Made with real roasted pistachios and a silky French custard base, this pistachio ice cream recipe is the real deal.
Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe Snapshot
Ice Cream Style: French custard-based ice cream that's churned, so you'll need an ice cream maker.
Made With: Homemade or store-bought pistachio paste for a natural deep pistachio flavor.
What to Expect: A silky, creamy ice cream with a naturally muted olive-green colour.
Pistachio has always been my favourite flavour, which is probably why I've become known for pistachio desserts around here. But once I'd had proper pistachio gelato in Italy, the bright green supermarket versions just didn't hit the same.
I realised there was only one solution: I'd have to make my own. After plenty of testing, I landed on a silky French custard base and real pistachio paste for an ice cream that's rich, creamy, and tastes undeniably of roasted pistachios.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Egg yolks create an exceptionally silky, creamy texture and help keep the ice cream smooth with fewer ice crystals.
- Real pistachio paste brings a deep, naturally nutty flavour without artificial flavourings.
- A tiny bit of glucose syrup gives the ice cream a softer set, making it easy to scoop smoothly from the freezer.
Ingredients
The key to the best pistachio ice cream is using real pistachio paste rather than artificial flavors and colors. I use it in all my pistachio desserts as it is the best way to get a strong, nutty flavor.
- Egg Yolks - As a custard-based ice cream, egg yolks are essential. You can keep the whites for one of my leftover egg white recipes.
- Whole Milk - Using some milk instead of all cream keeps the ice cream from being too heavy and lets the pistachio flavor shine.
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (double cream in the UK).
- Sugar - Granulated sugar (Caster Sugar in the UK), as well as adding sweetness, sugar lowers the freezing point of ice cream, making it stay softer.
- Vanilla Extract - For a well-rounded base flavour.
- Almond Extract - Almond really helps to show off the flavor of pistachios, but be careful not to use too much as we don't want it to overpower them.
- Pistachio Paste - Homemade pistachio paste is easy to make with my recipe, but store-bought pistachio butter is also good. Just make sure it is 100% pistachio paste, and NOT pistachio cream.
See the recipe card for measurements in both cups and grams (though I always recommend using a kitchen scale).
Things You'll Need
- Ice cream maker - It doesn't need to be fancy. Mine is an attachment that fits in my Kenwood Cooking Chef mixer.
- Saucepan
- Balloon Whisk
- Food Processor (if making your own pistachio paste).
How To Make Pistachio Ice Cream
Custard-based ice cream is not the fastest ice cream to make, but the extra steps are well worth the effort. You can make the pistachio paste up to 3 weeks ahead of time if you want to break up the process a bit.
Before You Begin...
- Plan ahead - If you have time, chilling the ice cream base in the fridge overnight before churning will give the very best flavor and texture.
Make The Pistachio Paste
Homemade pistachio paste is very simple to make and it's the best way to add pistachio flavor to desserts. I'll give a rundown of the process here, but if it's your first time making nut butter, check out my post about how to make pistachio paste.
However, if you don't feel like making your own, you can buy pistachio paste online; just make sure it's pistachio paste and not pistachio cream.
- Toast the pistachios: Spread the pistachios out into a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until you can start to notice a lovely nutty smell.
- Blend Pistachios: Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then add them to a high-powered food processor or blender. Let them go on high speed until completely smooth; this can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes depending on how powerful your food processor is.
Make the Crème Anglaise
The base of custard ice cream is crème anglaise, a runny custard sauce that is often used to make île flottante or poured over desserts like apple crumble.
Heat the Dairy
Pour the heavy cream, milk, salt, and corn syrup (if using) into a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is scalding hot. This means there is steam rising from it and you can see tiny bubbles on the surface.
Temper the Egg Yolks
Add the egg yolks to a large bowl along with the sugar and whisk together until pale and slightly thickened.
Slowly drizzle in the hot milk and cream mixture while whisking the egg yolks. It's important to do this gradually to raise the temperature of the eggs slowly and avoid scrambling them.
Thicken the Creme Anglaise
Pour the whole custard mixture back into the saucepan and continue to heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and reaches nappé consistency (it can coat the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it that stays clean).
Mix in the Pistachio Paste
Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts and the pistachio paste.
For the smoothest ice cream, blend the mixture with an immersion blender or in a high-speed blender to fully emulsify it. It's fine to skip this step, but it does give the ice cream a luxurious texture.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and let it come to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Chilling the base means it will freeze faster in the ice cream maker, preventing large ice crystals and keeping it silky.
If you want to speed up the initial cooling, you can put the bowl in an ice bath.
Churn the Ice Cream
Once your pistachio ice cream base is completely chilled, you're ready to churn it! Follow the instructions of your specific ice cream maker, as they all work slightly differently.
For mine, I turn it on low speed and slowly pour the ice cream base in. Churn until it starts gathering at the edges of the bowl. You can use a spoon to test if it's ready - it should be the consistency of soft serve ice cream and be able to hold its shape on a spoon, rather than drizzling off the edges.
In my Kenwood Ice Cream Bowl attachment this usually takes around 20-25 minutes, but the exact time will vary depending on your machine.
Pour the ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for 4-6 hours before scooping.
Take It Up A Notch
For all my fellow pistachio lovers, try swirling a few spoonfuls of pistachio cream through your churned ice cream before the final freeze. It adds some contrast in flavor and texture, with pockets of sweet pistachio goodness!
Storage
Keep your homemade pistachio ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe container and press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface before sealing with a lid. This helps to stop ice crystals from forming on top.
Homemade ice cream tastes best when eaten within 2-3 weeks. It is technically safe to eat for up to 3 months, but because it doesn't have all the preservatives that mass-produced ice cream has, it will gradually lose the lovely flavor and texture after a few weeks.
Also, because homemade ice cream doesn't have the stabilisers and emulsifiers found in commercial brands, it will freeze firmer, so just let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping.
FAQ
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, please write it in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
This recipe was developed for an ice cream maker, not as a no-churn ice cream. While you could technically make it without, it will be more dense and less creamy, so I don't recommend it.
Real pistachios are naturally a browny green colour. Bright green pistachio ice cream is usually coloured with artificial food colouring. This recipe gets all of its flavour and colour from real pistachios.
That's totally normal - homemade ice cream doesn't have the stabilisers and preservatives found in commercial brands, so it freezes more firmly. Let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping, and it will soften to a creamy consistency.
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you make this recipe, please tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram or send me a photo - I love seeing all your creations.
Want your bake featured on the blog? You can also upload a photo here.
More Pistachio Desserts
If you're nuts about pistachios, you have found your new favourite place! I have so many delicious pistachio dessert recipes that all use real pistachios.
Watch How To Make It (Video)
Watch me make this pistachio ice cream recipe from start to finish in the video below:
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Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 225 g Pistachios unsalted, no shells
- 360 ml Whole Milk
- 360 ml Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Corn Syrup (or Liquid Glucose)
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 150 g Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
- Balloon Whisk
- Food Processor if making your own pistachio paste
- Immersion Blender optional
Instructions
- Homemade ice cream works best when you give it time to chill between making the base and churning it, so factor that into your timing.
- To make your own pistachio paste, toast the pistachios on a baking sheet at 325°F / 160°C for 5-7 minutes until fragrant, then blend them in a food processor until smooth. If you find it is too dry you can add a couple tablespoons of neutral oil. For a detailed step-by-step guide, see my homemade pistachio paste recipe. Alternatively, you can buy ready-made pistachio paste (see notes).225 g Pistachios
- Add the heavy cream, whole milk, corn syrup and salt to a saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot (steam rising and with small bubbles on the surface). Don't let it boil.360 ml Whole Milk, 360 ml Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Corn Syrup
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and slightly thickened, then slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking as you go. It's important to do this gradually to avoid scrambling the eggs.6 Egg Yolks, 150 g Granulated Sugar
- Pour the whole mixture back into the pan and heat, whisking constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and draw a line through it.
- Whisk in the extracts and pistachio paste until incorporated. For the smoothest ice cream, you can use an immersion blender or high-speed blender here to emulsify it completely.1 tsp Vanilla Extract, ½ tsp Almond Extract
- Cover the mixture with plastic wrap touching the surface and let it come to room temperature (or cool quickly in an ice bath). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. This will give the final ice cream a better flavor and texture.
- When you're ready to churn, follow the instructions of your specific ice cream maker. Churn until the ice cream is gathering at the edges of the bowl, then use a spoon to check the consistency - it should be about as thick as soft serve ice cream, and should be able to hold its shape on a spoon.
- Pour into an airtight container and freeze for a further 4 hours before scooping and serving.
Jules Grasekamp says
I waited a long time to publish this recipe as I knew it had to be INCREDIBLE. I would really love to know. your thoughts if you try it!