Pistachio gelato is one of the most popular flavors of gelato both in Italy and around the world. It is considered a staple flavor that every gelateria worth their salt always has. In this guide I’m going to show a simple and foolproof way to make the best tasting pistachio gelato right at home!

homemade pistachio gelato in a bowl with whole and cracked pistachios off to the side

Pistachio gelato traces its origins back to the ancient Persians who discovered the delicious pistachio nut. The Persian rulers quickly developed a taste for these flavorful nuts and incorporated them into their luxurious desserts. The recipe for pistachio gelato eventually made its way to Italy during the Middle Ages, where it gained popularity among the Italian elite and is now beloved flavor enjoyed by people around the world.

The history of pistachio gelato is itself interwoven with the history of ice cream. In fact, nut based gelatos were much more popular than fruit flavors, as the latter were mostly used in sorbets. Even today you will find flavors like gianduja (chocolate hazelnut), walnut, and pistachio at many gelaterias all over Italy.

What You’ll Need

As with all of my recipes on Scoops of Delight, you need an ice cream machine. The exact style and brand does not matter too much but you do want one that is decent quality. I personally use the Smeg Ice Cream Maker. The only issue with it is that you need to already have a Smeg Stand Mixer – which can be quite pricey. While there are plenty of recipes for no-churn gelatos, I often find a properly churned gelato magnitudes better.

Some other things you will need for this homemade gelato recipe are:

Mixing Bowls
Wire Whisk
Steel Pan (I personally find steel the best for making gelato, but you can use any as long as you are careful about the temperature).
Rubber Spatula
Sealable Container (The best thing to use to store homemade gelato is plastic in my opinion. You want something that is more flat than tall as it provides more surface area to quickly freeze in a home freezer).
Fine Mesh Sieve
Blender (I use a stick blender, but you can use a juicer or regular blender as well)
Kitchen Scale (optional, but recommended as almost all of my recipes use metric as it is more precise than imperial for most home cooks).

How To Make Pistachio Gelato

While many of the gelati on this site use a traditional Sicilian base, I decided to do something a little different with this pistachio gelato recipe. Here I use xantham gum as the thickener instead of corn starch. Xantham gum is also a stabilizer and an emulsifier, so it can also replace eggs in ice cream, although I personally like using a mix of xantham and sunflower lecithin. I know this ingredient sounds intimidating, but it is perfectly safe and in plenty of foods we eat!

Ingredients

400 ml Milk (3.5% fat or higher ideally)

200 ml Heavy Cream (36% fat or higher)

170 grams Sugar

100 grams Pistachio Paste (use 100% pure pistachio paste, not one with added oil or sugar)

1.5 grams tsp Salt (this is about 1/3 of a teaspoon, but ideally you’ll use your scale to measure accurately).

0.8 grams Xantham Gum (this is about 1/3 of a teaspoon, but ideally you’ll use your scale to measure accurately).

salt and sugar and xantham gum in a black bowl on a kitchen scale

The first step in making this easy pistachio gelato is to combine the salt and sugar with the xantham gum. This will make incorporating the gum into the final gelato much easier. Another great thing about this pistachio gelato recipe is it is ‘no-cook’. Unlike say a strawberry ice cream which uses a custard base, this quick recipe just needs everything mixed together well.

using a stick blender to combine the wet and dry ingredients. The pistachio paste is off to the side in a plastic container

Next place the milk and cream in a blender or large jar. Pour in the sugar/salt/gum mix and blitz with a stick blender until homogenous. Lastly scrape in the pistachio paste and blitz to combine. Then place the entire jar in the fridge to chill completely. Now you have just made the pistachio gelato base.

Churning

pistachio gelato base in a jar next to a SMEG ice cream maker attachment

Once your base is fully chilled (and I mean you want it as cold as possible) you can get ready for churning. This pistachio gelato recipe works with any ice cream machine. I am using mine, which must be pre-frozen, but you can use a compressor machine if you have it.

Place your base into the machine and run according to your machine’s instructions. It takes me roughly 30-40 minutes on the slowest speed setting. Then move your soft serve consistency gelato to a sealable container and place in the freezer to set.

You can serve your homemade pistachio gelato however you see fit. In a cup or a cone; with or without garnishes. I like to put chopped pistachios on mine. Enjoy!