No Churn Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe
The distinctive pale green colour of the Pistachio No Churn Ice Cream evokes memories of summer holidays and is always a favourite with my family and friends. This is a super easy and wonderful ice cream to make, and the added bonus is you don’t need an ice cream machine—just a blender, hand mixer, and a bowl.
The photo of the pistachio ice cream is the one that my friend Anne and I enjoyed (twice in one day!) during a short day trip from Athens to the island of Aegina. Aegina is home to Greece’s famous pistachio nuts. The island’s pistachios have a unique shaped and natural saltiness, due to the winds that blow off the sea and nourish the trees. I chatted with the owner of the ice cream shop, and he told me that the vibrant green colour of the ice cream was all due to the pistachio nuts; they never use artificial colourings.
Before the Dubai chocolate craze and the pistachio price hikes, I used to add 50g of freshly roasted pistachios on top of the ice cream. You can omit this if you like. The ice cream is delicious with or without the extra nuts.
I made a batch of the ice cream and divided the mixture into two small takeaway tubs, one is shown above. I was enjoying my friends’ company and completely forgot to take a photo if the plated dessert. Apologies for that!
- 100g shelled pistachios, toasted
- 600ml double cream
- 397g condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Decoration
- 50g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped and toasted
- Line a 900g loaf tin * See Note
- Before making the pistachio butter, read the full method below:
- Add 100g of pistachios to a blender, blend for 8-10 minutes, or until the pistachios form a smooth, sausage-shaped paste resembling nut butter.
- The nuts will first break into crumbs, then gradually turn into a smooth paste.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender, stopping the motor occasionally, as some machines cannot be run for more than a few minutes with a break, so following your manufacturer’s guidelines.
- In a large, roomy bowl, add the double cream, condensed milk, and vanilla extract.
- Beat until the mixture starts to thickens and the volume increases.
- Add a pinch of salt, then break the pistachio butter ‘sausage into small chunks.
- Incorporate the pistachio paste into the creamy mixture until the mixture turns a light green and the beater leaves visible tracks in the cream.
- The mixture should be thick and light, but not too stiff.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined tin/s.
- Cover the top of the ice cream with clingfilm and freeze for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Serve and enjoy.
Containers:
Use a 1 litre lidded food safe plastic container, or individual containers generously lined with plastic wrap, ensuring the top of the ice cream will be covered from all angles with the plastic wrap. This will help you remove and slice the ice cream with ease once it has been frozen.
Tip to release the ice cream from the tin:
Uncover the top layer of clingfilm and invert the tin/container onto a serving plate. Firmly tap to release the ice cream.
Storage:
The ice cream is best eaten within 3 months, or according to the stars on your freezer drawer (one star equals 1 month).
Below are the no-churn ice cream recipes I make on repeat. They get rave reviews from my guests, including my Italian gelato-loving friends!
Enjoy the praise you will receive from these wonderful simple to make ice creams.
