Ninja Creami Pistachio Ice Cream With Pistachio Halva

Homemade pistachio ice cream in the Ninja Creami creates a rich creamy frozen dessert with deep pistachio flavor and a smooth scoopable texture. This Ninja Creami pistachio ice cream uses pistachio emulsion for concentrated nutty flavor along with pistachio halva mixed into the finished ice cream for extra sweetness and texture.

This pistachio ice cream recipe starts with a simple ice cream base made from cream cheese, heavy cream, whole milk, and sugar. The pistachio halva gets added after the first churn, creating small chewy nutty pieces throughout the creamy ice cream. Even if you have never tried halva before, the final flavor still tastes primarily like rich pistachio ice cream with extra sesame sweetness from the tahini-based confection.

The Ninja Creami works particularly well for homemade pistachio ice cream because it creates a creamy texture without requiring a traditional churn ice cream machine or cooked custard base. This makes it easier to prepare intensely flavored homemade ice cream with simple ingredients at home.

Quick Answer

This Ninja Creami pistachio ice cream recipe uses pistachio emulsion, cream, milk, and pistachio halva to create a rich homemade pistachio ice cream with intense nutty flavor and a creamy scoopable texture.

I originally started experimenting with pistachio ice cream because most store-bought pistachio ice creams tasted overly artificial or lacked real pistachio flavor. Using pistachio emulsion creates a much deeper pistachio flavor in the ice cream base, while the pistachio halva adds texture and richness that makes the finished frozen dessert feel more like a specialty ice cream shop flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Ninja Creami Pistachio Ice Cream

Intense Pistachio Flavor: Pistachio emulsion creates a deep nutty pistachio flavor throughout the ice cream base without relying on artificial pudding mixes.

Creamy Texture: The combination of cream cheese, heavy cream, and whole milk helps create a smooth creamy texture that works especially well in the Ninja Creami machine.

Unique Pistachio Halva Mix-In: Pistachio halva adds small chewy nutty pieces throughout the homemade pistachio ice cream for extra texture and richness.

Simple Ice Cream Base: The list of ingredients is fairly small and uses simple ingredients that blend together easily for beginner home cooks. Love how easy this recipe is you’ll also love my orange ice cream with cream cheese base.

Ninja Creami Convenience: The Ninja Creami machine handles the heavy lifting of turning the frozen pint into creamy homemade pistachio ice cream without needing a traditional ice cream churn. 

How Do We Make This Intense Pistachio Ice Cream?

You’ll need to gather the necessary ingredients for the Ninja® CREAMi® ice cream recipe, including the pistachio emulsion and halva, also made with pistachio. If you have difficulty finding pistachio halva and still wish to try this recipe, you can test it with this homemade one.

In a medium bowl, place the softened cream cheese. Here’s a handy tip for prepping with the CREAMi®: a quick 10-second stint in the microwave can make the cream cheese more straightforward to blend with the sugar and other ingredients. Using a fork, you can easily combine the sugar and cream cheese. Sometimes, simplicity in tools and ingredients leads to the most straightforward success. 

Once the sugar has been blended into the cream cheese, it’s time to add the heavy cream. I typically use whipping cream or 35% cream for its luxurious richness, which truly enhances the creaminess of the ice cream. Using a whisk, gently incorporate the sugar mixture into the heavy cream, ensuring the sugar completely dissolves before proceeding. While whisking, gradually pour in the whole milk. Look for 3.25% milk at the store.

Add the pistachio emulsion once the cream, milk, and sugar are thoroughly combined. Then, it’s time to fill the pint container provided with your ice cream machine. The ice cream base gets poured directly into the Ninja Creami pint container before freezing, which helps the machine properly churn the frozen mixture into a creamy scoopable texture the next day. Seal the container with its plastic lid and place it flat in your freezer for 24 hours. That may seem like a long time. However, this extended freezing time ensures that the mixture solidifies completely. While it may seem like a long wait, it’s perfect for those who enjoy having a variety of ice cream flavors on hand.

Let’s talk about the pistachio halva, the final touch in this Ninja® CREAMi® ice cream recipe. After the 24-hour freeze period, take the pint out of the freezer. Follow the assembly steps to set up the ice cream bowl on the Ninja® CREAMi® machine, then select the ice cream function. Let the machine work its magic, mixing your ice cream.

When you open the pint, you might notice that the pistachio ice cream appears somewhat ‘dry’ after the initial churn. Don’t worry – it’ll come together beautifully once you add the pistachio halva.

The Ninja Creami ice cream machine handles the heavy lifting of turning the frozen pistachio ice cream base into a creamy homemade frozen dessert without requiring a traditional churn ice cream maker or cooked custard base.

After the first spin, the pistachio ice cream can sometimes look slightly dry or crumbly around the center of the ice cream. This is normal for many Ninja Creami ice cream recipes and improves once the mix-in cycle blends the pistachio halva into the creamy ice cream base.

Even if you have never tried halva before, the flavor works surprisingly well in pistachio ice cream because the tahini adds a rich nutty sweetness similar to sesame candy or nut butter desserts. If you cannot find pistachio halva locally, the recipe still works well with chopped roasted pistachios instead. The pistachio halva softens slightly during the mix-in process, creating small chewy nutty pieces throughout the homemade pistachio ice cream while still keeping the creamy consistency of the ice cream base.

To incorporate the pistachio halva, remove the lid assembly from the outer bowl lid, followed by the lid from the ice cream pint. Using a spoon, dig into the center of the pistachio ice cream to create space for the halva to the bottom of the pint. The extra ice cream you scoop out melts fairly quickly, so it makes a good little cook’s treat while you finish adding the pistachio halva to the center of the pint.

Fill the hole you’ve made in the ice cream with the one-quarter cup of halva you’ve measured. 

Replace the lid on the pint, place the pint back in the outer bowl, and return the lid assembly. 

Place the bowl assembly back on the ice cream machine for the last time. 

Select the full ice cream setting and then mix it in the setting. Selecting the whole pint setting will allow it to churn up the bottom of the ice cream, not just the top. You will find the mix-in button located near the power button. The Ninja® CREAMi® ice cream maker will now do its magic and add a creamy texture to your ice cream. 

Homemade pistachio ice cream tends to soften fairly quickly once scooped because of the rich dairy base, so it is best served shortly after re-spinning or after sitting at room temperature for a few minutes.

The next time you want to cool off, serve a scoop of this tasty, richly flavored pistachio ice cream. Whether at your next summer barbecue or on a cone just because you’re in the mood for a bit of sweetness. Anyway, if you enjoy ice cream, this ice cream is sure to become a favorite this season!

Ingredients:

This homemade pistachio ice cream uses a simple ice cream base with cream, milk, cream cheese, and pistachio emulsion for a creamy texture and rich pistachio flavor.

Cream Cheese: Frequently used in ice cream bases, cream cheese creates a smooth base and creamier mouthfeel to ice cream recipes. Cream cheese adds a subtle tanginess and depth of flavor to the ice cream base, complementing the maple’s sweetness and the walnuts’ nuttiness. Another great cream cheese based recipe I love is my blueberry ice cream with wild blueberry reduction.

White Sugar: Primarily, white sugar adds sweetness to the ice cream base, balancing out the natural flavors of the dairy and any other ingredients used. However, lesser known is that sugar also aids in lowering the freezing point of the ice cream base, which prevents it from freezing into a solid block. This property contributes to the smooth and creamy texture of the finished ice cream, allowing it to remain scoopable even when frozen.

Heavy Cream: This thick, high-fat dairy product is generally sold in Canada as 35% whipping cream. It’s ideal for making a smooth, rich ice cream at home. 

Whole Milk: This 3.25% milk, sometimes sold as homogenized or homo milk, has a velvety smooth texture which is lighter than heavy cream. Used in this ice cream recipe, it helps develop the creamy treat, balancing the fat to milky flavor. 

Pistachio Emulsion: Adds a rich, nutty flavor to ice cream, creating a delightful and indulgent treat for pistachio lovers. 

Pistachio Halva: When you’re in the mood for delicious, unique flavors, this Middle Eastern sweet treat with pistachio nuts makes a beautiful ice cream add-in. Strong flavor from the tahini and pistachio adds to the ice cream, creating the best flavors. 

Substitutions and Add-ins for the best ice cream

Cream Cheese: If you want to use something other than cream cheese as the base, you can substitute silken tofu. It’s important to note that, like cream cheese, silken tofu contains protein, which can help stabilize the ice cream mixture and prevent it from becoming icy or grainy during freezing. However, it may not provide the same level of stabilization as cream cheese, so you may need to adjust the recipe or use additional stabilizers if necessary. Another choice would be to use vegan cream cheese. This plant-based ingredient is designed to mimic the taste and texture of traditional cream cheese.

White Sugar: Good substitutes for white sugar are sweeteners that blend well in the ice cream base. You can choose depending on your dietary and flavor preferences. Remember that the final product’s flavor, texture, and sweetness may be affected when substituting sweeteners in an ice cream base. Experimenting with different sweeteners and adjusting the amount to suit your taste preferences is a good idea. Good choices are brown, maple, coconut, cane sugars, and stevia. I have even found that Koolaid drink crystals work awesome for both flavor and sweetener. Like in my blue raspberry ice cream.

Heavy Cream: This creates that rich, creamy texture in the ice cream. It can be replaced with cashew cream to create dairy-free recipes. Cashew cream is made by blending soaked cashews with water until smooth and creamy. Another non-dairy alternative would be unsweetened coconut cream; remember that this will impart a distinct coconut flavor. While that will complement the pistachio, it won’t be a strictly pistachio halva ice cream recipe. 

Whole Milk: Can be replaced with non-dairy alternatives like cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or even almond milk. When choosing a non-dairy milk alternative for your ice cream recipe, consider the flavor and texture you want to achieve and any dietary preferences or restrictions. Experiment with different options to find the perfect combination that suits your taste preferences and creates a deliciously creamy, non-dairy pistachio ice cream.

Pistachio Emulsion: If you can’t find this product locally, you can test it out; pistachio paste is made from ground pistachios and can be used as a flavorful substitute for pistachio emulsion. It offers a rich and nutty taste similar to emulsion. It can be added to the ice cream base with pistachio flavor. Remember that pistachio paste may vary in texture and consistency, so adjust the quantity to achieve the desired flavor intensity. Alternatively, pistachio extract can be used as a substitute. While not as concentrated as emulsion, pistachio extract still provides a distinct pistachio flavor to the ice cream base. Start with a small amount and adjust to taste, as extracts can vary in potency.

Pistachio Halva: This is a specialty product you may have trouble sourcing. Feel free to switch it out for finely chopped or ground-roasted pistachios. This method adds texture and flavor to the ice cream, creating a delightful crunch with each bite. Remember that ground pistachios may produce a slightly less pronounced pistachio flavor than halva as it has no tahini or other ‘extras.’

Looking for a different add-in to the pistachio ice cream base? Try adding in some dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate pieces. Yummy!

Expert tips, Serving, and storing suggestions for this homemade ice cream

Tip #1: Choose high-quality Pistachio emulsion or paste for the most authentic pistachio flavor.

Tip #2: Store In Deep Freeze: Store the ice cream in the coldest part of your freezer. It’s the only place to maintain its freshness and texture. The ice cream will last two weeks in the freezer. 

Tip #3: To prevent freezer burn and maintain the freshness of your pistachio ice cream, store it in an airtight container and ensure no air pockets around the ice cream. You can also place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface of the ice cream before sealing the container to create a barrier against moisture.

This homemade pistachio ice cream works especially well during hot summer weather alongside other frozen desserts and easy barbecue desserts.

Store unused ice cream in an airtight freezer container in the freezer for later use. To enjoy it from the freezer, let the pint come to room temperature for a bit, as it is a firm ice cream when frozen. Alternatively, you can remix using the Ninja® CREAMi® machine, but be sure the contents of the pint are level as per the instructions before you begin and not above the max fill line. 

You can also freeze directly in the Ninja® pint if you don’t need it immediately. Ninja® ice cream can stay fresh in the freezer for two weeks. But let’s be honest, you don’t need to make this creamy homemade treat to keep for weeks. I would be surprised if it will last a day. Churn your ice cream fresh for the next day for the creamiest, most luxurious results, and have the best time this summer making exciting new ice cream flavors.