Pistachio Ice Cream
I originally made this pistachio ice cream because I wanted to try making spumoni ice cream for my dad. We haven’t seen it in stores since I was a kid, and I knew he’d love to have it again.
I decided to test the pistachio layer on its own first. My version is creamy, subtle, and not too sweet—made with real pistachios, pistachio emulsion, and no green food colouring added. It’s a simple churned ice cream with eggs, great for hot weather if you have an ice cream maker.
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Ingredients For Pistachio Ice Cream
Ingredient Notes
- 35% Whipping Cream: Also called heavy cream, this is the creamy base of the ice cream.
- Malt Powder: Completely optional, but adds a subtle nutty sweetness and enhances the overall flavour.
- Pistachio Bakery Emulsion: Stronger and more stable than extract, this adds concentrated pistachio flavour without artificial notes.
- Pistachios: Use raw, unsalted, shelled pistachios.
- Whole Milk: This balances the richness of the cream and helps create a smooth, scoopable texture.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- 35% Whipping Cream: Heavy cream labelled 36% or more will also work well in this recipe.
- Malt Powder: You can use Ovaltine or leave it out entirely without affecting the texture.
- Pistachio Bakery Emulsion: Pistachio extract is a good substitute if you can’t find emulsion. You can also use vanilla extract, but the taste will be more subtle.
- Sugar (Granulated): Superfine sugar—also called caster sugar—can be used in the same amount.
- Whole Milk: You can use 2% milk.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this pistachio ice cream recipe:
- Cardamom: Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom.
- Chocolate Chips: Add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Chopped Cherries: Add ½ cup of chopped maraschino or glacé cherries.
- Coconut: Add ½ cup of sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Crushed Waffle Cones: Add ½ cup of crushed waffle cone pieces during the last few minutes of churning.
- Orange Zest: Add 1 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the custard after straining.
- Sea Salt Flakes: Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt during the last few minutes.
- White Chocolate: Add ½ cup of chopped white chocolate.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Pistachio Ice Cream
STEP 1: Heat the heavy cream and milk in a pot on the stovetop and add the sugar and egg yolks to a mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until creamy. Dribble in ½ cup of hot cream, a tiny bit at a time, while whisking constantly. Continue to do this until all of the cream is whisked in.
STEP 3: Add the tempered yolks to the pot of remaining cream on the stovetop. Stirring often, cook the custard between 170ºF and 175ºF (77ºC to 79ºC).
STEP 4: Remove the pot from the heat and carefully strain the mixture into an airtight container through a fine mesh sieve.
STEP 5: Whisk in the malt powder (if using), pistachio emulsion, and salt until well combined.
STEP 6: Press plastic wrap gently on top of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Let the custard sit at room temperature for one hour to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, preferably overnight.
STEP 7: Churn the custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. Rough chop the pistachios and add them to the ice cream base five minutes before the churning cycle ends.
STEP 8: The ice cream is now ready to be scooped into insulated ice cream tubs or other airtight containers with a lid. If you like soft serve consistency, you can eat the ice cream immediately or freeze it to scoop and serve later.
Expert Tips
1. Lightly toast the pistachios in a dry skillet for a more intense flavour. Cool them completely before adding to the custard.
2. To prevent slipping, lay a wet dishcloth underneath your mixing bowl when whisking the hot cream and egg yolks.
3. If the ice cream is too firm from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.
Recipe Notes
- Keep the heat at medium-low when warming the cream—steamy is enough; don’t let it boil.
- Room-temperature egg yolks mix more smoothly with the sugar and hot cream.
- Whisk constantly and vigorously when tempering the yolks to prevent scrambling.
- Use a digital thermometer and stop cooking once the custard reaches 170–175ºF (77–79ºC).
- Strain the custard to remove any bits of cooked egg.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming.
- Let the custard cool for an hour before refrigerating to avoid condensation.
Storage
- Transfer the finished ice cream to a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. For the best texture, eat it within one month.
Related Recipes
- Cookie Butter Ice Cream: A churned sweet cream base with cookie butter swirls and crushed speculoos cookie pieces.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream: A simple, no-churn chocolate ice cream with ribbons of peanut butter.
- Double Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies: The classic fudgy brownie made with whole grain flour.
- Pumpkin Pie Bars: Classic flavour in easy-to-serve squares with a crisp shortbread base.
Did you make this pistachio ice cream? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more Nova Scotia recipes and simple comfort food.
Printable Recipe Card
Pistachio Ice Cream
Special Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Medium-sized pot
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Digital kitchen thermometer
- Airtight container with lid
- Fine mesh sieve
- Plastic wrap
- Knife and cutting board
- Ice cream maker
- Insulated ice cream tubs with lids or other airtight containers with lids
Ingredients
- 2 cups 35% whipping cream, sometimes called heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon malt powder, optional
- 2 teaspoons pistachio bakery emulsion, or pistachio extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pistachios, raw, unsalted, shelled
Instructions
- Place the cream and milk in a medium-sized pot. Heat over medium-low heat until steamy.
- While the cream and milk are heating, add the sugar and egg yolks to a mixing bowl. Whisk by hand until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
- While whisking the egg yolks vigorously and constantly, slowly dribble ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Once the ½ cup of cream is well combined, pour and scrape all of the egg yolk mixture back into the pot of remaining cream.
- Cook the custard over medium-low heat until it reaches between 170ºF and 175ºF (77ºC and 79ºC) on a digital thermometer.
- Remove the pot from the heat and carefully strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight container. Stir in the malt powder (if using), pistachio extract, and salt until well combined. Gently press plastic wrap evenly on top of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Let the custard sit at room temperature for one hour to cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, and preferably overnight.
- Remove the plastic wrap from the custard and squeeze any excess batter from the plastic back into the container. Give the custard a final whisk before processing it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Rough chop the pistachios and add them to the ice cream 5 minutes before the churning cycle has finished. Scoop the ice cream into insulated ice cream tubs or other airtight containers with lids and store in the freezer until ready to scoop and serve. You can also eat the ice cream immediately if you like soft serve consistency.
Recipe Notes
- Because I love making ice cream from scratch, I invested in the Breville Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker. It was expensive, but it’s amazing!
- If you’d like to make no-churn pistachio ice cream, follow the ingredients and method for my lemon curd ice cream. Of course, instead of vanilla extract, use pistachio emulsion (or whichever flavor you decide), and don’t layer the ice cream. Spoon it directly into your chosen container. No churn ice cream is super easy to make and delicious; however, it does have a different texture and mouth feel.
- Whisk the yolks quickly without stopping as you dribble in the hot cream to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- If you don’t own a thermometer, cook the custard until it coats the back of a spoon and your finger leaves a track when you trace a line through it.
- I use the Tovolo Glide-A-Scoop Insulated Ice Cream Tubs and the Tovolo Tight-Fitting Stack Friendly Ice Cream Tubs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Hi, I’m Kelly Neil. This is where I share Nova Scotia recipes and easy comfort food. I’ve worked with brands such as Loblaws, Lee Valley, Cavendish Farms, Canada Beef, and many more. Subscribe to my email newsletter for new recipes and inspiration!
