Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream

I don’t like to play favorites, but this dairy-free homemade cardamom pistachio ice cream is by far my favorite ice cream flavor. And frankly, you can’t go wrong with anything pistachio-flavored. 

This ice cream is made with a custard base, making it perfectly creamy and rich, without being too heavy/cloying. Plus, the combo of cardamom, pistachio, and honey gives this ice cream the perfect blend of sweet nuttiness and spice. I can’t heap enough praise on this ice cream, it’s absolutely phenomenal!

Did I mention that this ice cream is dairy-free and refined sugar-free? I used homemade nut milk for the base and sweetened it with honey. However, I also included regular dairy ingredients and honey substitutes so anyone can make this regardless of dietary preferences. 

Enjoy this on its own, in a cone, or make an affogato with this (pistachio affogato anyone?). This homemade cardamom pistachio ice cream will be your summer dessert fixation!

HOT TIP: for the best cones, go to your local ice cream shop and buy some cones on the side. They’re so much better than grocery store cones!!

Ingredients for the BEST Pistachio Ice Cream 

• Raw shelled pistachios (also called nutmeats): I swear by the raw pistachios from Trader Joe’s – they’re the best for making pistachio butter, especially if you want that bright green color.
• Egg yolks: The egg yolks in this recipe serve to not only stabilize the ice cream but also give it a super rich and creamy mouthfeel that you just can’t replicate with anything else.
• Homemade nut milk: A high-fat creamy homemade nut milk is the key to getting this dairy-free pistachio ice cream to taste like it was made with dairy. To replicate the combo of milk and cream that’s used in traditional ice cream, I used a combo of cashews and almonds in my milk-cream hybrid. The creaminess of the cashews perfectly replicates the richness of heavy creamy, while the almonds add protein and structure that you would normally get from 2% milk. 
• Honey: I firmly believe that honey, cardamom, and pistachio is a flavor pairing made in heaven. However, feel free to swap the honey out for regular cane sugar.   
• Cardamom pods
• Kosher salt: Specifically, Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you’re using Morton kosher salt, reduce the salt by half. Morton is much saltier and denser than Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Kitchen Tools You Need

• A digital scale because it’s the most accurate.
• An ice cream maker (linking the one we’ve had for the past 15 years here that’s phenomenal) or the KitchenAid ice cream attachment which I finally caved and bought (it’s worth it)! 
• Food processor for making the pistachio butter. We’ve had this 14-cup Cuisinart food processor for the past 28 years and it’s still going strong (yes, my mom bought it before I was born).
• Large pot
• Medium glass bowl 
• Whisk
• Flexible rubber spatula 
• Loaf pan or a container to store the ice cream 

How to Make Homemade Pistachio Ice Cream (a visual guide)

The recipe with measurements and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below, but I love photos when I’m making a new recipe (I feel more confident), so look at this as a visual guide to making this recipe. Or watch my video here.

Also,  homemade ice cream isn’t rocket science, but I like including details in my recipes to ensure they come out perfectly for you.

Prep the Homemade Nut Milk

The key to homemade dairy-free ice cream that actually tastes like the real thing? Homemade nut milk. 

Make the homemade nut milk by blending together 4 cups (910 g) of water with 1 1/2  cups (215 g) raw cashews and 1 cup (140 g) raw almonds on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds or until super creamy and smooth. Strain in a nut milk bag and store in a glass jar. It’ll keep well for 5-6 days, so feel free to make this ahead of time. 

Prep the Pistachio Butter

Add the pistachios to a food processor (used my mom’s Cuisinart 14-cup food processor that has served us well for 28ish years). Turn the processor on and let it run. 

NOTE: I like to add double the pistachios because the processor runs better with more volume. You can save the butter for 3 months and make ice cream again – you’ll want to.

The pistachio butter will go through 3 phases before it starts forming butter. It’ll go from a flour-like consistency to a wet sand texture, and then it’ll start to clump into a large ball. At this point, stop the processor, scrape it down, and let it run again.

Let the butter continue to run – it’ll form a paste and eventually form a smooth but stiff butter after 10ish minutes. Scrape into a jar and store in the pantry.

Make the Base

Separate the egg yolks into a medium bowl and whisk well.

To a large pot, add the cream (or milk and cream if you’re using dairy), honey, cardamom, and salt. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (it should be hot but not boiling). 

Next, temper the eggs (so you don’t make scrambled eggs). Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the cream mixture and whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to the bowl of yolks. Whisking constantly, carefully pour the egg yolk mixture into the cream. 

Swap the whisk for a spatula and stir the custard mixture constantly as it cooks (still on medium-low) until it thickens and coats the back of the spatula or wooden spoon. It’s easier to see if the custard is at the right stage with a wooden spoon. 

NOTE: Now that the egg yolks are in the pot, keep the heat gentle and low; otherwise you run the risk of the custard breaking (aka the eggs will scramble). So if you’re new to ice cream making, keep the heat low which will slow down the process and it’ll make it easier to watch. It will take longer, but at least you won’t make any mistakes!

Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the pistachio butter (you’ll need to aggressively whisk to incorporate the butter). 

Strain the base through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container (to catch any large bits of pistachio and the cardamom pods). Place in an ice bath and stir until room temp. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to chill. 

NOTE: If you have a chinois, use that instead of a sieve – it’ll give you the smoothest, silkiest ice cream!

Churn the Ice Cream

Pop the container you’ll store the ice cream in the freezer. 

Pour the chilled base into your ice cream bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mine takes about 20-25 minutes to churn up – it should be the consistency of soft serve. 

Freeze & Enjoy!

Pour the ice cream into your prepared container, smooth, and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Scoop and serve whenever you’re ready. For perfectly scooped ice cream, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes.

HOT TIP: for the best cones, go to your local ice cream shop and buy some cones on the side. They’re so much better than grocery store cones!!

Don’t Want to Make Pistachio Butter? Alternative Below!

After multiple rounds of testing this recipe (8 batches and 3 weeks), I can honestly say that you can manipulate the pistachios in this recipe in a multitude of ways with similar results. You can use pistachio butter, chopped pistachios, or infuse the base with ground pistachios; all methods work with similar results.

So here’s my suggestion if you don’t want to make pistachio butter:

Grind the pistachios into a fine flour or chop them as finely as possible, and add them to the pot at step 2 of making the base of this recipe (along with the cream, honey, cardamom, and salt). When the cream heats, the pistachios will infuse the milk with a ton of flavor.

Some Tips

• Prep the homemade nut milk and pistachio butter ahead of time. It’ll make the ice cream-making process a bit smoother and less time-consuming if you already have these prepped a few days ahead. 
• Chill the ice cream base before churning. Adding the warm ice cream base to the ice cream maker is a recipe for disaster – it won’t churn properly. Let the base chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. 
• Freeze your ice cream bowl at least 16 hours (preferably 24 hours) in advance. Otherwise, it won’t be cold enough to properly churn the ice cream.
• Freeze the ice cream after churning for 4-6 hours, ideally overnight. This is the last stage in the ice cream process – yes you can eat it right after churning but it won’t be the right texture. Freezing helps the ice cream firm up and develop even more flavor.
• If you want to add chopped pistachios to the final ice cream, fold them in by hand with a rubber spatula after the ice cream is done churning. Most ice cream makers (including the KitchenAid ice cream bowl) will suck the mix-ins to the bottom, and it’ll impair the churning process. 

Some Notes

• I swear by the raw pistachio nutmeats from Trader Joe’s – they yield the brightest green color. I prefer to use raw pistachios (I like the sweetness they give the ice cream). But feel free to use roasted shelled pistachios (make sure they’re unsalted) for a deeper, nuttier flavor. Keep in mind that using roasted pistachios will alter the color a lot – the ice cream will be a muddy green color.
• If you’re not dairy-free, use the cream and milk measurements I included in the recipe. 
• While I prefer using honey in this recipe for multiple reasons (honey pairs so well with pistachios and cardamom, plus my skin doesn’t do well with cane sugar), feel free to swap it out for regular granulated cane sugar. 
• Tempering eggs can be a bit scary if you’re new to ice cream making, but it’s super important, otherwise, they’ll scramble in the hot cream (insert sad face emoji). Watch my video to see how I tempered the eggs.

Want more insight into the recipe development process of this ice cream? Check out my column here with all the deets!

Ok, happy pistachio ice cream-making! 🙂 Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below – love hearing from you!

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