Strawberry & Pistachio Nougat Recipe

What is nougat made of?

Nougat, also known as torrone in Italy, is a type of confectionery made with sugar, honey, roasted nuts and whisked egg whites. Nougat has a chewy texture, and, as well as roasted nuts, can include chopped fruit and flavourings such as lemon and chocolate.

How do you store nougat?

Nougat is a wonderful edible bake to gift as it stores well. Once you’ve cut the nougat into squares, you can package it into an airtight container and eat within a month. If you want to give the nougat as a present, it can be wrapped in cellophane or kept in a Kilner jar.

How to flavour nougat

Strawberry and pistachios combine perfectly in this nougat recipe. The freeze-dried strawberry powder gives a hint of strawberry flavour and delicate pink colour, which contrasts with the vibrant green of the pistachios.

We've added beautiful and unique bright green skinless pistachio nuts to the nougat recipe for their intensity of colour. These green pistachios are a very special ingredient to keep in the store cupboard: add to vibrant Middle Eastern salads, grind finely to sprinkle vibrant pistachio powder over cakes and choux pastries, or chop and use to coat chocolate truffles. However, if you don't think you will use a whole 1kg bag over the next few months just exchange for ordinary pistachio nuts.

Finally, if you prefer to colour the whole of the nougat recipe a pale pink instead of the striations in the photos, just add the freeze-dried strawberry powder to the egg whites before whisking in the sugar syrup.

How to make nougat

Nougat is straightforward to make - and the method is very similar to that for making marshmallows. A very hot sugar syrup in whisked into beaten egg whites whilst it cools, forming a set foam. As the syrup is poured into the egg, the scent of honey wafts through the kitchen, and the egg mixture turns a very pale gold. You determine how firm the nougat recipe will set depending on the temperature the sugar syrup is heated to. Anything from 125°C for a very soft nougat to 155°C for a very firm set nougat.


Ingredients for nougat Serves: 10


Equipment for nougat


Method for nougat

  1. Heat together sugar, honey and water in a saucepan. Whilst the sugars are heating, whisk egg whites to firm peaks.
  2. When the sugar mixture reaches 145°C, with the whisk running at high speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites. Continue whisking as the nougat mixture cools. After 10 minutes the nougat will be thick and smooth, and after further few minutes it will become hard to work and start to tear apart.
  3. Turn off the whisk and add the pistachios and strawberry powder. Mix firmly with a wooden spoon until the nuts are well dispersed and the nougat comes together again in a ball. Turn out onto the centre of a sheet of wafer paper on your kitchen counter.
  4. Flatten the nougat with a lightly oiled spatula, and press over the second piece of wafer paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out to desired thickness.
  5. Leave to cool for 3-5 hours until set, trim away any excess rice paper and cut into squares shortly before eating.
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Shop all baking ingredients, and try our pistachio macarons recipe here.





6 comments

  • The honey taste overwhelms the strawberry and pistachio taste. It never turned hard and was a gooey mess. Waste of expensive ingredients.

    Carolyn on

  • First attempt, far too soft and not set. I knew it would take a few goes to get it right so not too disappointed… I’ll keep going.

    John Gessler on

  • Of course, the nougat will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks

    Ellie @ Sous Chef on

  • Looks yummy – Can you store? What is the shelf life? Thanks

    MRS SHARON J HARDING on

  • Hi, THANKYOU for sharing your nougat recipe. Just wondering how to store it and how long does it last please. I’m wanting to make it for Christmas gifts. Thanks again

    Karen on

  • Do you have a catalog? And do you ship to the us. I have friends in England that are coming to the us in may if you don’t. Am excited about the nougat and the rose petals marshmallows. Let me know. Thanks Janine

    Janine Wolfe on

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