Pistachio Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

A delicious recipe for homemade pistachio ice cream, loaded with fudgy brownie chunks and chopped dark chocolate. If you’ve had pistachio ice cream before, you know what an incredible, nutty flavor it has. And if you haven’t? You’re in for a real treat. This is an egg-based frozen custard, and the egg yolks give the ice cream such a rich, creamy texture that’s just fantastic with the nuttiness of the pistachios. The brownies and chopped chocolate are optional, but I love the flavor and texture they add.

Don’t have an ice cream maker? Be sure to scroll down to the FAQs in this post to learn how to make a no churn pistachio ice cream.

You might also love this orange pistachio cake, pistachio coconut cake, and chocolate hazelnut cake.

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Why You’ll Love This Ice Cream

The Best Flavor. Pistachios make an incredible tasting ice cream. They’re nutty, salty and a little earthy, and just delicious with everything else going on.

So Many Good Textures. Rich and creamy ice cream, bits of nuts, fudgy brownies and crunchy shards of chocolate. What could be better?

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Pistachios. To make life easier, I like to buy shelled, salted pistachios. A small 6-oz bag is plenty for this recipe.
• Whole Milk + Heavy Whipping Cream. Ice cream needs fat to maintain its creamy texture, so be sure to use whole milk, not skim or 2%. The ratio of milk and cream gives this ice cream a perfectly rich, smooth mouth feel.
• Egg Yolks. Egg yolks add richness and body for a more delicious homemade ice cream.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness, and keeps the ice cream smooth, rather than icy.
• Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Adds flavor, and enhances the nuttiness of the pistachios.
• Vodka. A tablespoon of alcohol in homemade ice cream helps to keep it smooth and scoopable, but it’s totally optional.
• Brownies and Chocolate. The brownie chunks and chopped chocolate are optional, too, but I highly recommend them! Either whip up a batch of homemade brownies, or buy some at your grocery store, no one’s judging you either way. For the chopped chocolate, I like to use a good quality bar of chocolate that’s around 55-60% cacao.

Instructions

Steep the pistachios and milk.

• Combine the chopped pistachios and the milk in a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring just to a simmer. Turn off the heat, and let steep for 2 hours (Image 1).
• Pour the milk through a strainer, but don’t discard the pistachios, as you’ll be using them to make pistachio butter.

Make the custard ice cream base.

• In a saucepan, whisk together the pistachio-flavored milk, 1 cup of the heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Over medium heat, warm the custard mixture just until hot and beginning to steam, but don’t bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, and pour through a strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg.
• Cover the custard and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight (Image 2).

Make the pistachio butter.

• Meanwhile, run water over the strainer filled with the chopped pistachios to rinse off the milk. Scrape the pistachios into a food processor. Process the nuts until they smooth out into a creamy paste, similar in texture to peanut butter. This step will take about 10 minutes, and you should run your food processor for about 30 seconds at a time, scraping down the sides frequently, and letting the motor rest for a few seconds before you run it again.
• When the pistachio butter is ready, scrape it into a jar and refrigerate until needed. If desired, add a little salt to taste.

Churn the ice cream.

• Use an electric mixer to whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form that hold their shape. Take the bowl of chilled custard ice cream base and gently whisk in the whipped cream, then whisk in 1/4 cup of the pistachio butter (Image 3).
• Churn the ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the vodka, if using.
• When the ice cream is finished churning, fold in the brownie chunks and chopped chocolate (Image 4).
• Transfer the ice cream to a lidded ice cream container and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use shelled and salted pistachios or unshelled pistachios?

Shelled and salted pistachios are easy to use, since you don’t have to spend time shelling them, but unshelled pistachios tend to be less expensive. If your pistachios are unsalted, then I’d recommend adding 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt to your ice cream.

Is pistachio ice cream supposed to be green?

Typically, pistachio ice cream is not a vivid green color without the help of some food coloring. The natural color of your ice cream will depend on the color of your pistachios. You can see that mine weren’t very green, but more of a golden color, which resulted in a tan colored ice cream. If it’s important to you that your ice cream is green, plan on adding some food coloring.

What can I do with the leftover pistachio butter?

There are quite a few different ways you can use up the pistachio butter/paste, in both sweet and savory recipes. Here are just a few ideas:

• Add the paste to buttercream, for a delicious pistachio frosting.
• Make a sandwich with jelly and pistachio butter instead of peanut butter.
• Use it in a sauce for a chicken satay type of dish.
• Stir it into curry for a rich, nutty flavor.
• Serve it with a charcuterie board to enjoy with crackers and cheese.

If I don’t have an ice cream maker, how can I make a no churn pistachio ice cream?

• Follow the instructions above to make pistachio butter/paste (no need to soak the nuts in milk first).
• Whisk together the following: 1/2 cup pistachio butter, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract. If the nuts are unsalted, add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp coarse Kosher salt.
• Use an electric mixer to whip 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Whisk the whipped cream into the pistachio mixture.
• If adding the brownies and chocolate, fold them in now.
• Pour the ice cream mix into a lidded container, and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.

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