This Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream is perfect for pistachio lovers! It relies solely on pistachios and oats for its rich and creamy texture. Made with only 6 ingredients and no cashews or coconut milk to distract from the real pistachio flavor.
How This Recipe Is Different
Pistachio ice cream has always been one of my husband's favorites, and he's been asking for a vegan version for ages. I finally got around to testing this flavor, and honestly, it kind of blew my mind.
This pistachio ice cream isn't messing around. We're talking about 1 ½ cups of real pistachios packed into this dairy-free, wholesome, homemade ice cream, with no coconut milk or cashews to dilute the flavor!
Before going vegan, pistachio was never one of my go-to ice cream flavors. So just before I blended up the first batch I actually said to my husband, "I don't remember what pistachio ice cream tastes like."
Smarty pants that he is, he answered, "Pistachio."
Then I tasted it and couldn't believe the level of flavor. Seriously, this ice cream is unapologetically pure pistachio, and in a 100% real, non-fake-y sort of way!
This vegan ice cream recipe is similar to my other oat-based ice creams in that it focuses on real, simple ingredients and has less fat overall than most ice creams made with full-fat coconut milk or with added oils.
This means that it will be pretty solidly frozen after it's been in the freezer for a while. But give it 10 minutes to soften on the counter before scooping, and you will be rewarded with gloriously creamy and delicious dairy-free pistachio ice cream.
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Ingredient Notes
- 1 ½ cups roasted, unsalted pistachios - If starting with raw pistachios, roast them in a 325 degree F (160 Celsius) oven for 5 to 7 minutes to intensify the flavor. Allow the nuts to fully cool before using.
- 3 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk - such as soy or oat milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats - once cooked, the starch in oats helps create an amazing creaminess in our vegan ice cream, a little trick I learned from The Homemade Vegan Pantry by Miyoko Schinner.
- ⅔ cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ounce vodka, optional - this helps to reduce ice crystal formation and slightly softens the ice cream.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
How To Make Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
Homemade ice cream is pretty easy, but if you're using a typical ice cream maker with the removable canister, there is some planning involved. So let's do a quick review to make sure things go smoothly for you.
The basic process looks like this:
- Make sure your ice cream machine's canister has been in the freezer for at least a day.
- Cook the oatmeal in a small sauce pan, then spread onto a plate to cool.
- Blend the remaining milk and the pistachios until smooth. Add the cooled oatmeal and remaining ingredients, and blend again.
- Refrigerate the the ice cream base until chilled (anywhere from 2 hours to overnight). TIP: speed up this process by placing it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Churn the ice cream according to the instructions for your ice cream maker.
- Enjoy now like soft-serve, or freeze the ice cream for 3 to 4 hours for a firmer, scoopable consistency.
- Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes and dig in!
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Equipment Notes
You'll need a blender strong enough to puree the pistachios in the non-dairy milk. A high-speed blender like a Vitamix works best here. Otherwise, if using a standard blender, you can strain the blended mixture to remove any unblended bits, or just leave them in the ice cream for texture!
Ideally, you'll also need an ice cream maker. A freezer-safe dish or loaf pan will also come in handy.
Tips for the No-Churn Method
I haven't tried this recipe with the standard no-churn method, but I do think the results will be similar to the results I got when I tested this Vanilla-Maple Oat Milk Ice Cream.
Essentially, the ice cream will still taste amazing, but it will take on an icy appearance compared to the churned version.
So if you're pistachio's biggest fan and don't have an ice cream maker, but you just really want this ice cream in your life, I say go for it!
I mean, a day with vegan ice cream is always better than a day without, right?
How to make ice cream without an ice cream maker:
- After blending the pistachio ice cream mixture, pour it into a shallow, freezer-safe container.
- When the ice cream begins to freeze around the edges, after about 45 minutes, give it a vigorous stir and/or whisk. Then return the container to the freezer.
- Repeat this process every 30 to 45 minutes until the ice cream reaches the desired consistency. It will take about 5 to 6 hours to reach soft-serve state.
How to Serve
It's worth mentioning again that because this ice cream is more natural and doesn't contain a lot of saturated fat (like from coconut milk) or any added oils or stabilizers, it will be more solid straight from the freezer.
Tip! Be sure to allow about 15 minutes for the ice cream to soften before serving.
Place your ice cream scoop or large spoon under warm running water, then scoop up individual portions. Garnish with chopped pistachios and enjoy!
How to Store
Store vegan pistachio ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. It tastes best when consumed within one week primarily because it can be difficult to protect homemade ice creams from air.
More Vegan Ice Cream
Related: If you love pistachios as much as we do, try my Pistachio Cookies or Pistachio Pancakes next!
Recipe
Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream (No Coconut Milk or Cashews)
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk such as oat or soy
- ¼ cup rolled oats - Certified gluten-free, if needed.
- 1 ½ cups roasted and unsalted pistachios
- ⅔ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ounce vodka, optional - See Notes.
Instructions
Plan/prep:
- If using an ice cream maker with a removable canister, be sure to freeze the canister at least one day before you plan to make ice cream. Also note that the ice cream mixture needs time to chill before churning (at least an hour), and the churned ice cream needs about 3 to 4 hours in the freezer for a firmer, scoopable consistency.
Make the ice cream:
- In a small sauce pan, simmer oats in 1 cup of milk until soft, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl or spread out on a plate to cool.
- In a blender combine the remaining 2 cups of milk and the pistachios. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cooled oatmeal, sugar, vanilla, salt, and vodka, if using. Blend again until smooth and oats are fully broken down. Refrigerate until cold (minimum 2 hours), or to speed up the process, transfer ice cream mixture to a container and place in freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions for your machine. After churning, the ice cream will be softer than a typical soft serve consistency. For a firmer, scoopable consistency, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours.
- Around the 4 hour mark, and definitely once the ice cream has been in the freezer longer, it will be too hard to scoop right out of the freezer. It's important to let the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Mark Homer says
Best if consumed within one week? Funny.
Hiroshi says
I halved it and used 48g date sugar and added 1 teaspoon matcha for a greener color and kept everything else the same. It turned out being one of my favourite ice creams. I'm going to try this same ratio out with pecans and use maple sugar instead. Thank you so much for the recipe. 🙂
Pam says
Fabulous!!!!!! Incredibly smooth and rich creamy texture, almost like gelato, with a strong pistachio flavor. We loved it!
The only recipe change I made was to add a teaspoon of almond extract, which is used in traditional pistachio ice cream. It brings out the pistachio flavor even more.
Processed in my Ninja Creami! Worked like a dream. We will definitely make this again. Thanks, Lori!
Lou says
I was super excited to make the pistachio ice cream. I ordered unsalted, shelled pistachios and made it the day they arrived. I followed the recipee exactly as written and once it was done was very disappointed. It didn't taste like pistachio and the texture was off-putting. Other family members tried it with the same reactions. Did I use the wrong kind of pistachios? Sad because it sounded sooooo good.
Lori says
Hi Lou,
I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed. That's never fun!
Of course, since this is a vegan ice cream, and made with just a few, natural ingredients, it won't be just like dairy-based ice cream. But I assume you didn't expect it to.
As far as the off flavor, it's possible some of the nuts were rancid or moldy. I've actually encountered that several times recently, and it is definitely off putting. The type of milk used is the only other thing I can think of that may have created a flavor you didn't like. Sorry it didn't work out for you.
Cat says
Full disclosure - I didn't want pistachio (I wanted mint carob chip!) so I modified the recipe. I used 1 c roasted unsalted cashews instead of the pistachios and 1/2 t vanilla + 1/2 t peppermint extract instead of the 1 t vanilla. At the end of churning (it took my ice cream maker about 20 minutes to get to this), I added 2/3 c mint carob chips and continued to churn another 5 minutes. It's in the freezer now but we did steal some (soft, but delicious) to try in the meantime. I love it - I can't eat dairy or chocolate but was craving vegan mint "chocolate" chip ice cream, and this is perfect! Thanks so much!
orna says
Hi, love your blog and started to try making ice cream. can i use erythritol for this ice cream, instead the cane suger? and also for the others?
Lori says
Hi, and thank you, Orna.
Sugar is pretty important to the overall consistency of ice cream. I don't have a lot of experience with erythritol and how it behaves in frozen desserts, so unfortunately, I'm really not sure. Have you tried searching for sugar-free dairy-free ice cream recipes? I haven't but there might be something good out there!
orna says
thanks. I already made the oat milk ice cream (with soy milk) and it's great. thank you
Umesh Thakkar says
I am on wfpb diet instead of cane suger Cai I use dates paste or fig ?
Lori says
Hi Umesh, I haven't tested that, but you can certainly give it a try!
Laura says
Delicious. I used maple syrup instead of white sugar and used 1/3 cup and added a few T of mini choc chips and it’s plenty sweet. After freezing overnight, I let it sit for more like 25 minutes and it was perfect consistency. I just made ice cream sandwiches with it between two choco pizzelles … can’t wait to try it!
Jessica says
Looking forward to this recipe! Do you think it would be ok to halve it or would it not churn well?
Lori says
That's a good question and I guess will depend on the size of your ice cream maker. Mine tends to freeze the ice cream very hard around the edges, against the walls of the canister, and I have to wait for that to melt a bit before I can scoop it out. So you may run into that issue. The ice cream will freeze pretty quickly, too. But I think it's worth a try!
Constanze says
I really have to try this! I love pistachio ice cream and usually make my own. I have never used oats though. Bad experiences in the past. I think this recipe will totally change my mind. Thanks for sharing it.
Lori says
Thanks, Constanze! I love the extra bit of creamy mouthfeel the oatmeal adds. I've been on a kick of making coconut-free ice creams for a while, but I think I'll try the oat trick with a coconut cream/milk base soon. That should be ultra luxurious! Thanks for stopping by. 😀
susan spalding says
I love and am inspired by how you continue to engage us with innovative and delicious recipes. Especially in these times when we are home and have the time to try new things. Keep it up!
Lori says
That's so kind, Susan. Thank you for being here!
Oana says
Dear Lori, just tried this recipe and I must say it is amazing. Super creamy with intense pistachio flavour. For pistachio icecream lovers, this is golden. Thank you for sharing this!