachios and the chocolate chunks.
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting.
Decorate
- Cut the cooled blondie slab into three columns, then cut each column into four pieces to yield 12 rectangles. Trim two bottom corners of each piece to shape the chin. Freeze the pieces for about 30 minutes to firm them up for dipping.
- Melt the green candy coating in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Dip the whole almonds in the coating and set on waxed paper to dry—these become the noses.
- Dip each chilled blondie into the green candy coating and let excess drip off. Place on waxed paper and quickly press two candy eyes and a coated almond nose in place. Add two mini Rolos to the sides of the chin as bolts. Repeat until all 12 are dipped.
- Melt the red and brown candy coatings separately and transfer to piping cones or small bags. Pipe red mouths and brown scars and eyebrows on each face. Allow coatings to set completely.
- Brush a thin layer of corn syrup on the top and sides of each blondie where you want hair, then press the tops into a bowl of chocolate jimmies so the sprinkles stick. Let set, then store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
These blondies are delicious even without decorations. The pistachio butter gives a strong nutty flavor, and toasted pistachios plus chocolate chunks add texture. If you prefer, adapt the decorating method for other bars or brownies; the basic techniques work well on many shapes and sizes.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 893 kcal | Carbohydrates: 100 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 50 g | Saturated Fat: 25 g | Cholesterol: 103 mg | Sodium: 305 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 73 g
