Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
This vegan pistachio ice cream is indulgent, extra creamy and easy to make using only 3 key ingredients. And it includes an easy pistachio swirl for extra flavor! You don't need an ice cream machine, bananas, cashews or coconut milk for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) raw pistachios unsalted (note 1 if you don't want to make a pistachio swirl), plus extra to decorate
- 15-ounces (415g) dairy-free sweetened condensed milk such as oat or coconut (this is about 1 1/3 can or scant 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 ⅔ cups (600g) dairy-free whipping cream chilled overnight (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
Prepare the sweetened pistachio mixture:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (320°F). Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Spread the pistachios on the baking trays. Roast for 7-9 minutes or until slightly aromatic. They will slightly darken in color, but should not turn brown. Allow to cool slightly.
- Add the pistachios to a high-powdered blender or food processor. Blend until you get a thick but smooth pistachio paste (it doesn't need to be a runny nut butter). This can take anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on your appliance.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and salt and blend until combined. Remove about 1/2 cup (150g) of the blended mixture for the pistachio swirl.
Prepare the ice cream:
- Add the chilled whipping cream to a bowl (if using a hand mixer), or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip the cream until you get firm to stiff peaks. Add the pistachio mixture to the bowl and whip for up to a minute to just loosen the pistachio mixture. Then use a spatula to fold the mixture until there are no more green streaks.
- Pour your ice cream mixture into a 9" (23cm) loaf pan, or freezer-safe container. If you made the pistachio swirl, pour one-third of the ice cream into your container, dollop a few spoons of pistachio mixture on top and swirl through with a knife. Repeat twice until you have used up all the ice cream mixture,
- Cover the ice cream and freeze for 4 hours to overnight, or until firm. Scoop, serve and enjoy! Garnish with extra chopped pistachios or any leftover sweetened pistachio paste (note 3).
- Store leftover ice cream in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. This ice cream is usually soft enough that you can serve it straight from the freezer. However, if your ice cream is firmer, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you don't want to make a pistachio swirl, use 200g pistachios and 320g or 11.25oz (exactly 1 can) of sweetened condensed milk.
- This recipe works best with a dairy-free whipping cream (such as Country Crock, Flora, Elmea, etc). Canned coconut cream will work, but it results in a denser ice cream.
- If you have any leftover sweetened pistachio paste, mix it with some dairy-free milk to make a runny syrup, and drizzle this on top of your ice cream before serving.