This paleo and vegan pistachio ice cream recipe is eggless but ultra thick and creamy, and so easy to make! Both churn and no-churn methods are included.
Ever since I came back from Italy, I’ve been dreaming of pistachio ice cream. I tried it for the first time in gelato form while I was there, and it instantly became my new favorite flavor. I loved that the taste of pistachios was subtle but detectable, and the ice cream itself wasn’t too sweet.
I was determined to create a homemade pistachio ice cream without dairy or eggs once I got back home, and I finally succeeded in creating a recipe that’s pretty darn close to the version I had there!
Paleo & Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe
This is one of those recipes that proves that an eggless ice cream can be amazingly thick and creamy. It’s dairy free because it’s made with coconut milk, but I honestly couldn’t taste the coconut at all. The flavor of the pistachios with almond extract seems to be what shines through the most.
How to Make Pistachio Ice Cream
This paleo and vegan pistachio ice cream is so easy, that even kids can do it! Because this is an eggless ice cream, you don’t need to heat up the mixture before freezing. There are only 4 ingredients that you add to the blender:
- Pistachios
- Coconut milk
- Maple syrup
- Almond extract
Once everything is blended together, all your need to do is pour it into an ice cream maker so the mixture can churn and firm up! It really doesn’t get any easier than that, and even without the eggs, this pistachio ice cream recipe will turn out so thick and creamy. It really does taste like the gelatos I had in Italy, both in flavor and texture!
Lastly – this is totally optional, but I like to chop up pistachios and sprinkle it over the ice cream before serving. It adds a delicious crunch, and I highly recommend you try it.
Don’t Have an Ice Cream Maker?
That’s okay! I’m happy to share how to make pistachio ice cream without one. I do highly recommend investing in an ice cream maker because the difference in texture you’ll get between churn vs no-churn ice cream is pretty big, in my opinion. I have this inexpensive one and it works so well. However, you can still make this homemade pistachio ice cream if you don’t own one yet:
- Once you blend up the ingredients, pour in a loaf pan in an even layer and freeze.
- Optional (takes more work): If you want your pistachio ice cream extra creamy, mix it every 30 minutes with a metal spoon for the first 2 hours.
- Once frozen and ready to eat, you’ll need to thaw the ice cream on the counter for about 15 minutes before scooping. No-churn ice cream is usually harder and icier than churned versions!
Let me know how it works for you! You’ll still get the amazing flavors of this paleo and vegan pistachio ice cream, but it just won’t be creamy as the texture you may used to in store-bought ice creams.
Other recipes you might love…
- Vegan & Paleo Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
- 3-Ingredient Paleo Matcha Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Ginger Molasses No-Churn Ice Cream
- Creamy Keto Fudgesicles (Paleo, Vegan)
- Coconut Mixed Berry Paleo Popsicles (Vegan)
Paleo & Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream (Only 4 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk divided
- 3/4 cup shelled pistachios unsalted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- Optional: Chopped pistachios for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup coconut milk and pistachios in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and blend together.
- Taste and add more maple syrup if you want it sweeter. It'll taste less sweet once frozen.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn following the manufacturer's directions. The mixture should firm up and turn into a ball after about 20-30 minutes. (See NOTES if you don't have an ice cream maker.)
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Serve in a bowl or cone (these are gluten free), sprinkled with chopped pistachios.
Notes
- Once you blend up the ingredients, place in a loaf pan in an even layer and freeze.
- Optional (takes more work): If you want your pistachio ice cream extra creamy, mix it every 30 minutes with a metal spoon for the first 2 hours.
- Once frozen and ready to eat, you’ll need to thaw the ice cream on the counter for about 15 minutes before scooping. No-churn ice cream is usually harder and icier than churned versions!
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so cool and refreshing! I wonder how this would taste with mint added?
Sounds wonderful! You can definitely add in mint extract.
So classic and delicious! I can see how the almond flavor helps to round out the flavor. Such a fun time of year, all the ice cream!! This would be lovely served alongside a summer fruit ice cream.
My house is full of pistachio lovers. This is going to be a huge hit!
So good just 4 ingredients and so easy to make!! Was also super happy that I had all of the ingredients and made it immediately!
So much to love! Only 4 ingredients, cool, creamy, and the nuts to give texture! This is awesome!
Wow. I never knew homemade egg-less ice cream could be so creamy like this. It’s so simple I have to try it!
I’m such a crazy ice cream fan so I definitely need to try this as soon as absolutely possible!
I love how delicious and creamy this ice cream is – it looks absolutely amazing. It would definitely make a summer day chilled :-)z
Wow, that looks extra creamy delicious! All those pistachios are making my mouth water!
We made this ice cream and it turned out pretty bad. We didn’t use an ice cream maker but we stirred a couple of times and it was very icy and not creamy when we made it. I think next time we will see if an ice cream maker leads to better results. I noticed that coconut milk has a high water content so I might just pull some of the water out of coconut milk before using.
This is a recipe that NEEDS to be made in the ice cream maker, and make sure to use canned full-fat coconut milk. You don’t need to pull out the water if you follow both of these instructions. Hope it work out next time!
Curious if this could work with cashew milk instead of coconut.
Yes, I think it will. But much better with an ice cream maker than without one.
Hello, do you use roasted or raw pistachios? Thank you.
I used raw. 🙂
Any specific brands of full fat coconut milk that work better than others for this recipe? Or all brands should come out the same?
I like Aroy-D but any brand should work, as long as it’s full-fat (usually comes from a can)
Can you sub on coconut cream instead of coconut milk?
Yes, that’ll work!