Pistachio Gelato
Updated Mar 05, 2025
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Creamy, sweet, and full of flavor, this pistachio gelato recipe uses simple ingredients to create the perfect frozen treat. Grab your ingredients and get ready to enjoy a classic Italian dessert!
Making gelato at home is a process that takes patience, but the result will knock your socks off! You only need a few ingredients and an ice cream churner to throw this decadent dessert together.
I love that this recipe uses real pistachios, because it makes all the difference in the flavor. The salty and bright taste of the nuts is balanced by the sugar, and the creamy texture brings everything together. Just be careful with this gelato because it is hard not to go back for seconds!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The texture of the gelato is perfectly smooth and creamy.
- It is a yummy treat that will help cool you down on a warm summer day.
- There is a wonderful balance between sweet and salty.
Equipment You’ll Need
Making gelato is not as difficult as it sounds, but there is some equipment that you’ll need to help the process go smoothly. In order to grind the pistachios, you will need a food processor or blender. You will also need an ice cream maker that will churn your gelato, keeping it smooth and creamy. Lastly, you should have a fine mesh sieve to help drain the liquid from the pistachios. With these pieces of equipment, you are all set to make homemade gelato!
Recipe Ingredients
- Pistachios—Shelled, roasted, and salted. You can grab these on the snack aisle.
- Whole Milk—Not skim or 2%.
- Heavy Cream—For a creamy, smooth texture.
- Sugar—To sweeten the gelato and balance the saltiness of the pistachios.
- Egg Yolks—To bind and stabilize the mixture.
- Vanilla Extract—Helps all of the flavors pop!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pistachio Gelato
Step #1. In a food processor or blender, coarsely grind the pistachios.In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cream until steaming, stirring often. When the milk and cream are very hot, remove from the heat and stir in the pistachios and vanilla. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Step #2. After refrigerating, drain the pistachio mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard the pistachio pulp. Rinse and dry out the pan. Return the milk mixture to the pan.In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar until light in color and thick.
Step #3. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until it is again steaming, but not boiling. Carry the bowl of egg yolks and sugar over to the stove and pour some of the warm pistachio mixture in and stir to combine. Slowly add the rest of the beaten egg yolk mixture to the pan, stirring constantly with a spoon. Cook until the mixture forms a thick custard.
Step #4. Cool the gelato mixture completely before processing in an ice cream maker. Once the gelato has finished churning, place it in an airtight container and freeze until you are ready to serve it.
Recipe FAQs
While they are very similar, there are a few slight differences in these two treats. Gelato and ice cream are both typically made using the same ingredients, but they are in different proportions. Gelato will contain more milk than cream, while ice cream contains more cream than milk. Although the process in making these two desserts are similar, gelato will typically have a more rich and dense texture than ice cream.
Before churning the gelato, the cooked mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or when measured the temperature should be about 175-180°F. After it has been churned, you should allow it to freeze for at least 2 hours so it can become solid enough to hold its shape and not melt too quickly! Your finished gelato should have a semi-hard texture that is still spreadable and smooth. It should not be gelatinous, watery, or grainy.
How to Serve and Store Pistachio Gelato
This pistachio gelato is a refreshing and cool treat to have on a hot summer day! You can garnish the gelato with some extra chopped pistachios, sprinkles, or caramel syrup. Serve the gelato in a bowl, or on a waffle or sugar cone for a nice, sweet crunch.
Store your pistachio gelato in a freezer-safe airtight container, or be sure to tightly cover the container with saran wrap. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 4 weeks, but is best served fresh!
Expert Tips
- It is important to not allow the milk and cream mixture to boil, otherwise the milk will curdle. Also be sure to stir often so the milk doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
- If you are wanting a less sweet dessert, you can reduce the amount of sugar by ¼ cup.
- As you are draining the pistachio mixture, use the back of a spoon to press out any extra moisture left in the chunks of pistachio!
- The color of your gelato will be very natural and light, so don’t expect it to be bright green!
More Ice Cream Recipes To Consider
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup: Cozy Holiday in a Bottle
Ice Cream
Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Ice Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Milkshakes
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Pistachio Gelato
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shelled roasted and salted pistachios
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender coarsely grind the pistachios.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium low heat, heat the milk and cream until steaming, stirring often. Don’t let the mixture boil or the milk will curdle and don’t forget to stir often because the milk will burn on the bottom of the pan. When the milk and cream are very hot, remove from the heat and stir in the ground pistachios and the vanilla. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day drain the pistachio mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to really press out the extra moisture left in the pistachio chunks. Discard the pistachio pulp/pieces (or eat it by the spoonful!). Rinse and dry out the pan. Return the milk mixture to the pan.
- In a separate bowl beat the eggs and the sugar until lighter in color and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes on a medium speed.
- Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until it is again steaming but not boiling.
- Carry the bowl of egg yolks and sugar over to the stove and pour just a little of the warm pistachio milk mixture in and stir to combine. Slowly add the rest of the beaten egg yolk mixture to the pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture forms a custard that thickly coats the back of your spoon (this will be about 175 to 180 degrees F).
- Cool the gelato mixture completely before processing in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions.
- Once the gelato has finished churning, quickly place it in an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours or until you are ready to serve. Enjoy with a few additional chopped pistachios on top if you like.
I can’t believe you take out the pistachio chunks!!! We follow the recipe exactly BUT we leave them in and it not only has way more flavor but it tastes soooo good and has a great texture. Highly recommend! Plus they aren’t cheap so may as well get full use of them!
Hmm, when I reheated the pistachio milk and added the egg it got all chunky and looks like oatmeal. Perhaps I had it on a too high temp and it curdled? I was stirring it consistently…there’s also little bits of egg white. Well I’m gonna try and still use it anyway even though I messed it up so we shall see how it turns out!
I followed this to the exact measurements and temp.. 2/3 cup of sugar is a touch on the sweet side. Use less if you want to just have a balance.
Hi! I’m making the gelato at the moment and think I’ve curdled it right before churning, which is very disappointing, because I got it too hot before I realised the temperature was is F not C. Could you change that so others don’t get confused?
I’m so sorry, I’ll definitely change that.
Tried making it as a cooking novice; it was fantastically complex and creamy! Tasted almost the same as the gelato I had in Italy.
I love this review! So glad that you liked it so much.