A simple and refreshing pistachio ice cream cake recipe made with instant pudding mix and a cookie crumb crust! It’s the perfect layered frozen dessert for summer parties.
Why this recipe works
This pistachio ice cream is insanely easy to make with the help of pudding mix and vanilla ice cream. It’s cool, creamy, and refreshing with three simple layers – golden Oreo cookie crust, pistachio ice cream center, and whipped topping plus chopped nuts as the finishing touch. The hardest part about this frozen dessert is waiting for it to freeze.
If you’ve ever made a lush or lasagna dessert, this ice cream cake isn’t too far off. In fact, it has similar bones to our pistachio lush but instead of using cream cheese it uses vanilla ice cream as the base.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CRUST – The crust is made with melted butter and crushed golden Oreo cookies, filling included. You can easily swap the golden Oreos with regular or even use a graham cracker crust instead.
FILLING – Instant pistachio pudding mix, milk, and vanilla ice cream make up the center.
TOPPING – You can use Cool Whip or make your own homemade whipped cream for topping. Chopped toffee, candy, or nuts are all great garnish options.
How to Make Pistachio Ice Cream Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9×9 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- Mix together crushed cookies and melted butter and press into the bottom of your baking dish.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes until a light golden brown and then remove from the oven to fully cool.
- Whisk together the pudding mix with cold milk in a large mixing bowl until no lumps remain.
- Stir the softened ice cream into the pudding mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the cooled baking dish. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until the ice cream has set.
- Spread the whipped topping across the top of the ice cream and freeze for another hour or until ready to serve.
- Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with crushed pistachios and slice in squares to serve, enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, absolutely. Prepare the cake a day or two in advance, store covered in the freezer, and allow to rest at room temperature for around 10 minutes before serving.
Store the cake covered with a lid or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish your pistachio ice cream cake with toffee bits, chocolate candy bars, chopped pistachios, or crushed golden Oreo cookies. It would also be great with a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top! Allow the cake to rest at room temperature for around 10 minutes before enjoying
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed golden Oreo cookies 11 whole Oreos
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream softened. 32 ounces
- 3.4 ounce instant pistachio pudding mix
- 3/4 cup cold milk
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- 1/2 cup pistachio nuts chopped
Things You’ll Need
- 9×9 baking dish
- Mixing bowls
Before You Begin
- To crush the Oreo’s simply place them in a food processor, with the filling, and blitz until you get a fine crumb. You can also place them in a gallon sized ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- You can easily swap the golden Oreos with regular or even use a graham cracker crust instead.
- You can use Cool Whip or make your own homemade whipped cream for topping. Chopped toffee, candy, or nuts are all great garnish options.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease an 9×9 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- Mix together crushed cookies and melted butter and press into the bottom of your baking dish.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes until a light golden brown and then remove from the oven to fully cool.
- Whisk together the pudding mix with cold milk in a large mixing bowl until no lumps remain.
- Stir the softened ice cream into the pudding mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the cooled baking dish. Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until the ice cream has set.
- Spread the whipped topping across the top of the ice cream and freeze for another hour or until ready to serve.
- Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with crushed pistachios and slice in squares to serve, enjoy!
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store the cake covered with a lid or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Make Ahead – Prepare the cake a day or two in advance, store covered in the freezer, and allow to rest at room temperature for around 10 minutes before serving.
