Nuts & seeds · Tree nuts

Pine nuts

Small, soft, ivory seeds from pine cones; buttery and resinous, essential in pesto and sprinkled over Middle Eastern dishes.

Also called: pignoli, çam fıstığı, chilgoza, piñones

A kind of nuts

20 recipes with it

Photo: Quellenangabe und Beleg an burgkirsch(at)web.de erbeten., via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

What it is

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of certain pines, extracted from the cones and sold shelled. They are small, slender, ivory-coloured and soft, with a buttery, slightly resinous flavour. Mediterranean pine nuts are long and slim; Asian ones are shorter and stubbier. Allergen rules usually treat them as tree nuts.

Pinus spp. (e.g. Pinus pinea, Pinus koraiensis)

How it’s used

Blended into Genovese pesto
Toasted and scattered over hummus, kibbeh and pilafs
Added to Italian and Catalan spinach with raisins
Baked into pignoli cookies and tarts

Characteristics

Taste: Buttery, sweet and slightly piney.
Texture: Soft and tender, crisp when toasted.
When cooked: Toast in a dry pan over low heat, stirring; they burn within seconds.
Sold as: whole
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Used as a garnish, Suitable for baking
Common in: Italian, Levantine, Lebanese, Turkish, Spanish, Korean, Afghan, Middle Eastern

Storage

Refrigerated. Very prone to rancidity: keep sealed in the fridge or freezer.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Tree nuts.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Tree nuts are a major allergen; an allergy to one nut does not rule out others, and nuts are often packed on shared lines, so check 'may contain' warnings.
Some people notice a temporary bitter or metallic taste ('pine mouth') a day or two after eating certain pine nuts.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy: 673 kcal
Protein: 13.69 g
Carbohydrate: 13.08 g
Fat: 68.37 g
Fibre: 3.7 g
Sugars: 3.59 g

USDA FoodData Central: Nuts, pine nuts, dried.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Walnuts — In pesto; stronger and slightly bitter.
Sunflower seeds — Nut-free pesto; toast first.

Related ingredients

Recipes with pine nuts

See all 20

Dolmadakia (rice-stuffed vine leaves)
Greek · 2 h 45 min · 382 kcal · Vegetarian
Fatayer bi sabanekh (spinach triangles)
Lebanese · 2 h 18 min · 125 kcal · Vegan
Fattet hummus
Levantine · 25 min · 604 kcal · Vegetarian
Fried kibbeh
Syrian · 1 h 45 min · 631 kcal
Galayet bandora
Jordanian · 25 min · 214 kcal · Vegan
Jallab
Levantine · 10 min · 95 kcal · Vegan
Kibbeh bil sanieh
Lebanese · 1 h 40 min · 491 kcal
Kofta bil tahini
Jordanian · 1 h 20 min · 740 kcal
Mansaf
Jordanian · 2 h 50 min · 920 kcal
Maqluba
Palestinian · 2 h 15 min · 762 kcal
Musakhan
Palestinian · 1 h 35 min · 1198 kcal
Pasta con le sarde
Italian · 1 h · 866 kcal