This no-churn Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is a rich and decadent dessert with a beautiful green color and rich pistachio flavor! No bananas or coconut milk in this recipe.
Before working on this recipe, I didn't know pistachio ice cream was a thing.
I'm more of a classic vanilla kind of girl, so I don't usually go for more unique flavors.
But this vegan pistachio ice cream is definitely something! I very much understand why people go crazy for it.
The ice cream is ultra rich and creamy (even more creamy than some of my other ice cream recipes, because of the pistachios). And pistachios have a beautiful, sweet and nutty flavor that is just lovely in ice cream.
And you can throw in a few pistachios at the end for some crunch. Delicious!
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Why this recipe works
For an ultra creamy, rich, and decadent ice cream, you need sugar and fat.
The ratio of fat and sugar is what makes an ice cream that has a creamy texture and is super flavorful.
In this vegan ice cream, the fat source is nut butter and pistachios, which are both naturally high in fat. The sugar source is maple syrup.
Obviously, maple syrup and nut butter alone don't create ice cream. So non-dairy milk and applesauce help to lighten up the texture to the right consistency.
And the remaining ingredients create the flavor.
It's that simple!
Why I love this Vegan Pistachio Cream
- Dietary needs - this ice cream is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, sugar free
- No coconut - lots of vegan ice cream recipes use coconut milk. I avoided it in this recipe for two reasons: 1) to give an option for people with coconut allergies and 2) so the ice cream doesn't get a coconut flavor
- No bananas - I LOVE me some banana nice cream, but ice cream from bananas usually has a slight hint of banana flavor, even when you make it chocolate or peanut butter flavored. This vegan pistachio ice cream is totally banana-free. Just sweet, decadent pistachio flavor
- No-churn - If you have an ice cream maker, great, use it. But this recipe is intended to be no-churn, so you aren't missing out if you don't own one
- Whole food ingredients - the ingredients are simple, real foods.
- Epic color - this ice cream has no food coloring! Blended pistachios make the ice cream a green color.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Pistachios: use unsalted pistachios to avoid a salty ice cream. If they are already roasted, that is fine. Either raw or roasted are perfect. And save yourself some time by buying shelled pistachios.
- Non-Dairy Milk: I recommend using almond, oat, or cashew milk to avoid any strong flavors.
- Nut Butter: I recommend cashew butter or almond butter, since they have the most neutral flavor compared to other nut butters. If you want, you can make this ice cream extra pistachio-y and use pistachio butter.
- Maple Syrup: This recipe gets sweetness from the maple syrup. If you prefer a fruit-sweetened version, sub the maple syrup with 6 pitted medjool dates.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: I use applesauce in this recipe for texture. Applesauce isn't as liquid as milk and it's also not as solid as nut butter. If there's too much non-dairy milk in a recipe that isn't churned, the texture can become icy instead of smooth. But if there's too much nut butter, the ice cream will be really dense. The density isn't necessarily a problem, except it's a lot denser than regular ice cream (when I first tested this recipe, I was using it to make ice cream floats and the ice cream didn't float!!). So, applesauce helps lighten the texture, and you can't taste it at all. But if you don't want to use applesauce you can use an additional ¼ cup of non-dairy milk and ¼ cup of nut butter.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract: I used vanilla bean paste because it really packs a punch of vanilla flavor, even compared to vanilla extract. But vanilla extract works just fine.
- Salt
How to make Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
Step 1. Soak the pistachios in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Drain.
Step 2. Add the drained pistachios, non-dairy milk, nut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla bean paste/extract, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Step 3. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2 hours, until solid.
Step 4. When ready to eat, let the ice cream thaw 5-10 minutes before scooping. Serve with extra pistachios, if desired. Enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
In some of my other ice cream recipes, I call for stirring in a mix-in partway through the freezing process.
I don't recommend that in this recipe because the pistachios will get soggy. Instead, use the pistachios as a topping right before serving.
Since this recipe uses whole pistachios that are blended into the ice cream you do need some sort of blender.
If you don't have a blender, you can use a food processor instead.
Check out some of my other ice cream recipes (down below) for blender-free options!
Yes! My no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream is totally date sweetened and it's one of my most popular recipes!
You will need a blender if you choose the date-sweetened option. Simply replace the maple syrup with 6 pitted medjool dates. Bend until smooth - this may take a bit longer than the maple syrup version. And the proceed with the recipe as written.
This ice cream IS scoopable, just like regular ice cream. But it will be pretty solid if you take it out of the freezer and try to scoop immediately.
To get the perfect consistency, thaw for 5-10 minutes at room temperature. You'll know it's the perfect consistency when the edges of the container start to get melty.
Store this ice cream in the freezer.
You can store it in the container you made it in. Be sure to add some type of lid or plastic wrap to avoid the ice cream picking up any other flavors in your freezer.
I typically transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe zip top bag, which keeps it sealed and saves space.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this pistachio ice cream. Thank you for an ice cream that is nutritious and good for our bodies. Amen.
Related Recipes
Love this no-churn ice cream? Check out my other vegan & no-churn ice cream recipes:
Tried this recipe?
Please leave a review in the comments section below and post on Instagram tagging me @elizabeths_table. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream (No-Churn)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Unsalted Pistachios
- 2 Cups Non-Dairy Milk
- ½ Cup Cashew or Almond Butter
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Soak the pistachios in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Drain.
- Add the drained pistachios, non-dairy milk, nut butter, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla bean paste/extract, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2 hours, until solid.
- When ready to eat, let the ice cream thaw 5-10 minutes before scooping. Serve with extra pistachios, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
LovePupperz
What does soak in boiling water mean? Just pour boiling water over the pistachios and leave it for 30 minutes? Or leave it boiling in a pan for 30 minutes?
Elizabeth
This means boil water, transfer to a dish, and then add the pistachios. Sorry this was unclear!
Zoe
Do you think tahini could work in place of nut butter?
Elizabeth
Yes! Tahini would work perfectly. Or sunflower seed butter. You might taste them a bit more than you would with nut butter, but the texture will be the same. You can also use coconut cream - again, you might taste a bit of coconut, but the texture will turn out the same.
Zoe
Thank you!