Keep calm and eat ice cream

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Ice cream / Pistachio Ice Cream

    Pistachio Ice Cream

    Published: Sep 16, 2022 by Sarah Brooks

    489 shares
    • Share16
    • Yummly
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe
    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.

    This homemade pistachio ice cream is full of toasty roasty pistachio flavor and pretty green color that's totally natural and actually tastes like pistachios.

    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.
    Italian pistachio ice cream.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
    • Ingredients
    • How to make pistachio ice cream
    • How to serve
    • How to store
    • Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    This Italian pistachio ice cream is made Sicilian-style with tapioca starch (or cornstarch) instead of eggs. Sometimes also called Philadelphia style, this type of ice cream allows all the glorious flavors of the pistachios to shine.

    Looking for more fabulous nutty ice creams? Why not try making my creamy peanut butter ice cream, chunkey money ice cream with chunks of roasted walnuts or rocky road ice cream with roasted almonds. Delicious!

    Or if you're in the mood for more delectable ice cream check out my full collection of Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes (that work well in other brands ice cream makers too!).

    Recipe tips and frequently asked questions

    Why is pistachio ice cream green?

    In theory it's because of the green color of pistachio nuts. In reality the bright green color many of us associate with pistachio flavor is often because of green food coloring.

    Why? Because pistachios are expensive, the better quality ones even more so. Good quality pistachios can range in color from green to yellow and brown.

    So most of the pistachio ice cream you see is made with a combination of pistachios, green food color and almond flavoring to give the approximate taste of pistachio without the high price tag. This also explains why some pistachio ice cream does not taste pistachios. Because it's mostly not.

    Yet another reason to make it yourself at home, then you know exactly what's going into it and can make an ice cream that actually tastes like pistachio.

    Two scoops of ice cream topped with pistachio pieces in a cone balanced in a glass jar, with pistachios and ice cream cones in the background.
    Two scoops of homemade pistachio ice cream in a cone.

    Can you make this without pistachio paste?

    Yes, but with some caveats. When developing this recipe I tried making it a number of ways. By infusing the pistachios into warmed dairy. By making my own pistachio paste and finally with commercially brought pistachio paste.

    Infusing the dairy with pistachios only produced a weak pistachio flavor. When I make flavored ice cream I like it to really taste like that flavor.

    Then I tried making my own pistachio paste. I even painstakingly shelled and removed the skins from the pistachios in order to get that lovely green color. The flavor was OK, but even after a lot of blending and subsequently straining the ice cream it still had an unpleasant gritty texture.

    Finally I tried it commercially brought pistachio paste. This was hands down the best in terms of flavor and texture. Commercially brought pistachio paste is made with industrial equipment to produce a very fine, smooth paste that hard to replicate at home.

    So for the best, smoothest, flavor-packed ice cream I recommend hunting down and shelling out (ha!) for commercially produced 100% pure pistachio paste. Failing that I recommend replacing it with the same amount of homemade pistachio paste. Using the best food processor you can, blitz the heck out of it and then strain.

    What goes with pistachio ice cream?

    This nutty green ice cream is fabulous on its own or try it with one of the following toppings or flavor combinations:

    • Top it with some roasted pistachio or almond pieces
    • Pair it with chocolate sauce and whipped cream in an epic ice cream sundae
    • With a scoop of decadent no churn chocolate ice cream or tangy lemon ice cream

    Ingredients

    Ingredients as per main body of text.

    Pistachio paste: look for one made from 100% pistachios. Buy the best quality you can find and afford, it will make your ice cream taste better. Sicilian pistachios from Italy are generally considered to be the best but can be eye-wateringly expensive. There are a lot of imposters out there so try to only buy from reputable sources.

    Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget. A little dash helps enhance the flavors and take the edge off some of the bitter after notes of the pistachios.

    Thickened cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping or whipping cream which is similar.

    Milk: this recipe uses full-fat milk with a fat content of about 3.5%.

    White sugar: white sugar is best in this recipe. You could use castor sugar if you prefer or experiment with brown sugar to give the ice cream some caramel notes.

    Tapioca starch: is a natural and accessible way of both thickening and stabilizing the ice cream. If you can't get tapioca starch you can use arrowroot powder or cornflour in the same volume.

    Glucose syrup: also called confectioner’s glucose. You can get in from specialty baking shops, online and some supermarkets. A small amount of glucose syrup helps lower the freezer point of ice cream and improves the texture and scoopability of the ice cream.

    You can substitute with the same amount of light corn syrup or powdered dextrose. Measure carefully, preferably using a digital kitchen scale, and don't add too much or your ice cream will melt in a red hot minute!

    How to make pistachio ice cream

    See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.

    Measure the tapioca starch into a small bowl. Measure out the milk, then add a couple of tablespoons of the milk into the bowl with the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry and get out all the lumps.

    Process shots: adding milk to tapioca starch, adding cream, then sugar than glucose syrup to a pot with milk in it.

    Add the milk, cream, sugar and glucose syrup to a small pot on the stove. When measuring the glucose syrup ideally use a digital kitchen scale, otherwise make sure it's a flat half a tablespoon. Heat on medium and stir well until all the sugar and syrup is fully dissolved.

    Add tapioca starch slurry and stir well for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about few minutes. Add the pistachio paste and vanilla essence and blend well until smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.

    Process shots: adding tapioca starch slurry, adding pistachio paste, blending with stick blender, adding vanilla.

    Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill. If you are using a self-chilling churner turn it on ten mins before to chill. Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft-serve when done. Transfer to the chilled ice cream container, cover and freeze for at least four hours, or until firm.

    How to serve

    Scooping ice cream from a container.
    Scooping pistachio ice cream.

    To serve remove from the freezer, scoop and enjoy. Fabulous on its own or with some extra chopped roasted pistachios sprinkled over the top. Delicious!

    How to store

    You can store this ice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer for two up to weeks for the best texture. It will still taste good after this but may become icier over time.

    Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream

    Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?

    Why not try making

    • Lemon Ice Cream
    • Cookie Dough Ice Cream
    • Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
    • Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

    Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes.

    Scoop of ice cream in a bowl topped with pistachio pieces, with a spoon and extra pistachios on the side.
    Scoop of Sicilian pistachio ice cream.

    📋 Recipe

    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.

    Pistachio Ice Cream

    Author: Sarah Brooks
    This homemade pistachio ice cream is full of toasty roasty pistachio flavor and pretty green color that's totally natural and actually tastes like pistachios.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Plus chilling time 4 hours hrs
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 6 serves (â…” cup each)
    Calories 376 kcal

    Equipment

    • ice cream machine

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup (140gms) pure pistachio paste
    • 2 teaspoons (5gms) tapioca starch
    • 2 cups (500mls) milk
    • 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
    • ½ cup (110gms) white sugar
    • ½ tablespoon (15gms) glucose syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
    • 1 pinch salt

    Instructions
     

    • Measure the tapioca starch into a small bowl. Measure out the milk, then add a couple of tablespoons of the milk into the bowl with the tapioca starch. Mix well to form a slurry and get out all the lumps.
    • Add the milk, cream, sugar and glucose syrup to a small pot on the stove. Heat on medium and stir well until all the sugar is dissolved.
    • Add tapioca starch slurry and stir well for a few minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about few minutes.
    • Add the pistachio paste and vanilla essence and blend well until smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
    • Put your ice cream storage container into the freezer to chill. If you are using a self-chilling churner turn it on ten mins before to chill. Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft-serve when done.
    • Transfer to the chilled ice cream container, cover and freeze for at least four hours, or until firm.
    • To serve remove from the freezer, scoop and enjoy. Fabulous on its own or with some extra chopped roasted pistachios sprinkled over the top. Delicious!

    Notes

    • Pistachio paste is available from some specialty baking stores and online.   Look for pure pistachio paste with minimal other, if any, ingredients and one that is suitable for baking.  Regular pistachio butter may not be ground fine enough and may make your ice cream grainy.  
    • If you don't use glucose syrup your ice cream may freeze a little firm.  Put it in the fridge for about ten minutes to make it soft enough to scoop (this is better than leaving it on the bench because it will soften uniformly). 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 8gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 356mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 758IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 1mg

    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

    Keywords: egg free
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Join the community!

    Like Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream on Facebook for more great recipes

    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.

    Pin it for later!

    Two scoops of ice cream topped with pistachio pieces in a cone balanced in a glass jar, with pistachios and ice cream cones in the background.
    Homemade pistachio ice cream in a cone.

    More Ice cream

    • Three scoops of Fruity Pebbles ice cream decorated with Fruity Pebbles cereal, in a bowl with a spoon on the side.
      Fruity Pebbles Ice Cream
    • Scoops of rose ice cream in a bowl and a spoon on the side, garnished with rose petals and fresh roses in the background.
      Rose Ice Cream
    • Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes collage, vanilla bean, pistachio, Oreo, choc chip cookie dough, strawberry and birthday cake ice cream, with text overlay.
      Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes
    • Scoops of Ferrero Rocher ice cream in a cone with a cut-open Ferrero on top, with Ferrero Rocher in the background.
      Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream
    489 shares
    • Share16
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    Comments

      4.80 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

      Leave a review, star rating or question :) Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Julie says

      November 10, 2022 at 12:05 am

      5 stars
      You know I have tried so many pistachio recipes that never tasted as good as they did sound and yours measures UP! My new fav!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        November 10, 2022 at 11:59 am

        Hi Julie, I'm so glad you loved it! Its a fav in our house to, it pairs really well with my lemon ice cream 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jess says

      November 10, 2022 at 1:36 am

      5 stars
      This ice cream is so unique and delish

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        November 10, 2022 at 12:00 pm

        Thanks Jess, yes a little different but still very delicious 🙂

        Reply
    3. Katie says

      November 11, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      This pistachio ice cream is an absolute dream! It's so creamy and so addictive!

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        November 13, 2022 at 8:54 am

        Thanks Katie, we think so too!

        Reply
    4. Monika Gedge says

      February 18, 2023 at 11:40 am

      Under Ingredients the amount of Tapioca Starch is not listed, please let me know how much is required. So looking forward to making it.

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        February 19, 2023 at 12:05 pm

        Hi Monika, oops, missed that one! Its 2 teaspoons (5gms), recipe card updated. Thanks for giving me the heads up, let me know how the ice cream goes 🙂

        Reply
    5. Monika says

      February 18, 2023 at 12:24 pm

      Do you have a recipe for Stilton Ice Cream or Liquorice Ice Cream ?

      Reply
      • Sarah Brooks says

        February 19, 2023 at 12:10 pm

        Hi Monika, not for either of those sorry. You can use the search bar (the little magnifying glass icon near the top of the page) to search for any flavors you are looking for, or browse my ice cream, fruit ice cream or not churn ice cream categories under Recipes for some inspiration.
        You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram to see when I post new recipes, usually every Sat depending on how much time I have to get into the kitchen during the week 🙂

        Reply
    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.
    Sarah and Damian eating ice cream
    Ice cream from my favorite ice cream shop on our wedding - we even gave the guests gift vouchers for ice cream!

    Hi I’m Sarah and welcome to Keep Calm and Eat Ice-cream.

    I’ll be sharing all the things I love about ice-cream, eating it, making it, reviewing it, bathing it in (kidding) and all the things in between. So sit back, grab a scoop and come on a delicious journey with me.

    More about me →

    My most popular recipes - see what all the fuss is about!

    • Slice of cheesecake on a plate with fresh berries and rest of cake and another slice of cheesecake in the background.
      Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
    • Close up caramelized bananas in caramel sauce.
      Caramelized bananas
    • Group of three sundaes, classic, strawberry and caramel, with whipped cream, nuts, sprinkles, wafers and cherry, on a plate with spoons, nuts and sprinkles.
      Ice Cream Sundae
    • Close up stewed pears in a bowl, with fresh pears, cinnamon sticks and a vintage serving spoon on the side.
      Stewed pears

    Starting off making ice cream - Start here!

    • Cuisinart ice cream maker recipes collage, vanilla bean, pistachio, Oreo, choc chip cookie dough, strawberry and birthday cake ice cream, with text overlay.
      Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes
    • Close up side view of scoop of strawberry ice cream in a beige ramakin, with strawberries in the background.
      Strawberry ice cream
    • Top down view of a bowl of vanilla ice cream, in a grey bowl, with a spring of mint on the side in the bowl, on a beige tea towel and white wooded floor background.
      Easy vanilla ice cream
    • Very close up of scoop of no churn chocolate ice cream in pan.
      No churn chocolate ice cream

    Cheesecake Lover?, Try these creamy favorites

    • Close up slice of cake o a plate with a fork and matcha dusting.
      Matcha Cheesecake
    • Cheesecake on a serving board with serving wear, jar of Biscoff and Biscoff cookies and slice of cake in background.
      Biscoff Cheesecake
    • No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
    • Baileys cheesecake on a plate with cheesecake and Baileys in the background.
      No Bake Baileys Cheesecake

    How about something else?

    • Close up raspberry popsicles with fresh raspberries and leaves.
      Raspberry popsicles
    • Coffee sauce in a bowl with a spoon and coffee beans on the side.
      Coffee Sauce
    • close up of pile of cinnamon sugar pita chips on a while plate.
      Cinnamon sugar pita chips
    • Glass of homemade cola with ice, lime circle garnish and bottle of cola beside it.
      Homemade cola

    Footer

    Three scoops of ice cream in a bowl topped with chopped roasted pistachios, with a spoon on the side.

    About

    • About
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms and Conditions

    Newsletter

    Social Media

    Follow me on your favorite social media and recipe sharing channels

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2024 Sarah Brooks

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.