Pistachio Gelato is one of the great traditional Italian classics, always present in Italian gelato shops. It's a flavor that everyone loves and is well known abroad.
To make an irresistible Italian pistachio gelato at home, I suggest a simple recipe.
Its texture and intense flavor will delight fans of this gelato flavor. With just a few ingredients and a very simple process, you are guaranteed to get a great result.In addition to the pistachio cream, you will need to use milk, heavy cream, and sugar. There are NO EGGS. The pistachios themselves have a high oil content which allows for a creamy texture.
By now we have learned that authentic pistachio ice cream made with natural pistachios is not a bright green color. It's a dark, almost hazelnut color. Its color guarantees its quality and authenticity. You can verify this by making it at home. Remember, quality pays!
Now I am going to show you how to make the best Italian recipe for homemade pistachio gelato, WITH or WITHOUT an ice cream maker.
Ingredients
WITH Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 5 Min + about 40 Min in an ice cream maker
- Cook Time: 5 Min
- Servings: 6/8 people that is about 750 g (~1 ¾ pound) of Gelato
WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker:
- Prep Time: 5 Min + cooling in the freezer for about 5 Hours
- Cook time: 5 Min
- Servings: 6/8 people that is about 750 g (~1 ¾ pound) of Gelato
- 80 g (4 tablespoons) of granulated sugar
- 250 ml (1 cup) of whole fresh milk
- 250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream
- 150 g of of pistachio cream or pistachio paste (read the paragraph below for more information about these ingredients). I used pistachio cream
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
Gelatiera (Ice Cream Maker)
The most useful tool for making authentic Italian gelato is for sure an ice cream maker or Gelatiera. There are various types of Gelato makers, but the best is the one that has a compressor that cools while churning the Gelato.
Let's have a look at some of them:
- The best performing gelato machines are Musso ice cream makers. They are made entirely in Italy but have spread successfully throughout the world. The smaller model is made for home use but has the same features as the professional machines. Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker is easy to use, perfect for professional results at home. Small, with a large, non-removable bowl. The spatula is made of stainless steel. It has a powerful and robust refrigeration system to achieve professional performance without pre-cooling.
- Another high-performance ice cream maker is the Whynter ICM-200LS Automatic Ice Cream Maker (built-in compressor, no pre-freezing). Incredibly easy to use, you can create delicious gelato in the comfort of your own home. Ideal for entertaining, this high capacity unit makes up to two quarts of your favorite frozen dessert in a single batch.
- Other types of gelato makers, without a compressor, plan to keep the special container of the machine in the freezer many hours ahead of time to cool the ingredients while mixing them, but its autonomy is quite short. Among these we recommend Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker which in our opinion is inexpensive and practical.
Other Kitchen Tools
Making Gelato al Pistacchio without an ice cream maker: the result will still be good if you follow our recipe well. In this case you will need a gelato container. This is useful in any case even if you don't eat immediately all the gelato, even made with the ice cream maker.
Other accessories to serve your homemade gelato can be the tool to make the ice cream scoops or the handy scoops to make sundaes of gelato.
Instructions
Step 1) - To make the pistachio gelato recipe, start by mixing the sugar with the milk in a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over low heat while stirring. Bring the mixture to about 70°C (~160°F). THE MILK SHOULD NOT BOIL.
Step 2) - Remove from heat and add the heavy cream. Whisk well, then add the pistachio cream. Use an immersion blender to emulsify the mixture. Allow to cool completely.
How to Make Pistachio Gelato WITH Ice Cream Maker
Step 3A) - Pour the cooled mixture into the ice cream maker for as long as it takes to achieve perfect creaminess. The time will depend on the type of ice cream maker you use. In general, it takes about 40 minutes with a compressor ice cream maker. The pistachio gelato is ready when it's firm and creamy!
PLEASE NOTE: The best ice cream maker you can find on the market is one with a compressor that cools as it churns the gelato. This ice cream maker is very similar to the professional ones and is the one we used for this recipe.
How to Make Pistachio Gelato WITHOUT Ice Cream Maker
You don't have an ice cream maker? Don't worry! I'll show you how to make pistachio gelato without an ice cream maker. It takes longer (5 hours instead of about 40 minutes) and more work, but the result is still excellent!
Step 3B) - Pour the mixture into a gelato container and place it in the freezer for about 5 hours. Every 30 minutes or so you will need to break up the frozen surface. Then remove from the freezer and beat with a hand or electric whisk on low speed for about 30 seconds.
This step is necessary in order to avoid the formation of ice crystals in the gelato and to obtain a creamy result. Of course, this is a bit more work, but it's worth it!
Now enjoy your homemade Italian pistachio gelato!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- How to Make Gelato at home
- Fior di Latte Gelato
- Chestnut Gelato
- Chocolate Gelato
- Pistachio Tiramisu (Without Eggs)
Storage
Make pistachio gelato and eat it as soon as possible.
If you leave it in the freezer too long, crunchy ice crystals will form. The gelato will not taste as good as when you made it.
So eat your homemade pistachio ice cream right away. Or store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tip: If it is too hard and frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Stir to bring it back to a creamy consistency.
Variations
- PISTACHIO GRANULES: For a crunchy touch, you can serve your amazing pistachio gelato with pistachio granules on top. If you want more crunch, you can also add pistachios inside the mixture.
- CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate also pairs well with pistachios. You can add chocolate chips or add melted chocolate while churning the gelato. This is the same process used for stracciatella gelato. You will then have a great pistachio stracciatella gelato!
- GREENER COLOR: If you want to get a pistachio gelato with a brighter green color, you can add a little food coloring to the mixture. But this is only a matter of aesthetics. The taste and authenticity of the product comes from the presence of quality pistachio cream made from fresh pistachios.
Tips
Pistachio Cream vs Pistachio Paste
There are two types of concentrated pistachio puree on the market, both suitable for making pistachio gelato but with different characteristics.
PISTACHIO CREAM: Pistachio Cream is a delicious emulsion made by grinding pistachios. This process produces a smooth, velvety, spreadable texture. Pistachio Cream is typically enriched with sugar and fat (white chocolate or condensed milk) and sunflower seed oil. This preparation enhances the naturally sweet aroma and flavor of pistachios, making it ideal for use in desserts, cakes and ice cream. Since the cream is already sweet, the amount of sugar added to the recipes is minimal.
PISTACHIO PASTE: Pistachio Paste, on the other hand, is made mainly from finely chopped pistachios, but not like cream. Unlike cream, it does not contain the same levels of sugar and fat, but instead focuses on preserving the pure flavor and crunchy texture of the pistachio. Pistachio paste is also often used in cooking for savory dishes. Gelato made with pistachio paste has a more rustic and less creamy texture. It is also necessary to double the amount of sugar in the gelato mixture.
In conclusion cream or paste is a matter of taste.
Dairy-free Pistachio Gelato
Of course, fresh whole milk and fresh cream are key ingredients for true Italian Gelato.
However, if you wish to make dairy-free Pistachio Gelato, you can certainly replace the milk and cream with plant-based products.
For example, soy, almond or coconut milk.
However, this is not enough to give ice cream the creaminess and texture of Gelato.
There are natural thickeners that you can use, such as avocado, banana or locust bean flour.
I give you an example:
Ingredients for about 750 grams of ice cream using the same procedure as described:
200 g pistachio cream
1 ripe avocado or banana (about 160 g)
350 g almond or soy milk
80 g of sugar
If you do not have a self-cooling ice cream maker, I recommend freezing the fruit in pieces and blending them before adding them to the mixture.
Recipe Card
Easy Pistachio Gelato Recipe
Ingredients
- 80 g granulated sugar 4 tablespoons
- 250 ml milk 1 cup, whole and fresh
- 250 ml heavy cream 1 cup
- 150 g pistachio cream
Instructions
- Mix the sugar with the milk in a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over low heat while stirring. Bring the mixture to about 70°C (~160°F). THE MILK SHOULD NOT BOIL.
- Remove from heat and add the heavy cream. Whisk well, then add the pistachio cream.
- Use an immersion blender to emulsify the mixture. Allow to cool completely.
HOW TO MAKE PISTACHIO GELATO WITH ICE CREAM MAKER
- Pour the cooled mixture into the ice cream maker for as long as it takes to achieve perfect creaminess. The time will depend on the type of ice cream maker you use. In general, it takes about 40 minutes with a compressor ice cream maker. The pistachio gelato is ready when it's firm and creamy!
HOW TO MAKE PISTACHIO GELATO WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER
- Pour the mixture into a gelato container and place it in the freezer for about 5 hours.
- Every 30 minutes or so you will need to break up the frozen surface. Then remove from the freezer and beat with a hand or electric whisk on low speed for about 30 seconds.
Bobby says
I wanted to ask to double check, I saw your chocolate Gelato and it required egg yolks, as did another Gelato recipe, yet this one doesn't require egg yolks? I didnt know if the page wasnt loading correctly for me so just wanted to double check.
Kat Murphy says
Hi
Can this be made without dairy? Soy milk?
Thanks
Silvana Nava says
Hi Kat,
Authentic Italian gelato is made from milk and cream.
You can certainly use vegetal ingredients. But this is not enough to achieve the right creaminess. There are several recipes and ways to substitute animal ingredients.
In the last paragraph of my Pistachio Gelato recipe you will find some suggestions.
Have a good day!