3-Ingredient Pistachio Ice Cream
This 3-ingredient pistachio cottage cheese ice cream is ultra-creamy, naturally sweet, and made with just three ingredients. It’s rich and nutty, packed with protein, and somehow tastes far more indulgent than it has any right to. If you like smart desserts that still feel fun, this one’s a no-brainer.
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Those of you who know me know that when I find something I love, I tend to hyper-fixate. I work it, tweak it, and spin it every possible way until I feel like I’ve fully cracked it. Cottage cheese has been one of those ingredients for me. I love sneaking it into recipes because it boosts protein without messing with flavor, which makes eating my favorite foods feel a little smarter.
This recipe came straight out of my cheesecake experiments. I remember thinking, why couldn’t this work for ice cream too? Turns out, it absolutely does. I started with chocolate and strawberry, but eventually had to take it up a notch.
Pistachio felt like the obvious move. It’s rich, subtly sweet, and feels way more indulgent than it is. This is the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever needed more than three ingredients in the first place!
Why this 3-ingredient pistachio ice cream works
Cottage cheese blends down into an incredibly smooth, creamy base while adding protein and body. Pistachios bring richness and depth, and the sweetener keeps everything scoopable without overpowering the flavor. It’s simple, flexible, and surprisingly luxurious for such a short ingredient list.
3-Ingredient Pistachio Ice Cream
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Freezer-safe storage container
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, pistachios, and maple syrup or honey to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and smooth the top.
- Freeze for 4–6 hours, until firm.
- If frozen overnight, remove from the freezer 30–45 minutes before serving to allow it to soften for easy scooping.
Notes
- This works best as a day-of recipe. Freeze for 4–6 hours, then serve. If frozen overnight, it will be very firm. Let it sit out before scooping.
- The recipe is flexible with sweeteners. You can use sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, date syrup, or zero-calorie sweeteners. Adjust to taste.
- Less sugar means a firmer freeze. If you reduce the sweetener, expect a harder texture that needs extra thaw time.
- Swaps: To make this dairy-free, use a dairy-free cottage cheese alternative.
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