This no-churn avocado ice cream is smooth, lightly sweet, and finished with crunchy pistachios. Fresh avocado, lemon, whipped cream, and sugar create an easy frozen dessert that needs no ice cream maker.
Why You'll Love My No-Churn Avocado Ice Cream
- No Machine Needed: You only need a food processor, a bowl, and a hand mixer.
- Creamy without Eggs: Avocado and whipped cream give the ice cream a soft, silky texture.
- Fresh Summer Flavour: Lemon keeps the avocado bright, while pistachios add a lovely nutty crunch.
- Easy to Prepare Ahead: I make it earlier in the day, freeze it, and it is ready when dessert is needed.
When I have a few avocados that are perfectly ripe but too soft to leave for another day, I do not always turn them into guacamole or avocado toast. On warm days, I like using them for a cold dessert that feels lighter after dinner. I often make this after serving something fresh, such as my lemon garlic chicken breast or Japanese cucumber salad, and it has the same easy make-ahead feeling as my no-bake peach cheesecake.
Avocado makes this ice cream taste smooth and almost buttery without making it heavy. I blend the avocado until completely creamy before folding it into the whipped cream in two additions, which keeps the texture light once frozen. The lemon gives it a fresher finish, while the pistachios bring little bites of crunch throughout. When I want another simple dessert that can be made ahead, I also turn to my no-bake eclair cake or peanut butter bars.
Key Ingredients in Avocado Ice Cream
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at key ingredients and why I use them.
- Ripe Avocados: I use soft avocados with clean green flesh because they blend into the smoothest base and give the ice cream its natural creamy texture.
- Heavy Cream: Whipping the cream separately gives the ice cream volume and helps it stay soft enough to scoop.
- Sugar, Lemon, and Vanilla: The sugar balances the avocado, while fresh lemon juice and vanilla keep the flavour bright and light.
- Pistachios: I like finely chopped pistachios because they add colour, crunch, and a gentle nutty flavour without overpowering the avocado.
How to Make No-Churn Avocado Ice Cream
This recipe comes together in four simple steps. Start it early in the day so it has plenty of time to freeze before serving.
1. Blend the Avocado Base: Add the avocado flesh, lemon juice, half of the sugar, half of the vanilla, and a small amount of heavy cream to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides when needed, then transfer it to a large bowl.
2. Whip the Cream: Add the remaining heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla to a separate bowl. Beat until thick and fluffy, with soft-to-medium peaks that hold their shape.
3. Fold in the Pistachios and Combine: Fold the chopped pistachios through the whipped cream. Add half of the pistachio cream to the avocado mixture and fold gently, then fold in the rest until no large streaks remain.
4. Freeze until Scoopable: Spoon the avocado mixture and pistachio whipped cream mixture into a freezer-safe loaf pan or dish. Smooth the top, scatter over extra chopped pistachios, and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
Helpful Swaps
- Use Lime Instead of Lemon: Fresh lime juice works well when that is what I have at home. It gives the ice cream a slightly sharper citrus flavour.
- Change the Nuts: Chopped almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts can replace the pistachios, although pistachios give the prettiest colour contrast.
- Use Vanilla Bean Paste: Replace the vanilla extract with the same amount of vanilla bean paste for small vanilla flecks and a deeper flavour.
Tips for No-Churn Avocado Ice Cream
Chill the Bowl First: I place my mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before whipping the cream. The cream becomes fluffy more quickly.
Blend until There Are no Lumps: Take an extra minute with the food processor because even small avocado pieces will become noticeable after freezing.
Use a Shallow Dish when Possible: I find the ice cream freezes more evenly in a shallow loaf pan than in a deep container.
Storage
I keep leftover avocado ice cream in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 week, then let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping.
Try These Ice Cream Recipes Next!
Get my new cookbook!
Get your copy of the book with easy, fresh, and tried-and-true Mediterranean Recipes from the Author and founder of Vargasavour Recipes, Estefania.
Recipe
No-Churn Avocado Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe avocados - peeled and pitted, about 1 pound (450-500 g) avocado flesh
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 64 g granulated sugar - divided
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract - divided
- 420 ml heavy cream - divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 150 g shelled pistachios - finely chopped, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Add the avocado flesh, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 32 g granulated sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, and 60 ml heavy cream to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, then transfer the avocado mixture to a large bowl.
- Add the remaining 360 ml heavy cream, remaining 32 g granulated sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and remaining 1 tsp Vanilla extract to a separate large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until thick, fluffy, and holding soft-to-medium peaks.
- Fold 150 g shelled pistachios, chopped, into the whipped cream mixture until evenly distributed.
- Fold half of the pistachio whipped cream into the avocado mixture until mostly combined. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, stopping as soon as no large streaks remain.
- Spoon the avocado mixture and pistachio whipped cream mixture into a freezer-safe loaf pan or dish. Smooth the top, scatter over extra chopped pistachios, and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Comments
No Comments