If you like chocolate and pistachios, then you’ll love this simple no-churn, vegan chocolate pistachio ice cream with caramel sauce.

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There are few things I like as much as I like chocolate. And you can easily tell by doing a simple search on this site for "chocolate". You'll see what I mean.
And while I already have a basic vegan and paleo chocolate ice cream recipe, on the blog I wanted to give this chocolate ice cream a new spin and add pistachios and a drizzle of caramel sauce. It's a decadent, indulgent, and delicious treat.
The great thing about this ice cream is that it's made in a blender - yes, a blender will be your best friend and ideal for making no churn ice cream. You'll also find a delicious no churn strawberry ice cream with raspberry swirl here and a dairy-free matcha pistachio ice cream, to put your blender to good use!
Want to take this to a new chocolate level? Pair it with these delicious gluten-free brownies.


Why You'll Love This Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream
- It's easy to make but an impressive dessert to serve
- The food processor will do all the work for you
- It's vegan and paleo
- It's delicious and decadent
Ingredients
Full-fat coconut milk
Eveporated condensed coconut milk
Coconut sugar
Vanilla extract
Cacao or cocoa powder
Ground cardamom
Honey
Almond butter
Pistachios
See recipe card for quantities and details

How do you make vegan chocolate pistachio ice cream?
A good vegan chocolate ice cream doesn’t require a lot of ingredients but the ones you use should be of the best possible quality.
In my book, the base for a vegan chocolate ice cream is quality creamy full fat coconut milk and good cacao or cocoa powder. Add-ins are maple syrup, almond butter, a little ground cardamom, vanilla, and ground pistachios.
You can certainly skip the caramel sauce, I think it is an absolute must, to complete this ice cream.
Tips + Tricks
Freeze and refrigerate everything!
While making this recipe several times, I’ve done a little troubleshooting to avoid one of the most common issues with homemade no-churn ice cream - icy taste. The issue is simple; the warm ingredients placed in the freezer take longer to freeze than in conventional ice cream makers and the water in coconut milk (or any milk), will create crystallization and leave a rather unpleasant mouth feel.
But if you keep your blender cup, blade, and loaf pan in the freezer and the coconut milk and almond butter in the fridge for a few hours, you’ll end up with a smooth ice cream with little to no crystallization.
For the caramel sauce
You only need condensed coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut sugar, and a pinch of sea salt to make a smooth and creamy caramel sauce. This can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks (should it make it that long).

📖 Recipe

No Churn Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream with Caramel
If you like chocolate and pistachios then you’re going to love this simple no-churn, dairy-free, vegan ice cream. And let’s not forget the caramel, which pretty much ties everything together.
Ingredients
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk, refrigerated for at least 4 hours (I particularly like that brand)
- ¾ cup evaporated condensed coconut milk
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 5 tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 5 teaspoon runny raw honey
- ½ cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoon ground pistachios
Instructions
- For chocolate ice cream:
In a food processor or blender, grind up pistachios in advance. Set aside. - Prior to starting, ensure that you freeze your blade, blender cup, and loaf pan and refrigerate the ½ cup almond butter and coconut milk for at least 2 hours.
- Combine 2 cans chilled coconut milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, cacao, cardamom, honey and almond butter and blend until smooth.
- Transfer mixture to loaf pan, sprinkle with ground pistachios and cover with plastic wrap. Ensure the wrap makes contact with the ice cream mixture and wrap pan again tightly ensuring that little to no air can get in. Quickly transfer to freezer and freeze for 6 hours.
- For caramel sauce:
Meanwhile combine condensed coconut milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with coconut sugar in small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes on low, stirring regularly until you get a creamy caramel sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. - When the caramel has finished, transfer to a glass container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
- To assemble ice cream. Once it’s finished freezing, remove from freezer and let sit for 30-45 minutes (it’s worth the wait).
Scoop vegan chocolate ice cream into bowl and finish with caramel sauce and sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Wonderful No Shell Pistachios (24 oz.), Basic
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Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Almond Butter, 27 Ounces
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Nature Nate’s 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey; 32-oz. Squeeze Bottle; Certified Gluten Free and OU Kosher Certified; Enjoy Honey’s Balanced Flavors, Wholesome Benefits and Sweet Natural Goodness
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Spicy World Ground Cardamom Powder 3.5oz (Cardamon)
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Viva Naturals #1 Best Selling Certified Organic Cacao Powder from Superior Criollo Beans, 1 LB Bag
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Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract, Certified Organic, 4-Ounce Glass Bottle
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Organic Coconut Palm Sugar, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Sweetener Substitute (1.5 lbs.)
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Nature's Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk - 360ml (12.17fl oz)
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Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk, 13.5 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12),Packaging may Vary
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