Pistachio Ice Cream

My husband loves any and all desserts involving pistachios. When he was growing up, these treats were usually reserved for one day a year: St. Patrick’s Day. That’s probably because most of the sweets involved unnecessary amounts of green food coloring to imply the pistachio flavor as well as the holiday. He was so excited when I made a batch of pistachio ice cream recently and I assured him it was a special treat that he was allowed to indulge in any time of year. I love this recipe for pistachio ice cream because there is a hint of that green color without being artificial. Plus, every bite is chock-full of chopped pistachios, so the experience doesn’t feel skimpy.

Any time you make homemade ice cream, it is important to churn the ice cream base almost all of the way before adding any mix-ins. This allows the ice cream to thicken as it incorporates more air. When you add the pistachios in the last five minutes of churning, it ensures the nuts will be evenly distributed throughout the ice cream, rather than sink to the bottom of the container. Once the ice cream is churned and the pistachios are incorporated, there is one more trick I recommend before freezing: I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream before closing the airtight container. Preventing air from hitting the surface of the churned ice cream helps prevent freezer burn.

Pistachio ice cream tastes like raw

pistachio nuts

Pistachio ice cream is made with raw shelled pistachios, milk, sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. I recommend using raw, unsalted pistachios because they have a vibrant green color that will slightly infuse into the ice cream. There is no need for any green food coloring with this recipe. You can also use roasted unsalted pistachios, but the results will not be as vibrant.

Yes, the creamy ice cream base is churned in an ice cream maker to simultaneously freeze the mixture while incorporating air. This results in a rich and creamy ice cream.