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    Home » Recipes » Other sweets

    August 17, 2022 17 Comments

    Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream

    437 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is incredibly creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. This ice cream recipe is easy to make and requires no coconut and no banana. Instead, this vegan ice cream is made with just 7 ingredients. You can use this recipe in an ice cream maker or learn how to make ice cream in a blender!

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is incredibly creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. This ice cream recipe is easy to make and requires no coconut and no banana. Instead, this vegan ice cream is made with just 7 ingredients: plant-based milk of choice, pistachios, cashews (for added richness and creaminess), sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. You can use this recipe in an ice cream maker or learn how to make ice cream in a blender! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #icecream

    After sharing my vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream recipes on Instagram, I received many requests for a vegan pistachio ice cream recipe. Ask and you shall receive!! I love pistachio ice cream as it isn't too sweet and it's perfectly nutty and creamy. The natural green color is so cute too! I love to add lots of chopped roasted pistachios to the ice cream for texture, but if you prefer a smooth ice cream without any chunks, simply skip that step.

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is incredibly creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. This ice cream recipe is easy to make and requires no coconut and no banana. Instead, this vegan ice cream is made with just 7 ingredients: plant-based milk of choice, pistachios, cashews (for added richness and creaminess), sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. You can use this recipe in an ice cream maker or learn how to make ice cream in a blender! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #icecream

    This recipe is made using just 7 simple ingredients including plant-based milk (you can use any kind of plant-based milk you like such as oat or soy). Cashews which adds extra richness and creaminess. Sugar for a little sweetness, I used granulated white sugar but feel free to sub for a sweetener alternative you prefer. Vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt to enhance the pistachio flavor. And of course, pistachios!! I like to use raw shelled pistachios to make the creamy ice cream base, and then I use chopped up roasted unsalted pistachios to add a little crunch. Yum!!

    Blend the ingredients to make the pistachio ice cream base.

    How to make The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream:

    Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love. (See notes if you do not have an ice cream machine).
    Add the plant-based milk, pistachios, cashews, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the pistachios and cashews are completely blended and that no bits remain.

    optionally add chipped roasted pistachios for crunch.

    Optionally, if you want to add pistachio pieces, roughly chop ½ cup of roasted pistachios and set those aside.

    churn in your ice cream machine or try my no machine method.

    Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want pistachio pieces in the ice cream, add them in the last 5 minutes of churning. Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover dairy-free ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two weeks.

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is incredibly creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. This ice cream recipe is easy to make and requires no coconut and no banana. Instead, this vegan ice cream is made with just 7 ingredients: plant-based milk of choice, pistachios, cashews (for added richness and creaminess), sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. You can use this recipe in an ice cream maker or learn how to make ice cream in a blender! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #icecream

    This vegan pistachio ice cream is...

    • creamy and nutty
    • not too sweet
    • doesn't use bananas or coconut milk.
    • can be made in an ice cream maker or in a blender!

    More delicious vegan ice cream recipes:

    Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
    The Best Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
    How to make Ice Cream in a Blender
    Veganized: Black Ice Cream

    If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.

    Bon appetegan!
    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream

    The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. No coconut and no banana. Made with just 7 ingredients. Use this recipe in an ice cream maker or try my no-machine technique!
    Prep Time30 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Servings: 6 (makes about 3 cups or 1 ½ pints)
    Calories: 267kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
    • ¾ cup shelled raw unsalted pistachios
    • ½ cup raw cashews
    • ¼ cup white sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 pinch salt
    • ½ cup shelled roasted unsalted pistachios roughly chopped (optional)
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love. (See notes if you do not have an ice cream machine).
    • Add the plant-based milk, pistachios, cashews, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the pistachios and cashews are completely blended and that no bits remain.
    • Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want pistachio pieces in the ice cream, add them in the last 5 minutes of churning. Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover dairy-free ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two weeks.

    Notes

    No ice cream maker technique: if you do not have an ice cream machine, make the ice cream base as directed and then follow the directions in How to Make Ice Cream in a Blender. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 414mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    More Vegan Dessert Recipes You Might Enjoy...

    « Best Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
    The Best Corn Ribs Recipe! »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christina says

      September 04, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today, it was so easy and turned out so good!!! Will definitely make it again!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 13, 2022 at 3:06 pm

        Yay!! So thrilled you love it, Christina!

        Reply
    2. Irene McDonald says

      August 24, 2022 at 8:02 am

      I am looking forward to making this for company but 1 of my guests is allergic to cashews, any substitutes please?

      p.s. everything I have made from your books (both) or webpage has turned out fabulous, keep it up and thanks.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 02, 2022 at 3:41 pm

        You could try blanched almonds. Boil them for 15 minutes first to soften them, then drain and rinse before using. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Robin says

      August 18, 2022 at 3:04 pm

      Hey Sam, cannot wait to make this, as I also am a bit tired of frozen banana ice cream. Quick question though. Since I do not have a vita=mix (or other high speed blender), should I soak the cashews first for a few hours. For that matter should i soak raw pistachios too? Yes, I know I should just get a high speed blender ready. Might ask for one for Christmas. Haha only 5 months away.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 19, 2022 at 11:07 am

        Hi Robin, if you are adding pistachio pieces to the ice cream, I think it's ok to skip soaking as the ice cream is going to have texture regardless. If you want to ensure a super smooth texture then there is certainly no harm in soaking. Another option is to add all the ingredients to the blender, blend, then let that mixture rest in the blender for 10 - 20 minutes and then blend again. Allowing it to rest will let the tiny bits sit in liquid and soften. Let us know what you try and how it turns out 🙂

        Reply
        • Robin says

          September 25, 2022 at 8:17 pm

          Hi Sam, sadly I did not read your recommendations, in comment section, about letting mixture sit for 10 minutes in between blending. I also do not have a high speed blender. I did boil the cashews though, and really the ice cream was pretty smooth. Next time I might just soak the pistachios. Next ice cream I make will be your strawberry. Thanks so much for helping me get away from dairy.

    4. Roxanne says

      August 17, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      This ice cream is delicious! It's the creamiest ice cream I've ever had! I didn't have raw pistachios so I added another 1/4 cup of cashews and 1/2 cup of roasted pistachios to the blender. I have a Vita-Mix so there was no problem with nut crumbs in the base. I used my Cuisinart ice cream maker and added the chopped, roasted pistachios at the end of the freezing/blending. I'm happy to say that my freezer container couldn't hold all of the ice cream so my husband and I had to have little taster bowls right as the ice cream came out of the ice cream freezer. After scraping our bowls clean with our spoons, we used our fingers. Couldn't help it. I can't wait to have an actual serving of this tonight. I hope it stays as creamy. Since I'm vegan, I've only used my ice cream freezer a few times. The vegan ice cream recipes I've previously tried were marginal. This recipe is far from marginal. It is incredible.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 18, 2022 at 9:19 am

        Yay!! So happy you love it so much Roxanne!! Thank you for the wonderful review 🙂

        Reply
    5. Tomi says

      August 17, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      Can I just say I love you...lol. I already loved your blog.

      I cannot do bananas or coconut, and they seem to be in EVERYTHING vegan or vegetarian! I cannot wait to try this recipe. I assume that you could sub other things and use this as a base?

      I have a freezer full of fresh peaches I was waiting to use. This is perfect!

      Thank you so much for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 17, 2022 at 3:07 pm

        Haha! So happy you love it Tomi! For a peach ice cream I recommend using my strawberry ice cream measurements, but swapping peaches for strawberries. And you could use my vanilla ice cream as a good base. Hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Tomi says

          August 31, 2022 at 12:49 am

          That is awesome! Thank you again for thinking outside the coconut/banana box. 🙂

        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 02, 2022 at 3:51 pm

          haha! You're welcome!

    6. Vickie says

      August 17, 2022 at 1:58 pm

      I’ve been planning on trying the vanilla and just haven’t gotten around to it yet. You rang my bell with the pistachio ice cream. I will definitely be trying it first and as luck would have it I happen to have everything I need. I’m so excited to try all of them! Thanks for sharing these recipes with us

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 17, 2022 at 3:06 pm

        wonderful!! I hope you love it Vickie!!

        Reply
    7. Deb Z says

      August 17, 2022 at 12:03 pm

      Can't wait to try this. THANK YOU Sam for making ice cream without coconut milk. This is waaaaay healthier and I'm sure is great. Love you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        August 17, 2022 at 3:05 pm

        You're most welcome Deb!

        Reply

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