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Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachio ice cream with a roasted pistachio paste base and visible chopped pistachios folded in for a dense, custard-style scoop. This homemade pistachio ice cream is churned and then frozen until firm for an elegant pale sage-green finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Toasted pistachios
  • 1 cup shelled pistachios Toast until fragrant, then blend into a fine paste.
  • 0.5 cup pistachios Roughly chopped for fold-in after churning.
Dairy and custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
Flavorings
  • 0.5 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Optional color
  • Green food coloring Optional; add a drop to reach pale sage-green.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make pistachio paste
  1. Blend the toasted shelled pistachios in a food processor until a fine paste forms, then set aside.
Cook the pistachio custard
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steaming, then slowly whisk into the egg yolks beaten with granulated sugar.
  2. Return the mixture to a saucepan and cook while stirring until it reaches 175F, then remove from heat.
  3. Whisk the pistachio paste into the hot custard until smooth and fully incorporated.
  4. Stir in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and salt, adding a drop of green food coloring if desired.
Chill and churn
  1. Strain the custard, then cool completely and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thickened like soft-serve.
  3. Fold in the roughly chopped pistachios, then freeze until firm.

Notes

For the smoothest custard texture, cook only until it hits 175F and don’t let it boil, then strain to remove any eggy bits. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days in an airtight container; freezer storage is best within 1 month for best scoopability. For a nut-free swap, use roasted sunflower seeds processed into a paste (flavor will change but the method works).