This creamy, dairy-free pistachio ice cream is made in a blender with 5 simple wholesome ingredients including yogurt. No churning needed—just blend, freeze, and enjoy a healthier version of the classic!
This healthy pistachio ice cream is creamy, nutty, and naturally sweetened—with no dairy and no ice cream maker needed. Just blend, freeze, and enjoy!
Made with yogurt, coconut milk, and pistachios, it’s a rich frozen treat that’s dairy free, gluten-free, and easy to make at home.
Drizzle with chocolate shell for a Dubai chocolate pistachio twist. I have other pistachio recipes, including no bake pistachio brownies, 1 ingredient pistachio butter, and creamy pistachio milk.
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Why Make Pistachio Ice Cream?
Homemade pistachio ice cream is rich, nutty, naturally creamy, and easy to make in a blender.
- No churn, no fuss – Just blend and freeze in a loaf pan—no ice cream maker needed.
- Dairy-free & vegan – Made with coconut milk, cashew butter, and dairy-free yogurt.
- Real pistachio flavor – Rich, creamy, and naturally green from real unroasted, unsalted pistachios.
- Healthier treat – Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and free from gluten and refined sugar.
🧊 How to Make Ice Cream Using Coconut Milk: Use unsweetened full fat coconut milk from a can for creamiest ice cream. How? Open a can at room temperature, set it in a pot of boiling water and stir until solids have melted. Let the milk cool before using.
🥄Ingredients
- Pistachios. Use shelled and raw or roasted.
- Milk. I used full-fat canned coconut milk, but any milk works. The higher the fat, the less icy your ice cream.
- Yogurt, unsweetened. I used coconut yogurt, but Greek yogurt works too if you don't need the ice cream to be dairy free.
- Cashew butter. Or any nut butter to help make ice cream creamy.
- Maple syrup. A refined sugar free liquid sweetener.
- Pantry items. Vanilla, salt, chopped pistachios for topping
Make Pistachio Ice Cream with Cottage Cheese
Want to hop on the cottage cheese ice cream trend? You can make Pistachio Ice Cream using cottage cheese if you don't need the ice cream to be dairy free, substitute the yogurt in this recipe for plain cottage cheese. Just be sure to blend a bit longer.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Prep: Start by soaking 1 cup of shelled pistachios in just-boiled water for 5 minutes. This will help make a creamier ice cream.
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Step 1: Add all ice cream ingredients to a blender.
Step 2: Blend until creamy. Add spinach leaves to deepen the green color.
Step 3: Pour into a metal pan, loaf pan, or ice cream container. Sprinkle chopped pistachios and press to submerge
Step 4: Then sprinkle the rest of the pistachios on top.
Step 5: Cover tightly and freeze. Then scoop and enjoy!
Tip: Don't freeze overnight or it will become rock-hard and be hard to scoop. Instead, freeze only 2-3 hours and then scoop into individual cups and freeze those - they are easier to thaw.
📦Storage Tips
- Scoop into individual cups and freeze those - they are easier to thaw.
- Keeps for 1–2 months in the freezer.
🧊Recipe Tips
- For a brighter green color, you can add baby spinach leaves before blending (won’t affect flavor).
- If you use peanut butter instead of almond butter or cashew butter your pistachio ice cream will have a strong peanut flavor.
- Can you make this recipe in an ice cream maker? Yes, just chill your ice cream tub overnight. I use this ice cream maker machine, it's budget friendly and works great.
Variations of Pistachio Ice Cream
- Make chocolate Dubai pistachio ice cream: Melt ½ cup of chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute, pour over top of ice cream after it has been frozen about 30 minutes. Sprinkle pistachios on the chocolate. Freeze 2-3 hours and serve.
- Chocolate Magic Shell: Make one of my 3 magic shell flavors and drizzle on top along with the pistachios!
- Fruit chunks: Fold in chunks of any fresh fruit.
FAQS
Yes! This recipe is made entirely in a blender and poured into a loaf pan to freeze—no churning or special equipment needed.
Traditional pistachio ice cream contains dairy, but this version uses dairy-free yogurt, coconut milk, and cashew butter for creaminess without any milk or cream.
It’s naturally sweetened with maple syrup, contains no refined sugar, is made with whole-food ingredients, and is both dairy-free and gluten-free.
Raw pistachios are ideal for a soft, natural flavor, but lightly roasted, unsalted pistachios also work well. Avoid heavily salted or flavored varieties.
More Healthy Ice Cream Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Pistachio Ice Cream (no churn, dairy free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pistachios, unsalted, shelled
- ½ cup milk, full fat canned coconut milk or cashew milk
- ½ cup yogurt, full fat coconut or cashew yogurt
- 3 tablespoon cashew butter or any nut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoon chopped pistachios (mix-in & topping)
optional
- ¼ cup baby spinach leaves for greener color
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Instructions
Prep
- Soak pistachios in just-boiled water for 5 minutes, then drain.
Make ice cream
- Add ingredients* to a blender. Blend until very smooth and creamy.1 cup pistachios, unsalted, shelled, ½ cup milk, full fat, ½ cup yogurt, full fat, 3 tablespoon cashew butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch salt, ¼ cup baby spinach leaves
- Taste mixture and add more maple syrup if needed.
- Pour the mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan.3 tablespoon chopped pistachios (mix-in & topping)
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoon of pistachios on top and press into mixture to submerge. Then sprinkle the last 1 tablespoon on top.
- Cover container tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for about 2-3 hours.
- Don't freeze overnight or it will become rock-hard and be hard to scoop. Instead, freeze only 2-3 hours and then scoop into individual cups and freeze those - they are easier to thaw.
Video
Dee Dine says
A healthy pistachio ice cream made in your blender with only 5 ingredients!