Using a homemade praline, these Pistachio Gelato Milkshakes are nutty, creamy and perfect for warm summer days.

this recipe!

Despite all the amazing food found in Italy, there is one special treat that my mind constantly wanders back to—pistachio gelato. Nutty, sweet, and oh-so-creamy, I dream of this unobtainable dessert and wondered how could I replicate it at home without a gelato maker.

Once I discovered these mini-milkshake glasses at a vintage shop in North Carolina, the pieces fell into place. Instead of fruitlessly trying to duplicate the texture of classic Italian gelato, I relied on the naturally creamy texture of the good-old-tried-and-true American milkshake instead. Enter the pistachio milkshakes. And in no time, I am transported back to Lake Como. I was enjoying a pistachio dessert, and life made sense again.

Pistachio Praline

The secret to making these delightful milkshakes is in the pistachio praline base. You can use this base in a variety of different desserts. And here’s the bonus: it keeps for ages in the fridge, so feel free to make a larger batch to keep some handy for another bake.

First, purchase a bag of roasted and salted, and pre-shelled pistachios. Please don’t shell each pistachio individually. Honestly, who has the time to shell handfuls of these things in a sitting? The cost outweighs the time tenfold here. I still like to give them a quick additional toast in the oven to really bring out that pistachio flavor.

From there, combine with some sugar and a little almond extract (to pop the nuttiness factor) in a food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to scrape the bowl a few times to get all the little pieces incorporated.

I know it can be tempting to make the praline in the blender because you’ll already have it out to make the milkshakes, but trust me, it just doesn’t work as well. I make the praline ahead of time and have it ready to go in the fridge.

Useful Tools

• A Food Processor is key for making the praline super smooth
• Blenders are the heart and soul of milkshakes! This is the mack daddy of them all.

Pistachio Gelato Milkshakes

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Theresa | Quiet Baking Day
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 milkshakes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Easy
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

Cool and refreshing, this nutty milkshake is a perfectly unexpected twist on the classic summer dessert.

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Ingredients

Units USM

Pistachio Praline

• 100g chopped pistachios, roasted salted and shelled
• 50g granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Milkshake

• 375g vanilla gelato
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 recipe of pistachio praline (see above)

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Instructions

1. Pistachio Praline: Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place pistachios in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
3. Once cool, place pistachios in food processor with sugar and almond extract until a fine paste is formed.
4. Gelato Milkshake: Blend pistachio praline and milk until smooth.
5. Add ice cream and blend.
6. Top with sweetened whipped and cherries if desired.

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Notes

• Pistachio Praline paste can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. The paste lats weeks, so feel free to make a larger batch!
• Short on time? Pistachio paste can be found in some speciality food stores and online retailers.

Keywords: nutty, ice cream