Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Other Time (cooling, freezing): 6 hrs 10 mins
Total: 6 hrs 27 mins
Servings: 12 1/2 cup servings
Yield: 6 cups
If you’re looking for an easy and delicious ice cream to make this summer, look no further. This no-churn pistachio ice cream recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients and doesn’t require you to break out the ice cream maker. It combines heavy cream, pistachios, almond extract, and sweetened condensed milk to create an ultra-rich and creamy dessert that’s ready in just a few hours.
How to Make This No-Churn Pistachio Ice Cream
Making pistachio ice cream is much easier than you might think, especially when it doesn’t require you to steep the pistachios in a milk mixture, as a custard-based ice cream would. Because of this, however, it’s important to finely grind the pistachios so you can get an even flavor throughout.
Start by lightly toasting the pistachios and letting them cool completely. This will help any whole pistachios and larger chunks stay crunchy in the ice cream. Finely grind the pistachios using a food processor or blender, leaving some whole to mix into the ice cream later. Add the sweetened condensed milk and blend until the mixture looks more like pistachio cream. Keep in mind that because the pistachios are toasted and unpeeled, it’s going to look more brown than green.
Whip the heavy cream, then gently fold in the additional flavorings and the pistachio mixture. Layer the ice cream base in a freezer container (I used a classic loaf pan) with whole pistachios sprinkled in. You can chop them into smaller pieces or leave them whole–it’s up to you! Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours, then serve it with additional chopped pistachios, freshly whipped cream, or chocolate fudge sauce.
What’s the Difference Between No-Churn and Classic Ice Cream?
Ice cream that’s made with an ice cream maker typically uses an egg yolk custard base, while no-churn ice cream uses sweetened condensed milk. Both egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk help to give ice cream its smooth, creamy, and silky texture. They also prevent ice crystals from forming due to their high fat content.
Additionally, using an ice cream maker helps to add volume by whipping in air, which is why you’ll find that no-churn ice cream is slightly richer and denser.
Recipe Tips
- Use cold heavy cream — Chill the heavy cream before using and preferably whip it in a chilled bowl. This will allow for maximum volume and the fluffiest whipped cream texture (as long as you don’t overwhip). A denser whipped cream could lead to a denser ice cream.
- Avoid ice crystals — To avoid ice crystals forming on the surface of your ice cream, place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the ice cream before freezing. Make sure to still also cover the top tightly.
- Don’t overdo the almond extract — Although it’s hard to add too much vanilla extract, be careful when adding the almond extract. It’s very potent and can overpower the pistachio flavor if you’re not careful. Although you can leave it out, it helps to bring out the nuttiness in the ice cream.
“This pistachio ice cream recipe exceeded all my expectations. There was no cooking of custard and no complicated or tricky steps involved, yet the finished ice cream was smooth, creamy, and delicious! Grinding the toasted pistachios and adding them to the mixture made all the difference. The pistachio flavor was outstanding» —Joan Velush
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups shelled, lightly salted pistachios, divided
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1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
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2 cups heavy cream
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Toast the pistachios in a small dry skillet over medium until fragrant and slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set them aside to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
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Transfer 1 cup of the pistachios to a blender or food processor and finely grind them until there are no chunks left (see recipe variations), 30 seconds to 1 minute.
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Add the sweetened condensed milk to the ground pistachios and blend into a smooth paste, another 30 seconds.
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Whip the heavy cream, vanilla, and almond extract on medium-high speed with a hand mixer, stand mixer, or with a balloon whisk until medium peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add the ground pistachio mixture to the whipped cream and gently fold until well combined.
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Pour half of the ice cream base into a freezer container or loaf pan, then sprinkle with half of the remaining toasted pistachios.
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Pour the remaining ice cream base on top of the pistachios, then sprinkle with more of the toasted pistachios, making sure to leave some for the top. Use a spoon or the back of a knife to gently swirl the ice cream and pistachios so they are more evenly distributed.
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Sprinkle the reserved toasted pistachios over the ice cream, then tightly cover it with plastic wrap or foil and freeze until solid, 4 to 6 hours.
How To Store
Cover the ice cream tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to two weeks. Alternatively, you can freeze the ice cream in an airtight container if you want it to be tightly sealed.
Recipe Variations
- Peel pistachios for a greener color: Since this ice cream is meant to be as easy and fuss-free as possible, the recipe doesn’t say to peel the pistachios. However, if you would prefer the ice cream to have a greener color (rather than brown-green), place the toasted pistachios in a clean kitchen towel and rub together until the outer peel has fallen off.
- Use Sicilian pistachios for a greener color: You could also use Sicilian pistachios instead which are greener, sweeter, and more flavorful than regular pistachios. If you can’t find them at the grocery store you can purchase them online.
- Add food coloring: Another tip to get a more prominent green color is to add a few drops of green food coloring.
- Add more crunch! Rather than grinding the pistachios into a fine powder, grind them down into small pieces instead.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 367 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 25g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat 12g | 62% |
| Cholesterol 60mg | 20% |
| Sodium 133mg | 6% |
| Total Carbohydrate 30g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 6% |
| Total Sugars 27g | |
| Protein 8g | |
| Vitamin C 2mg | 9% |
| Calcium 169mg | 13% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 358mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
