These Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes are delicately spiced with cardamom, and topped with oranges for a healthy and delicious dessert. Tip! Make the ice cream with lactose free half-and-half, & substitute the pistachios with pecans, walnuts, or almonds, for a yummy low FODMAP dessert!

These delicately spiced Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes are meant to be enjoyed all year long. As a bonus, they are made with lactose free ice cream, and are even a wee bit on the healthier side!

As I write this post, in the comfort of my cozy flannel PJs, I see my orange tree, from my office window, whipping in the wind, wet ground below, and the promise of more first day of winter (Happy Winter Solstice!) rain to fall.Have I gone mad churning up these creamy, dreamy Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes on the first day of winter?

These creamy, dreamy Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes have been lightened up, and are lactose free for a healthy dessert!

Quite possibly.BUT, perhaps it’s also because I’m celebrating 54 months of The Recipe Redux, by picking up one of my cookbooks, turning to page 54 {or 154} and re-creating the recipe, ReDux style, in honor of this month’s theme…

Grab a Book & Cook

We’re repeating last December’s theme due to popular demand: It’s the end of the year and we’re taking a moment to reflect – The Recipe ReDux has been around for 54 months! To celebrate, we’re playing a little party game this month: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 54 or 154. We can’t wait to see the books you’re cooking from these days.

Huge congrats to Regan, Deanna, and Serena, founders of The Recipe ReDux, on inspiring 54 months of healthy deliciousness!

Sweet Scoops Ice Cream Cookbook by Shelly Kaldunski

The inspiration for my Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes, comes from page 54 of Sweet Scoops by Shelly Kaldunski.The original recipe for Orange-Cardamom Ice Cream calls for 2 cups of heavy cream plus 1 1/2 cups of whole milk. Yum!

But, in true Recipe ReDux style of making things a little healthier, yet, equally delicious, I drew inspiration from my favorite lemon ice cream recipe, and swapped the heavy cream for lactose free half-and-half and the whole milk for almond milk, both to make it less caloric AND more easily digestible, then topped the whole shebang off with my favorite fresh, seasonal Cara Cara Oranges, plus some yummy pistachio nuts, because…

I just won 100 days worth of pistachio nuts from the American Pistachio Growers for my award winning Lemony Kale, Pasta, and Pistachio Salad.

Score!!!

Pistachio Nuts are a delicious healthy snack! Each 100 calorie snack bag has 4 g protein, 2 g fiber, and is rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats + potassium. Yum!

So, you see…

Maybe, despite the cold, windy, rainy winter weather, this really is a fabulous time to be enjoying an ice cream sundae.

But, I’ll leave it to you to try the recipe, and decide if I really have gone mad, or maybe I’m just absolutely brilliant! 🙂

Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundae is a glass dish with a serving spoon

Orange Cardamom Ice Cream Sundaes

These delicately spiced Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes are meant to be enjoyed all year long. As a bonus, they are made with lactose free ice cream, and are even a wee bit on the healthier side!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 sundaes

Ingredients

Ice Cream

  • 1 cup half-and-half {regular or lactose free}
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • zest from 1 orange*, you will need 2 oranges total-save fruit for sundae recipe below
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

To Make the Sundaes

  • Orange Cardamom Ice Cream, recipe above
  • 2 oranges, peeled*, chopped, and divided
  • 1/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts, divided
  • 4 medium/large or 8 small vanilla wafers or sugar cookies, regular or gluten free

Instructions

  • Whisk together 1/2 cup half-and-half, 1/2 cup almond milk, cardamom, orange zest, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium sized saucepan, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until it just comes to a simmer.
  • Strain the custard in to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until cold.
  • Next, whisk in the remaining almond milk and half-and-half and freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  • To make the sundaes, place 1 generous scoop each, ~ 1/2 cup, of ice cream in 4 serving dishes, and top each dish with chopped oranges and pistachio nuts. Serve immediately.

Notes

LOW FODMAP OPTION
  1. Use lactose-free half and half {i.e. Organic Valley}
  2. Substitute pistachio nuts with low FODMAP nuts of choice {i.e. pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, slivered almonds}

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 1.1mg
EA Stewart, RD | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Gluten Free, Low FODMAP Option, Vegetarian
Keyword healthy ice cream, ice cream sundae
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These delicately spiced Orange Cardamom Pistachio Ice Cream Sundaes are meant to be enjoyed all year long. As a bonus, they are made with lactose free ice cream, and are even a wee bit on the healthier side!
Nutrition Notes:

  • Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and lactose free.
  • For a low FODMAP version, sub the pistachio nuts with a FODMAP friendly nut such as sliced almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
  • Free of these major food allergens: soy, wheat, peanuts, fish, and shellfish.

This is a ReDux party so be sure and see all the deliciousness my Recipe ReDux friends have been cooking up!

Click here to view the recipes–>An InLinkz Link-up
 
Are you crazy like me and make ice cream in the winter? Are you doing anything fun to celebrate Winter Solstice? What are your favorite ice cream sundae toppings??