Pistachio custard is sweet, nutty, creamy and if you like pistachios, this is going to be a great addition to your dessert recipes! This custard is inspired by Italian pastry cream and is made with simple ingredients and with unsalted pistachio nuts. The richness of pistachios makes this recipe burst with flavour with very few ingredients, and it's naturally vegan.
On this page:
Tips
- Learn the basics of vegan custard: if you want to learn more about how to make the perfect vegan custard, check out our full vegan custard guide. Vegan custard is easy to make and as delicious as regular custard.
- Unsalted, unshelled pistachios: you'll get the best result if you use unsalted, unshelled pistachios. The thin shell around the pistachios will ruin the texture of the custard.
- Sift the pistachio-milk: this is especially important if you don't have a powerful blender, or if your pistachios are covered by the thin brown shell.
- Toast the pistachios: to bring out the oils and flavour of the pistachio nuts we toast them lightly on a pan before blending them.
- Cool down bain-marie: if you are making your custard in advance, the best way to cool it down is bain-marie, to prevent the thin skin layer on top.
Storage
You can store the custard in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Let it cool down then cover it with reusable wrap and make sure the wrap touches the surface of the custard to prevent a thin crust from forming. You can reheat the custard on low heat by adding a dash of plant milk while stirring.
We do not recommend freezing the custard, unless you want to make ice cream out of it.
It is possible that during the cooling process the custard will dry out on the surface and make a thin skin that will result in annoying lumps. If you are annoyed by the lumps then you can always blend the custard with a hand blender. We tried and it works.
Variations
You can easily turn this pistachio custard into a hazelnut custard by simply replacing the pistachios with hazelnuts.
If you want to learn more about vegan custard variations check out our ultimate guide to vegan custard.
Recipe
Pistachio Custard
Equipment
- Whisk
- Blender
Ingredients
- 500 g plant milk soy, almond, rice, oat
- 55 g pistachios unsalted
- 65 g sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
Instructions
- On a pan, toast the pistachios for 1 to 2 minute, moving them around continuously.
- Add the plant milk and the sugar to a blender. Then add the toasted pistachios and blend at full speed until the pistachios are fully dissolved in the milk.
- In a pot, off the heat, add the cornstarch and the blended pistachio milk. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the milk.TIP: if you want the smoothest custard, pass the pistachio-milk through a sieve before adding it to the pot.
- Bring the pot on the heat, set it on low, and stir continuously until the liquid thickens into a creamy custard. It can take between 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the quantities.
- When you have almost reached the consistency that you like, take off the heat and keep stirring for another minute. The custard will keep thickening while off the heat. Keep this in mind and turn off the heat slightly before you reach your desired thickness.TIP: to check if your custard is ready take a wooden or silicone spatula, dip it in the custard, then run a finger through it. If the spatula stays clean, the custard is ready.
carjito
Hey, will this recipe work with coconut milk instead of the one mentioned?
Louise
Hey there, yes it also works with coconut milk 🙂
Kindest,
Louise
Patty
This was so easy to make. I did make only 1/2 the recipe and used a coffee grinder to blend the pistachios before adding to the plant milk.
Louise
Hi Patty, thank you for commenting! That's a great tip with the coffee grinder, we will use that next time. Have a wonderful Sunday! Kindest, Louise