Pistachio Gelato Recipe: How to Make Pistachio Gelato

Pistachio gelato is a classic Italian frozen dessert with a strong pistachio flavor. In Italy, authentic pistachio gelato is a pale-green color that borders on tan since pistachio nuts are a mixture of brown and green. While gelato’s base ingredients stay the same no matter where it gets made, there are a few regional differences. For instance, in northern Italy and the United States, gelato often has more cream and includes egg yolks to help thicken the final product and prevent ice crystals from forming. In southern Italy, gelato often contains cornstarch as a thickening agent.

Pistachio gelato is denser than pistachio ice cream because it churns slowly to prevent excess air from forming. Gelato also uses less heavy cream than ice cream and gets served at a warmer temperature. Traditional gelato contains egg yolks, like ice cream, but many modern recipes are purely milk-based.

There are ways to make dense and creamy gelato without an ice cream maker, but it will differ from traditional gelato. Many no-churn gelato recipes rely on whipped cream to give the gelato structure and airiness that usually comes from an ice cream machine. Making gelato without an ice cream maker produces a frozen treat between Italian gelato and American ice cream in texture; there are more air bubbles than traditional gelato, but it’s still slightly more dense than ice cream.

However, some churn-by-hand recipes entail freezing and whisking the custard in thirty-minute increments until it reaches the texture of frozen yogurt, then freezing it completely until ready to serve. This method makes homemade gelato more reminiscent of what Italy offers.

Use the tips below for making authentic Italian pistachio gelato at home.

1. 1. Use pistachio paste in the custard. To get an intense pistachio flavor just like a gelateria in Italy, use pistachio paste, also known as pistachio butter. Make pistachio butter at home to ensure only the most natural ingredients go in the gelato, or buy a high-quality, premade variety.
2. 2. Churn the nuts into the gelato. Add whole or chopped pistachios to the gelato during the last few seconds of the churning process. Unsalted pistachios have a more neutral flavor, while salted pistachios yield a sweet and salty frozen dessert.
3. 3. Store in the freezer for a maximum of three days. The longer gelato sits in the freezer, the more it crystallizes and seizes up, causing the flavor to dull and the texture to change. Consume homemade gelato ideally the day it’s made, but within three days at the most.