Made with just 4 ingredients, this Dairy-free Pistachio Ice Cream is a luxuriously creamy dessert on a warm day. And no ice cream maker is needed to make it.

For the longest time, I have loved ice cream. Unfortunately, my love for ice cream has been unrequited because dairy doesn’t love me back. And, the older I get, the worse dairy seems to show its disdain for me. 

A long while ago, I stumbled on blog posts of no-churn, 3-ingredient ice cream recipes with condensed milk, whipping cream, and a flavoring, and I was so disappointed I would have to miss this bandwagon.

But, things changed when I happened on a can of coconut condensed milk. Since then, I have enjoyed so many dairy-free, no churn ice creams similar to this vegan pistachio ice cream recipe.

I just love indulging in a bowl of this pistachio ice cream, because:

• It has such an incredibly creamy texture,
• It is packed with pistachio flavor,
• It is so satisfying,
• And, it is made with only 4 ingredients!

What are the ingredients needed to make this Dairy-free Pistachio Ice Cream?

I used the following four ingredients to make this:

1. Pistachios
   I used raw pistachios in this ice cream. But, you could also use some roasted, unsalted pistachios instead. For this recipe, I ground up the pistachios in a high-speed blender. Sometimes I grind up 1/2 the amount of pistachios I have roughly chop up the other half and add both to the ice cream, so there are pistachio bits studded throughout the ice cream for visual appeal and crunch.
   
2. Cardamom
   Even though cardamom pods are shown in the photos, I did not gather a bunch of the pods and grind them down. I bought some powdered (or ground) cardamom from the store and used that. These days, cardamom can be found in most grocery stores. To me, it’s such an underrated spice. It is so aromatic. And, just a little of it goes a long way, especially when paired with pistachios.
   
3. Coconut Cream
   Make sure to use coconut cream, not coconut milk, in this recipe. Coconut cream is much thicker and richer than coconut milk. From what I have come to understand, coconut milk is one part shredded coconut and one part water, while coconut cream is four parts shredded coconut and one part water. For this recipe, I used Let’s Do Organic Heavy Coconut Cream, which I found at Walmart and on Amazon.
   
4. Coconut Condensed Milk
   I used Nature’s Charm coconut condensed milk in this recipe. I usually get it from Walmart, but I have also seen it at Publix, Kroger, and on Amazon.

Variations and Substitutions

If you don’t have any pistachios on hand or simply don’t like them, then you can use almonds or cashews instead. If using almonds, add in a quarter teaspoon of almond extract. If you go with cashews, then add in some vanilla extract.

Instead of cardamom, you can use cinnamon or nutmeg.

If lactose intolerance doesn’t plague you, you can use heavy cream and condensed milk in this.

However, if you want to keep this dairy-free but leave out the coconut condensed milk, then use a combination of full-fat coconut milk, coconut cream, and maple syrup or a sweetener of your choice, like I did when making this Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream. 

I would suggest that using any other non-dairy milk, such as oat milk, cashew milk, or almond milk, might result in an ice cream that is less creamy.

How do you make this vegan ice cream recipe?

Once you have the 4 ingredients gathered, start off by adding the raw pistachios to a blender and blend them on high for 10 seconds, repeating until they are the consistency you prefer. If you do not have a high-speed blender, you could also grind these in a food processor.

Sometimes I like to grind the whole cup of pistachios for this recipe. Other times I grind half a cup and roughly chop up the rest and set the chopped up bits aside. 

Then, to the same blender I add in the coconut condensed milk, the coconut cream, and the cardamom. After another quick pulse, I pour the ice cream mixture into a loaf pan or container. If I set aside any chopped pistachios, I sprinkle them over the top of this dairy-free pistachio ice cream. Then I place it in the freezer until it sets.

If you do not have a blender or food processor, you can still enjoy this ice cream. Roughly chop up the pistachios and using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, mix the coconut cream, coconut condensed milk, roughly chopped-up pistachios, and cardamom powder.

Once it sets, I love to enjoy a scoop (or three) of this with slices of banana, some strawberries, maybe some dairy-free whipped topping, and garnish it all with some of my favorite nuts. Then there are other times when I just love to savor a bowl of this without any of the add-ins.

I first shared this recipe on Sofab Food in the summer of 2017. I have updated it, and I am sharing my updated version here today.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!