Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Ice Cream
This Dubai pistachio chocolate ice cream is rich, creamy, and swirled with pistachio cream for that bold, nutty twist everyone’s talking about. Easy to make and totally freezer-worthy.
Servings: 8 servings (total of 1 quart)
Ingredients
Custard base
- ⅔ cup (130 g) sugar
- 6 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 cup (500 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (250 ml) Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)
- ¼ cup (20 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate
- 6 oz (170 g) Semisweet chocolate (around 55% cocoa) cut into small chunks
Swirl
- ½ cup (145 g) Pistachio cream with kanafe bits a mix of smooth pistachio butter and crunchy Dubai-style pistachio kanafe spread
Instructions
- Measure all the ingredients. Place the ice cream machine's inner bowl in the freezer overnight (refer to your machine's manual).
Custard base
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened. This helps give your ice cream that silky, custard-style texture.⅔ cup sugar, 6 large egg yolks
- In a saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, and cocoa powder. Heat over medium, whisking gently until everything is well blended. Don’t let it boil—just heat until it starts to simmer around the edges.2 cup whole milk, 1 cup Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream), ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (unsweetened), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking. This step keeps the eggs from scrambling. Then pour everything back into the saucepan.
- Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. You’ll know it’s ready when it thickens slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon—if you run your finger through it, the line should stay clean.
Chocolate
- Pour the hot custard through a fine sieve into a bowl with the chopped chocolate. Use a spoon to help push the custard through. Let the chocolate sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir until completely melted and smooth.6 oz Semisweet chocolate (around 55% cocoa)
Chill and churn
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming. Let it cool to room temp, then chill in the fridge overnight. Cold base means creamier ice cream.
- Pour the cold custard into your ice cream maker (make sure the bowl is frozen, if needed). Churn according to your machine’s instructions—usually about 30 minutes—until it looks like soft serve.
Swirl and freeze
- Mix ¼ cup each of pistachio butter and Dubai pistachio kanafe spread.½ cup Pistachio cream with kanafe bits
- Transfer half of the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, spreading the pistachio kanafe cream on top. Then add the remaining ice cream. Fold it upwards gently with a fork, not too much.
- Cover with parchment paper. Freeze for 1–2 hours for a firmer scoop.
Notes
- Use good chocolate. Go for one you’d actually eat on its own. Better chocolate gives you better ice cream.
- Chill the custard overnight. Cold custard churns better and gives you that extra-smooth, creamy texture. Totally worth the wait.
- Swirl, don’t mix. Gently swirl the pistachio kanafe cream after churning—prevents them from blending together.
- Freeze before scooping. After churning, pop it in the freezer for 1–2 hours to firm up. That’s how you get clean, picture-perfect scoops.
- It’s perfect for making ahead. Make the custard up to 2–3 days in advance and chill until you’re ready to churn (just give it a quick whisk before using). Or churn it ahead and freeze—the texture stays great for at least a week. Let it sit out a few minutes before scooping for that perfect creamy texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 476.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.8g | Protein: 11.4g | Fat: 31.4g | Saturated Fat: 15.6g | Cholesterol: 190.3mg | Sodium: 281.9mg | Potassium: 420.1mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 31.2g | Calcium: 140.6mg | Iron: 2.5mg
