Creamy Pistachio Ice Cream

This dreamy pistachio ice cream is ultra-creamy, nutty, and lightly sweet with the perfect rich roasted pistachio flavor in every scoop.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups shelled unsalted pistachios, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons pistachio paste
• 2 drops green food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Finely chop 1/4 cup of the pistachios and set aside for topping. Blend the remaining pistachios with 1/2 cup of the milk until mostly smooth to make a pistachio mixture.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, remaining 1/2 cup milk, sugar, salt, and pistachio mixture. Cook until hot and steaming, but do not boil.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour in about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture while whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan.
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, pistachio paste, and food coloring if using.
5. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for an extra-smooth texture, then chill completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6. Churn the cold mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick and creamy.
7. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, fold in a spoonful of the chopped pistachios if desired, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours until scoopable.
8. Serve in bowls topped with the remaining chopped pistachios.

Tip: For the best flavor, lightly toast the pistachios before blending and let the custard chill overnight for a smoother, richer ice cream.