Homemade Pistachio Ice Cream

It's so easy to make your own homemade pistachio ice cream, especially if you have the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender! Don't worry if you don't have the blender, though. I give instructions for a regular blender, too!

This ice cream flavor is my all-time favorite, and I never realized how easy it was to make! I've tried different brands of pistachio ice cream and some are wonderful, while others... not so much.

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My favorite brand of pistachio ice cream is Ben & Jerry's. It has the best flavor and texture and the pistachios are crunchy! That is the exact type of ice cream I wanted to duplicate and, I must say, it worked!

It doesn't get any easier to make this pistachio ice cream if you have the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, because everything is done right in the blender! Easy Peasy!

However, you can still make homemade pistachio ice cream using a blender or food processor and the stove. I'll go over how to do that in this article.

What other Flavors of Ice Cream can I Make in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender?

Pretty much any flavor you want! There are some tips I've learned along the way and I go over those in this recipe for French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, so be sure to check those out before creating your favorite ice cream flavors!

Some of the other flavors I've tested and released recipes for are: Chocolate Ice Cream, Coffee Toffee Ice Cream, and Strawberry Ice Cream.

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It's hard to pick a favorite. They are all delicious! Right now, I'm working on a banana ice cream and then onto a peppermint ice cream for the holidays!

It's fun creating different flavors of ice cream, and the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender makes it fun and easy! No need for an ice cream maker!

If you have an idea for an ice cream flavor that you want me to work on, I'd love to hear it! Simply send me an email at louise@thesaltedpepper.com OR tag me on Facebook or Instagram with your suggestion @thesaltedpepper.

How do you get the Pistachio Flavor in Pistachio Ice Cream?

While you might think it's the pistachios, it really isn't. Yes, we do use pistachios and they do infuse some flavor, but not nearly enough to be delicious on their own.

So, we have to help those nuts out a bit by adding a bit of almond extract. The almond extract is the pronounced flavor in pistachio ice cream.

You can't use whole almonds either, they taste completely different. If you have ever tried almond milk, you will understand. It's a very subtle nut flavor, however almond extract is a very bold flavor.

Instead of extract, I use an Almond Bakery Emulsion.

I've been using emulsions instead of extracts for years and I think they taste better in baked goods and ice cream. Either will work just fine, though!

What if I don't have the Blender Function Used in this Recipe?

Unfortunately, not all of the Cold & Hot Blenders have the same functions. Why companies do this is beyond me, it sure makes things confusing!

To help with that confusion, I wrote a detailed guide that goes over all the functions on my blender (model HB152) in detail. This way, if you don't have a certain function, you can refer to the guide and use your manual settings or a different function that you have that will work similarly.

I hope this helps!

How to Make Pistachio Ice Cream without the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender

Add the cream, milk, and ½ cup of pistachios to a blender or food processor and pulse until the pistachios are in small pieces. Pour the mixture and heat on the stove (or in the inner pot of your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot) on low just until the mixture simmers. You don't want it to boil.

Simmer for about 5 minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Strain out the pistachio pieces and discard. Pour the infused cream and milk back into a clean blender or food processor.

Mix the xanthan gum with the sugar and add to the infused milk and cream. Add in the amaretto (if using) and the almond bakery emulsion or extract. Whip up the mixture on a high speed (not high enough to whip the cream though) for a few minutes.

Add the food coloring if you desire and pulse to combine.

Pour the pistachio ice cream mix into shallow containers (metal work best) and cover with parchment. Freeze for 6-8 hours.

Serve & Enjoy!

How to make Pistachio Ice Cream in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender

The reason I love the NF Cold & Hot Blender so much is because of all the different functions! We can chop and infuse the cream with with pistachios with a push of a button.

Add the cream, whole milk, and ½ cup of pistachios to the blender. Put the lid on and select the mixer function. This will heat the cream and milk and blend the pistachios to infuse the pistachio flavor into the cream.

When the cycle has finished, pour the mixture into a large container and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool. This will help get all the pistachio flavor into the cream/milk AND cool down the mixture so it freezes faster.

Strain the pistachio, milk, and cream mixture to remove the pieces of pistachios. They are soggy and aren't very good in the ice cream. I tried leaving them in and the ice cream had a gritty texture.

To make this easy, I use a fine sieve strainer right over the blender.

Mix the xanthan gum and the sugar together. This is really important or your xanthan gum will gel up as soon as it hits the liquid in the blender.

Add the sugar/xanthan gum mix, the amaretto (if using) and the almond bakery emulsion or extract.

Select the ice cream function.

When the cycle is done, you can add green food coloring if you want your ice cream to be green. If not, just skip it! I added 7 drops total and then pulsed a few times to combine.

Pour the pistachio ice cream mix into shallow containers. I prefer to use metal trays. They freeze faster and less ice crystals form. The ones I use are from Pampered Chef, you can find them here: Freezer Trays

Add about ¼ cup of pistachios per tray ( I use 2 trays for every 4 cup batch of ice cream) and push them down into the ice cream mix.

Cover with a lid or parchment, I usually try to use both if I can. Freeze for 6-8 hours.

Serve & Enjoy!