The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is incredibly creamy, and nutty, with hints of vanilla. This ice cream recipe is easy to make and requires no coconut and no banana. Instead, this vegan ice cream is made with just 7 ingredients. You can use this recipe in an ice cream maker or learn how to make ice cream in a blender!
After sharing my vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream recipes on Instagram, I received many requests for a vegan pistachio ice cream recipe. Ask and you shall receive!! I love pistachio ice cream as it isn't too sweet and it's perfectly nutty and creamy. The natural green color is so cute too! I love to add lots of chopped roasted pistachios to the ice cream for texture, but if you prefer a smooth ice cream without any chunks, simply skip that step.
This recipe is made using just 7 simple ingredients including plant-based milk (you can use any kind of plant-based milk you like such as oat or soy). Cashews which adds extra richness and creaminess. Sugar for a little sweetness, I used granulated white sugar but feel free to sub for a sweetener alternative you prefer. Vanilla extract, almond extract, and a pinch of salt to enhance the pistachio flavor. And of course, pistachios!! I like to use raw shelled pistachios to make the creamy ice cream base, and then I use chopped up roasted unsalted pistachios to add a little crunch. Yum!!
How to make The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream:
Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love. (See notes if you do not have an ice cream machine).
Add the plant-based milk, pistachios, cashews, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the pistachios and cashews are completely blended and that no bits remain.
Optionally, if you want to add pistachio pieces, roughly chop ½ cup of roasted pistachios and set those aside.
Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want pistachio pieces in the ice cream, add them in the last 5 minutes of churning. Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover dairy-free ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
This vegan pistachio ice cream is...
- creamy and nutty
- not too sweet
- doesn't use bananas or coconut milk.
- can be made in an ice cream maker or in a blender!
More delicious vegan ice cream recipes:
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
The Best Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
How to make Ice Cream in a Blender
Veganized: Black Ice Cream
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
Servings: (makes about 3 cups or 1 ½ pints)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- ¾ cup shelled raw unsalted pistachios
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup shelled roasted unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love. (See notes if you do not have an ice cream machine).
- Add the plant-based milk, pistachios, cashews, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the pistachios and cashews are completely blended and that no bits remain.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want pistachio pieces in the ice cream, add them in the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover dairy-free ice cream in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Vegan Dessert Recipes You Might Enjoy...
Sheryl says
Yum! Yum! Yum! Made recipe as given, except omitted almond extract as I don't care for the flavor of almond. Added 2 T. of vodka instead to prevent icing. I also used date sugar, and there really wasn't any taste of dates at all. Turned out perfectly! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for sharing your tweaks!
Tina says
I just made it in the Ninja Creami. It was very delicious! I used glycine to sweeten it as I have blood sugar issues and omitted the extracts and the mix-ins as I wanted to try it in its purest form. Chapeau! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Tina!! 🙂
Arthur says
This recipe exceeded all my expectations; it was delicious! I have made it twice, tweaking the process on the second try for an even better outcome. A few notes, though... The recipe doesn't specify if the milk is sweetened or unsweetened. I used unsweetened almond milk. For the first try, 1/4 cup sugar was OK; on the second try, I added just a pinch more sugar and I thought it was terrific. My blender is kind of old, so it did not pulverize the nuts finely enough and the first batch tasted a little grainy/gritty. For the second batch, I ground the nuts in the food processor until very fine, then added them to the blender with the other ingredients. The result was soooo smooth! Lastly, I upped the almond extract to 1/2 tsp on the second batch. It's hard to create intense pistachio flavor because the nut is naturally very mild. Pistachio extract doesn't seem to exist; hence the additional almond extract. DEE-LISH!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Arthur and thanks for sharing your tips 🙂
@bakingdancer says
I followed the recipe using almond milk and added in the optional chopped pistachios. Excellent! I couldn't tell this was dairy free.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it!
Blake says
Delicious!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for your review!
Sp says
I don't have almond extract- is it essential? can I just add more of the vanilla extract? thank you
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
It should work just fine with vanilla extract.
Layla says
Can you sub the plant milk with almond milk? would it still work?
So excited to try it!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes it should work just fine!
Andrea E says
Blended everything up in the Vitamix, couldn't be easier! I pre-soaked the cashews, and actually found it needed a bit more sugar than the 1/4 c. I've never seen vegan pistachio ice cream, so we were excited to have this! Great results! THANKS
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Fantastic! We're so glad you liked it!
Linda says
I try not to use white sugar, could it be substituted with honey or maple syrup or will that change the texture of the ice cream?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes, maple syrup should work just fine!
Sandra says
This is delicious! This is the first ice cream recipe I’ve tried that doesn’t include coconut milk. Nice change! Anxious to try the strawberry now. Thank you!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're thrilled to hear it!
Bianca says
I used this recipe as base for a gianduia ice cream! I just substituted the pistachios for toasted hazelnut, and added 3 tbsp of cocoa powder. It's a different recipe now, I know... but thought it was still worth a comment here! It's delicious!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That sounds delicious!
Rinah Lugo says
Made the base last night and used my new Ninja Creami just now. Wow! This is so delicious! Big hit with my husband who loves his dairy ice cream.this will become a staple dessert from day forward. Thank you,Sam!❤️
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yay! That's wonderful news!
Christina says
Made this today, it was so easy and turned out so good!!! Will definitely make it again!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So thrilled you love it, Christina!
Irene McDonald says
I am looking forward to making this for company but 1 of my guests is allergic to cashews, any substitutes please?
p.s. everything I have made from your books (both) or webpage has turned out fabulous, keep it up and thanks.
Sam Turnbull says
You could try blanched almonds. Boil them for 15 minutes first to soften them, then drain and rinse before using. Enjoy!
Robin says
Hey Sam, cannot wait to make this, as I also am a bit tired of frozen banana ice cream. Quick question though. Since I do not have a vita=mix (or other high speed blender), should I soak the cashews first for a few hours. For that matter should i soak raw pistachios too? Yes, I know I should just get a high speed blender ready. Might ask for one for Christmas. Haha only 5 months away.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Robin, if you are adding pistachio pieces to the ice cream, I think it's ok to skip soaking as the ice cream is going to have texture regardless. If you want to ensure a super smooth texture then there is certainly no harm in soaking. Another option is to add all the ingredients to the blender, blend, then let that mixture rest in the blender for 10 - 20 minutes and then blend again. Allowing it to rest will let the tiny bits sit in liquid and soften. Let us know what you try and how it turns out 🙂
Robin says
Hi Sam, sadly I did not read your recommendations, in comment section, about letting mixture sit for 10 minutes in between blending. I also do not have a high speed blender. I did boil the cashews though, and really the ice cream was pretty smooth. Next time I might just soak the pistachios. Next ice cream I make will be your strawberry. Thanks so much for helping me get away from dairy.
Roxanne says
This ice cream is delicious! It's the creamiest ice cream I've ever had! I didn't have raw pistachios so I added another 1/4 cup of cashews and 1/2 cup of roasted pistachios to the blender. I have a Vita-Mix so there was no problem with nut crumbs in the base. I used my Cuisinart ice cream maker and added the chopped, roasted pistachios at the end of the freezing/blending. I'm happy to say that my freezer container couldn't hold all of the ice cream so my husband and I had to have little taster bowls right as the ice cream came out of the ice cream freezer. After scraping our bowls clean with our spoons, we used our fingers. Couldn't help it. I can't wait to have an actual serving of this tonight. I hope it stays as creamy. Since I'm vegan, I've only used my ice cream freezer a few times. The vegan ice cream recipes I've previously tried were marginal. This recipe is far from marginal. It is incredible.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you love it so much Roxanne!! Thank you for the wonderful review 🙂
Tomi says
Can I just say I love you...lol. I already loved your blog.
I cannot do bananas or coconut, and they seem to be in EVERYTHING vegan or vegetarian! I cannot wait to try this recipe. I assume that you could sub other things and use this as a base?
I have a freezer full of fresh peaches I was waiting to use. This is perfect!
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! So happy you love it Tomi! For a peach ice cream I recommend using my strawberry ice cream measurements, but swapping peaches for strawberries. And you could use my vanilla ice cream as a good base. Hope that helps!
Tomi says
That is awesome! Thank you again for thinking outside the coconut/banana box. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
haha! You're welcome!
Vickie says
I’ve been planning on trying the vanilla and just haven’t gotten around to it yet. You rang my bell with the pistachio ice cream. I will definitely be trying it first and as luck would have it I happen to have everything I need. I’m so excited to try all of them! Thanks for sharing these recipes with us
Sam Turnbull says
wonderful!! I hope you love it Vickie!!
Deb Z says
Can't wait to try this. THANK YOU Sam for making ice cream without coconut milk. This is waaaaay healthier and I'm sure is great. Love you!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome Deb!