It’s no secret how much I love ice cream, but I haven’t really tried to make much at home. With the beautiful weather we have been having, I figured it was time to try! I happened to have some shelled pistachios on hand, so why not make some Homemade Pistachio Ice Cream?
Pistachio ice cream is one of my absolute favorite flavors, and I had no clue how easy it was to make my own homemade version!
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Ingredients (makes 2 pints):
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios, divided
- 1 (12 oz can) evaporated milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
For planning purposes, this recipe requires ~20 minutes of cook time and prep before refrigerating the mixture overnight. You then will make the actual ice cream the next day.
If required by your ice cream maker, add the bowl of the ice cream maker to your freezer at least 24 hours ahead of time.
Add 3/4 cup shelled pistachios and the sugar to a mini food processor.
Process until the pistachios are finely chopped and are well blended into the sugar.
Place a saucepan over medium-low heat and add in the evaporated milk, cream, salt, and pistachio-sugar mixture.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, and you can see some steam rising from the mixture, about 5 minutes.
While waiting for the cream mixture to heat, add your egg yolks to a bowl and whisk.
When the cream mixture is lightly steaming, measure out 1 cup of the hot cream mixture, and slowly whisk into the yolks.
Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, making sure to not let the mixture boil.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, and pour the mixture through the strainer, discarding the solids. (There will be quite a bit of this from the pistachios. You are going to add in chopped pistachios later, so no worries!)
Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn into ice cream; mine took about 20 minutes total.
Chop your remaining 3/4 cup pistachios while the ice cream is churning. Once the mixture starts thickening, add in your chopped pistachios, then finish churning.
Once churned to your liking, add your ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Note: depending on your ice cream maker size, you may need to churn your ice cream in batches.
Well. I’m hooked on making homemade ice cream. This pistachio is AMAZING.
I love the little crunch of the chopped pistachios throughout this oh so creamy ice cream.
Homemade ice cream tends to be a bit softer than store-bought, but this sets up nicely if you wait 24 hours before digging in (good luck doing so, though!)
Homemade Pistachio Ice Cream
Equipment
- electric ice cream maker
- mini food processor
- fine mesh strainer
- saucepan
- freezer-safe container
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios divided
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
Instructions
- For planning purposes, this recipe requires ~20 minutes of cook time and prep before refrigerating the mixture overnight. You then will make the actual ice cream the next day.
- If required by your ice cream maker, add the bowl of the ice cream maker to your freezer at least 24 hours ahead of time.
- Add 3/4 cup shelled pistachios and the sugar to a mini food processor.
- Process until the pistachios are finely chopped and are well blended into the sugar.
- Place a saucepan over medium-low heat and add in the evaporated milk, cream, salt, and pistachio-sugar mixture.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, and you can see some steam rising from the mixture, about 5 minutes.
- While waiting for the cream mixture to heat, add your egg yolks to a bowl and whisk.
- When the cream mixture is lightly steaming, measure out 1 cup of the hot cream mixture, and slowly whisk into the yolks.
- Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, making sure to not let the mixture boil.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, and pour the mixture through the strainer, discarding the solids. (There will be quite a bit of this from the pistachios. You are going to add in chopped pistachios later, so no worries!)
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn into ice cream; mine took about 20 minutes total.
- Chop your remaining 3/4 cup pistachios while the ice cream is churning. Once the mixture starts thickening, add in your chopped pistachios, then finish churning.
- Once churned to your liking, add your ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
- Note: Depending on your ice cream maker size, you may need to churn your ice cream in batches.
Hey Kaitlin,
Found your post on Pinterest and instantly knew I had to reach out.
These recipes look absolutely enticing. I can gallop these on a hot summer day!
I think adding egg yolks to your ice cream is a wonderful way to improve the texture.
Can I make this recipe using almonds?
Keep posting these delicious recipes. Love them.