Pistachio chocolate chip ice cream is the ultimate sweet and salty, creamy and chocolatey summer treat. It’s rich, decadent and very easy to make. You don’t even need an ice cream machine.
(Love pistachios? Try these white chocolate pistachio cookies. Sweet white chocolate and salty pistachios make for one amazing bite. Or bake this rich, decadent pistachio cheesecake – perfect for the holidays!)
We absolutely love no-churn ice cream (or ice cream made without an ice cream machine) that it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite.
From coffee chocolate chip ice cream to chocolate strawberry ice cream to the most refreshing lemon curd ice cream — they’re all so good and easy to make.
Ube ice cream is definitely in my top 3 but this pistachio chocolate chip ice cream is giving it tough competition for the top spot.
Creamy, bursting with pistachio flavour from real pistachio paste and chopped pistachio nuts, and chips, lots of dark chocolate chips.
I always order a scoop (maybe two) of pistachio ice cream from ice cream shops but lemme tell you, homemade pistachio ice cream is infinitely better.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love making this pistachio ice cream recipe
If you haven’t tried making your own ice cream yet, now is definitely the time. We’re having a fabulous summer, it’s always warm and sunny, ice cream is the perfect treat.
Don’t let not owning an ice cream maker stop you. And trust me, once you make that first ice cream flavour at home, it’s hard to stop.
- Homemade ice cream just tastes better. Because you put in all your favourite things, every ice cream flavour you come up with will be amazing.
- You know exactly what goes into your dream cream. You can be sure there’s nothing in there you can’t pronounce.
- It’s fun! Add anything and everything you can imagine.
This pistachio chocolate chip ice cream is a favourite because:
- It’s packed with pistachio flavour. Not only in the ice cream base but also in the mix-ins. Every spoonful is a party in your mouth.
- It’s also full of chocolate chips and ice cream with chocolate chips are that much better!
- Pistachio is considered a premium ice cream flavour but guess what? It’s surprisingly simple and easy to make at home.
How to make pistachio chocolate ice cream
First you’ll want to gather your ingredients. And the quality of ingredients play an important role here. The better and more flavourful pistachio paste you have, the richer and more decadent your ice cream will be.
Ingredients
Some ice cream recipes use whole milk, coconut milk or eggs that you then have to cook over medium heat but you’ll see that this recipe is simpler and more straightforward.
To make homemade pistachio ice cream, you’ll need:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
- Pistachio paste
- Heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
- Dark chocolate chips — you can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips or even chocolate chunks
- Chopped pistachios
Tools
Like I mentioned, this ice cream recipe doesn’t require an ice cream maker. All you’ll need are:
- A stand mixer or handheld electric mixer to whip your cream
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rubber spatula
I also highly recommend freezer-safe containers with tight-fitting lids to store your ice cream in. I love these ice cream containers and own several in different sizes.
How to make pistachio paste for ice cream
When I first started making pistachio and chocolate ice cream, I would make my own pistachio paste because have you seen how much a jar of pistachio paste costs?
I figure I’d save me some money and make it myself. Which was fine because it’s not hard, just a little tedious.
First, blanch the shelled pistachios, and you must buy shelled nuts otherwise you would have to shell them yourself. Boil water, carefully pour the pistachios then take them out after about 1-2 minutes.
Then transfer the pistachios into a bowl of water filled with ice cubes. After another 1-2 minutes, strain and proceed to remove the brown outer skin.
This is what takes me forever.
The skin doesn’t come off that easily and instead of the vibrant green I was looking for, I ended up with brown pistachio paste which isn’t as lovely that I actually thought about adding green food colouring.
In the end it didn’t matter though.
After a few minutes in the food processor, my pistachio paste may have been more brown than green but it was delicious and pure pistachio goodness.
These days though, I just buy a jar from a local nuttery (it’s a thing!), spend the extra dollars and support local. Easy. If you choose to go this route, make sure you’re getting pure pistachio paste.
Easy recipe (with photos)
Now that we have the whole pistachio paste situation figured out, we can make our chocolate pistachio ice cream. And nothing could be easier.
1 ICE CREAM BASE. In a large bowl, stir condensed milk, vanilla extract, pistachio paste and salt until smooth and incorporated.
2 LIGHTEN. Take a dollop of whipped cream and fold it into your pistachio mixture to lighten it.
3 FOLD. Fold the rest of your whipped cream into the lightened pistachio mixture until incorporated.
4 ADD MIX-INS. Add chocolate chips and chopped pistachios and stir until evenly blended.
5 FREEZE. Transfer the pistachio chocolate chip ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothen the top with a spatula, cover with plastic wrap and freeze 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
Ice cream making tips and recipe FAQs
Easy, right? It’s the waiting that always gets me! In any case, here are more tips and answers to your frequently asked questions to make this homemade ice cream recipe even easier.
Yes, you can use pistachio butter. Just make sure it doesn’t contain added ingredients like oil and sugar; just 100% pistachio nuts.
I highly recommend using salted pistachios in this recipe. The saltiness of the nuts is a delicious flavour contrast to the sweet ice cream base.
You can certainly opt not to put the chocolate chips and make this a purely pistachio ice cream. You don’t need to make any adjustments to the recipe and it will still be delicious!
Remember that white chocolate chips are sweeter than dark chocolate chips so if you want to substitute them or add them to this recipe, be aware of how much you’re putting in. Taste as you go so your ice cream doesn’t end up being too sweet.
You’ll notice that as you’re making your ice cream, it looks creamy and light. But as you bring it out of the freezer for that first scoop, it would’ve taken on a darker, greenish-brownish hue.
This is completely normal. The natural colour of the pistachios and the pistachio paste are shining through.
It won’t be a bright green, though.
I personally don’t add green food colour to this recipe but if you choose to, opt for gel vs. liquid food colour and only put a little at a time until you get the colour you desire.
Careful not to put too much as it might affect the texture and the taste of the ice cream.
I suggest to stir it in with the condensed milk to avoid over-mixing at the whipped cream stage.
Homemade, no-churn ice cream has two main ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream.
You want heavy cream to make your whipped cream, which has 36 to 40 percent milk fat, because it results to firmer, more stable whipped cream with stiff peaks that hold their shape longer. This is what gives your homemade ice cream that smooth texture and creamy taste.
In a pinch, you can use whipping cream (30 to 35 percent milk fat) but it will result to a lighter, softer texture.
Half & half can’t be substituted for heavy cream in no-churn ice cream recipes because it just doesn’t have enough fat content for whipping (10 to 18 percent).
To prevent your homemade ice cream from getting freezer burn or forming ice crystals:
– Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the ice cream’s surface before placing the lid. This also helps prevent freezer smells from seeping into your ice cream.
– Make sure you use a freezer-safe container with a proper, tight-fitting lid.
It’s still safe to eat ice cream with a few ice crystals. It’s going to affect the texture and the taste though so you really want to protect it from air (its main enemy) and eat it within 2 weeks of making it.
Homemade ice cream lasts about 2 weeks in the freezer. Because it doesn’t have the same preservatives as store-bought ice cream, when it comes to homemade ice cream, the fresher the better.
Some tips to keep it fresh for longer:
– Cover the top with plastic wrap (see above).
– Store in a relatively shallow and flat container vs. a deep dish. Ideally, you want a container that’s meant to store ice cream, like these ones.
– Store towards the back of your freezer so that its temperature can remain fairly constant, away from the door and never on the freezer door shelf.
I hope you try making this pistachio ice cream recipe, or any other kind of homemade ice cream you like using all your favourite ingredients. It’s fun to make and funner to eat.
Have a fabulous summer!
Homemade Pistachio Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 10-oz can condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3.5 oz pistachio paste see notes
- pinch salt
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips can substitute with semi-sweet or chocolate chunks
- 1 cup salted pistachios shelled and roughly chopped, see notes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir 1 can of condensed milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3.5 oz pistachio paste and a pinch of salt until smooth and incorporated.
- Take a dollop of whipped cream and fold it into your pistachio mixture to lighten it.
- Fold the rest of your whipped cream into the lightened pistachio mixture until incorporated.
- Add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped pistachios and stir until evenly blended.
- Transfer the pistachio chocolate chip ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothen the top with a spatula, cover with plastic wrap and freeze 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
Video
Notes
- Depending on the kind of pistachio paste you use, you may need to add more. Taste and adjust according to preference.
- I recommend using salted, roasted pistachios for this recipe.
- See post for lots of ice cream making tips and FAQs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy ice cream making!
Did you make pistachio chocolate ice cream? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Mackenzie
Oh girl, you are speaking to my inner most soul with this one. I usually pass on pistachio ice cream because the flavor by itself isn’t my thing, but add in the chocolate chips and I am in heaven! My freezer will never run out of this recipe!
Marisa Franca
We love ice cream!! And now that we’ve discovered no-churn ice cream it’s even better. We get the craving and in no-time we can have that frozen dessert. We certainly like pistachio and add chocolate to it we’re in heaven.
Jolina
No-churn ice cream is the best isn’t it??
Dawn
I have a huge bag of pistachios in our pantry so I know what needs to happen with them 😉 Love nuts in ice cream for the yummy flavour and textural component. I’ll take two, no three, scoops please! Hope all is well with you Jolina! Watching any new shows?
Jolina
Hey Dawn! It’s meant to be 🙂 We’re good thanks. You? We’re under another heat warning but no complaints from me lol. I have Brooklyn Nine-Nine on my saved list in Netflix, can’t wait to start that one. Sounds fun.
Pam
I haven’t made ice cream in a very long time. We use to make ice cream when we were kids and it was always so good. I love pistachio and chocolate chip so I think we will give this a try and see how it turns out.
Veena Azmanov
Oh, I make pistachio ice cream but I never added white chocolate before. I cannot wait to try this. My kids will love it. Saving for later. Love how wonderful this looks.
Maria
We love pistachio ice cream, but your recipe is even better with chocolate chips in it. I am sorry you had to go though all that trouble making your own pistachio paste, but as you said, it was worth it in the end. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Although summer is winding down, I will still want to make this for my family to enjoy.
Jolina
Yeah, totally worth it. And I guess it’s satisfying seeing that little jar of pistachio paste too, knowing I worked so hard to make it!! Hope you enjoy the last few days of summer!