Pistachio Pudding Homemade Ice Cream is the most delicious, decadent, silky, super-creamy ice cream ever! I can’t get enough of this stuff. It’s really easy to make (no eggs, no cooking). Plus, you can change it up and make different flavors. You have got to try this!
☘Happy St. Patrick’s Day!☘ Since green is the color of the day today, I thought it would be a perfect time to share this wonderfully green and delicious Pistachio Pudding Homemade Ice Cream a.k.a. THE BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER EATEN (yes, I’m shouting…it’s that good!).
It’s weird how I stumble upon recipes sometimes. A few weeks ago, David and I were having some pistachio pudding (my favorite!) for a late-night snack when he said, “This would make really good ice cream. Do you think we could make vanilla ice cream and put the pudding mix in there?” Holy crap. Best. Idea. Ever.
Just for the heck of it, I checked around to see if this had been done before. As it turns out, it had, and we aren’t the geniuses we thought we were in that moment, but who cares? We just wanted some kick-a$$ ice cream.
So we gave it a shot and ended up with the most delicious, indulgent, creamy ice cream we’ve ever had, and it’s really easy to make. There’s no eggs in this ice cream, so you don’t have to cook it. Just mix everything together, chill it, put it in your ice cream maker, freeze it, and done!
I may never buy ice cream again!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE PISTACHIO PUDDING HOMEMADE ICE CREAM:
- Milk
- Heavy cream
- Sugar
- Instant pistachio pudding mix
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Ice cream maker (1.5-quart or larger)
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE PISTACHIO PUDDING HOMEMADE ICE CREAM:
The most important thing you need to remember is that the bowl of your ice cream maker must be completely frozen before you begin, so plan ahead! I keep my bowl in the freezer at all times so that it’s always in there and ready to make some ice cream.
The ice cream will be ready to take out of the ice cream machine when it is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. In my experience of making ice cream, I’ve never been able to get it much firmer than that in the machine.
Now, you can certainly eat it at this point – it’s totally up to you – but if you like a firmer ice cream, you’ll need to freeze it for a few hours. It’s really hard to wait, I know, but then you will have THIS to enjoy:
Oh, and if you want to add any mix-ins to your ice cream (such as chopped pistachios), add them only during the last few minutes of processing in the ice cream maker. You want to add them at the very end so they are just stirred in and don’t get broken apart (and also so you don’t jam up your machine). If your machine is pretty full, you can stir them in by hand after you take the ice cream out of the machine.
But wait…there’s more! You can absolutely change this up and make different ice cream flavors. Just change the pudding flavor you use, change up the extracts, maybe throw in some mix-ins. Experiment and have fun!
I’ve already done it with chocolate and butterscotch. Amazing! For those, I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and eliminated the almond extract. Coconut, cheesecake, and cookies and cream are next on my list to try.
I hope you try this recipe for Pistachio Pudding Homemade Ice Cream (or any flavor!) and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Pistachio Pudding Homemade Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package pistachio instant pudding
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- First things first: make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker is thoroughly frozen before beginning! You will need a 1.5-quart or larger ice cream maker.
- Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (longer is okay).
- Following the instructions for your specific ice cream maker, pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and process until thick (about 15 to 20 minutes). It will be ready when it is the consistency of soft ice cream.
- For firmer ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe bowl, cover, and put in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
Notes
- Be sure to use instant pudding mix as it will dissolve in the cold milk and cream. Pudding that has to be cooked will not dissolve, and the mixture will be lumpy.
- If you want to add in any mix-ins, add them to the machine during the last few minutes or stir them in by hand after you remove the ice cream from the machine.
- You can make different ice cream flavors with different pudding flavors, extracts, and mix-ins. Experiment and have fun!
Kristyn
Wow! This is dangerously delicious. My family had so much fun making this…..and wow…the taste is like no other. This is like the best ice cream I ever had. I also love simplicity of it.
I made chocolate too. That was amazing as well. I am excited to experiment more with different flavors. My girls want to try making Oreo Cookie ice cream next. Fun and delicious.
Michelle
I am so glad your family enjoyed the ice cream! Let me know how your future flavor experiments go!
Shauna
Can it be made with skim milk?
Michelle
Hi, Shauna! I’ve never tried it myself, but I suppose you can replace the whole milk with skim milk (although you will probably get a less-creamy result). I don’t recommend replacing the heavy cream with skim milk, though, as you will get ice milk rather than ice cream.
Brenda Herridge
Could you make a sugar free version of this, perhaps with kefir milk and kefir cream? I haven’t found any other recipes on kefir instant pistachio pudding ice cream.
Michelle
Hey, Brenda! I don’t have much experience with converting recipes to sugar-free or with using kefir, but I don’t see why you couldn’t try a sugar-free version using kefir milk, kefir cream, sugar-free instant pudding, and a sugar-free sweetener. If you decide to give it a try, please come back and let us know how it went!
Teri Moran
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. Came out really creamy and yummy.
Michelle
Thank you, Teri! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Lauren
Do you think you could use Lime Jello to make key lime ice cream? Or can you only use pudding mix?
Michelle
Hi, Lauren! I have only ever used pudding mix, so I can’t say for sure, but using lime Jell-O might also work. It might taste more like sherbet…Yum! I guess there’s only one way to find out. If you give it a try, please come back and let us know how it goes!
Janet Dahlman
I used sugar free pudding and monk fruit sweetener. The mixture was VERY firm when I put it in my Cusinart but let it run about 10 minutes. It was not moving so added a cup of low-fat milk and ran another 15 until it was barely moving. The texture is perfect! I don’t know if the heaviness was due to the sugar free products but hopefully I saved someone else an experiment! Enjoy! I will try other sugar free pudding flavors.
Michelle
Hello, Janet! I have made this ice cream many times (using the recipe as written) and, although the mixture is slightly thicker due to the instant pudding mix, it is never firm and does not give my ice cream maker a hard time at all. I don’t know if the changes you made to the recipe caused the mixture to have a different consistency, but I’m glad it turned out well for you in the end. Thank you for sharing your experience with the changes you made.
Lusette
This is the best. So delicious. Can’t wait to try it with other flavours
Michelle
Thanks so much, Lusette! So glad you enjoyed it!
Mrs. Poulter
I didn’t like the texture. Very marshmallow like. The flavor was amazing! I’m not giving up on it though! I will use whole milk next time and see how it works out. The flavor will pair well with fruits!
Michelle
Hey, Mrs. Poulter! So glad you enjoyed the flavor of the ice cream but sorry you didn’t care for the texture. I make this ice cream all the time and, for me, the texture is always like any other ice cream (maybe a little creamier), so I’m not sure what might have happened to make yours like marshmallow. Did you freeze it after processing in the ice cream maker to let it harden? Sometimes ice cream can be a bit too soft right out of the machine. Glad you are willing to give it another try. Please let me know how it goes!
Heather P.
This sounds awesome! Question- I have a 4quart ice cream maker. Would I double everything in the recipe to make a 4 quart batch? What size ice cream maker are you using?
Michelle
Hey, Heather! I use a 1.5-quart ice cream maker when I make this, and it is the perfect size for a single batch (you end up with about 4 cups/1 quart of ice cream, but while it’s working, the ice cream does come right up to the very top). I have never made a bigger batch since I only have that one ice cream machine, but I am not aware of any reason why you couldn’t scale up the recipe to make a larger quantity. Doubling the recipe would give you about 2 quarts of ice cream. I would suggest maybe tripling the recipe to make 3 quarts, since I am not sure if making 4 quarts might overflow your machine. Use your best judgement, and please come back and let me know how it goes!
Lisa Morris
Not a good recipe for the Kitchenaid Mixer. Pudding already set when I removed mixture from fridge which made it difficult to transfer to bowl of ice creammaker since it must be spinning when you pour in mixture, then it ceased up prior to end of churning time (6 minutes!). The mixture in bottom of bowl had frozen solid & the remaining on top was still pudding-like. I still transferred to ice cream tub to try later.
Michelle
Hey, Lisa! I’m so bummed that this recipe didn’t work out for you in your KitchenAid mixer attachment! I’ve made it so many times in my Krups ice cream maker successfully and am not sure what might have caused the issues you describe with your machine. Yes, the mixture is a bit thicker than a normal ice cream base because of the instant pudding mix, but it should not be so thick that it is difficult to pour. It should also freeze evenly to the consistency of soft ice cream without stopping the machine. Any ice cream base, even a thinner one, is going to get much, much thicker as it freezes, so the machine should be able to handle that. Did you happen to add anything to the ice cream (like nuts or chocolate chips) that maybe could have caused the machine to stop?
Shirley
I have to say this turned into my favorite ice cream. I can’t get enough of it! The flavor and texture are so spot on, plus it doesn’t freeze into a solid block and is extremely easy to make since no eggs are involved. I also add extra chopped pistachios to the mix. If you love pistachio ice cream you must try this recipe!! Thanks Michelle
Michelle
Hey, Shirley! I am so thrilled that you like the ice cream as much as I do (it’s my absolute favorite!). Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. I really appreciate it!
Ron & Karen
This sounds like the Perfect Ice Cream for THANKSGIVING DESSERT or CHRISTMAS DESSERT. The Wife and I will try it with the FAMILY on THANKSGIVING. THANK U for the recipe. We do ICE CREAM all year around.
AGAIN THANK U.
Michelle
Thank you! I do ice cream all year long too. I’m so happy that you will be giving it a try, and I hope everyone likes it. Please come back and let me know!
b
Second time making this wonderful recipe.
The flavor is great and it is so easy.
I did add 1/4 c. pistachios at the very end.
Also I didn’t have cream so used 3 c. half and half.
Michelle
I am so happy that you enjoyed the ice cream! Great to know that half and half works if you don’t have heavy cream. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Lenny Lapete
Fantastic site. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some pals ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you on your effort!
Michelle
Thank you!
Debbie
I made a semi-sugar free version and it worked perfection. I even used the Kitchen Aid Ice cream maker and it worked perfectly. Instead of whole milk I used 3/4 of light milk (2%) and 1/4 half and half (chilled). For the sugar I used the Truvia Cane Sugar Blend (since Im not a huge fan of 100% sweetener). As far as the pudding I used the Jello Sugar Free Pistachio (only 1 box! Even though in the recipe it says 3oz and the sugar free box says 1oz). The rest just the same in terms of almond and vanilla extract. The consistency was perfect and the taste incredible. As a diabetic it didnt raise my blood sugar tremendously so 100% recomendad. 🙂
Michelle
Thank you, Debbie! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the ice cream! Also, thanks for sharing your success in making the recipe semi-sugar-free, as I’m sure there are some readers who might want to make it that way!
Shelley Boulet
I first tried this recipe with the pistachio pudding and it was so delicious I wanted to try it with other flavors. I decided to make a pralines and cream version. In doing so I made a delicious mistake. Instead of using vanilla pudding I accidentally grabbed banana cream pie pudding and it turned out amazing!!!!! The ice cream was so creamy with a subtle banana flavor and then I added swirls of caramel sauce and candied pecans … OMG!!
Michelle
Hey, Shelley! I’m so glad you enjoyed the ice cream and, WOW, your pralines and cream version sounds incredible! I am definitely going to try it asap! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Jade Eaves
I have had pistachio pudding mix in my cupboard for a while, and decided to give this a try. Wow! So good. I love soft, creamy ice cream and this certainly is that. Like some of your other reviewers, it now makes me want to try some other pudding mixes as well to try some different flavors. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Michelle
Thank you for your rating and review, Jade! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the ice cream!
Rita
Made today for my 3yr old gbaby. I had to strain the pistachios out because she only likes smooth ice cream with no surprises. It is absolutely perfect. I improvised a little with the milk to use what I have on hand. Used 1c. 2% milk, 1c. 1/2&1/2, 1c. heavy cream. I questioned the almond extract for her, but it is not overpowering and really finishes out the flavor well. Will absolutely make again and again! Thank you!!
Michelle
Hi, Rita! I’m so thrilled that you both enjoyed the ice cream, and I love that you went with using the milk/cream that you already had! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!