This Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream has been on repeat every. single. night. for the past month since we purchased our Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker! The Creami is taking the world by storm and for good reason. The Ninja Creami makes homemade ice cream a breeze. While we have experimented with several Ninja Creami recipes and love a regular ice cream, this is the recipe we make most often. It's simple, versatile, and it's hard to beat that creamy texture for a protein ice cream!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It's a simple recipe and you only need a few ingredients
- It's versatile. You can switch the protein powder flavors, type of milk, and mix-ins so you'll never be bored!
- This recipe provides a great starting point for any newbie to the Ninja Creami Machine
- There are options for anyone, whether you're dairy-free, vegan, or gluten-free
- The entire pint is packed with protein and perfect for a sweet tooth
- Overall, we've been very happy with our creamy purchase and think this protein ice cream is the real deal
Ingredient Notes
- Milk of choice - feel free to use any milk in this recipe! Almond milk, coconut milk, and regular milk are all great options. Keep in mind that the higher in fat the milk is, the creamier the ice cream is. However, we use almond milk most often and it turns out great with an extra spin and a little additional milk. If you want a creamy chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk would be a good option as well. Our favorite milk to use is the Silk Unsweetened Coconut Milk. We love the subtle hint of coconut.
- Protein powder of choice - Choose whatever protein powder you desire! Chocolate and vanilla are great base options, but feel free to play around with the flavors and mix it up. Our favorite protein powder is Truvani. Choose a high quality and tasty protein powder. Just Ingredients and Clean Simple Eats also has a tasty protein powder.
- Sweetener of choice - Feel free to add the sweetener you prefer here. We prefer to add banana, dates, pure maple syrup, or honey. These all give the ice cream the perfect sweetness it needs! I know many also prefer to add 1-2 tablespoons of regular instant pudding mix or sugar-free jello pudding mix instead of the sweeteners listed above, which is also an option. We prefer to keep things simple with banana or dates to sweeten.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Blender
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Ninja Creami machine
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Place the milk, protein powder, and sweetener of your choice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami cup. Place the lid on and set it in the freezer on a level surface. Freeze for 24 hours. Once the mixture is completely frozen, remove it from the freezer and run the sides of the container under hot water for 1 minute. You will see the sides of the mixture start to pull away from the container. This step helps to prevent the outer edge from getting too icy.
Step 2: Secure the frozen Creami pint container in the machine and twist to lock it into position. Press the "Lite Ice Cream" setting and let the machine run through the cycle. Once the cycle is complete, remove the cup and pour 2 tbsp of milk in the center of the container. Secure the container back into the machine and select the "Mix-in" button. At this point, your creami may be smooth and ready. If it is still powdery, add 1-2 more tbsp of milk and select the "Mix-in" function again. You can also scrape the sides of the pint with a spoon to get rid of any extra icy layers before the re-spin. This process will differ depending on the type of milk and sweetener you choose. Feel free to add any desired mix-ins like oreos, peanut butter, etc. during the process as well.
Step 3: The Creami is ready when the ice cream is smooth and no longer powdery or icy. Add whatever toppings you desire.
Tips & Variations
Flavor Ideas
- Instead of protein powder and a milk of choice, substitute it for a your favorite protein shake that's already pre-made like Fairlife shakes or Koia for a vegan option. We know a lot of people love a Fairlife Ninja Creami high protein ice cream.
- There are endless variations for this protein ice cream Ninja Creami. Here are a few of our recommended flavor combinations:
- Chocolate protein powder, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham crackers or Simple Mills sweet thins for a s'mores vibe
- Peanut butter and chopped chocolate peanut butter cups
- Edible cookie dough bites and chocolate fudge sauce with vanilla protein ice cream
- Granola, fresh fruit, coconut flakes, honey
- Crushed Biscoff cookies and Biscoff spread
- You can add a small amount of cocoa powder for a ninja creami chocolate ice cream if you only have a vanilla protein powder
- Pineapple or orange blended with a vanilla protein powder for an orange cream or dole whip option
- Cottage cheese or greek yogurt for additional protein, or cream cheese or heavy cream for additional creaminess.
Tips for Using the Ninja Creami
- If you have powdery ice cream, the pint needs additional liquid and a re-spin! I cannot stress this enough. If you use a lower fat milk option, you need to be patient and add a few tablespoons of milk at a time and respin until the ice cream is creamy and smooth. Often it will take 2 respins before we're satisfied with the texture.
- Ninja recommends freezing the container for at least 24 hours before spinning. It's up to you if you would like to spin it after less time since they state it can technically damage the machine. This is where extra pints come in handy! Buy a few extra pints and then prep a whole bunch at once so you always have one on hand.
- Often after freezing, a small, icy bump can form and make the surface of the pint uneven. Some people use a spoon to scrape off the bump before mixing. We typically don't worry about it if it's a small bump. You could also warm up a mug of water until it’s boiling and set the cup on the top of the bump until it melts down.
- Be sure to wash the lid well to prevent bad smells or rotten milk.
- We like to blend the mixture before we place it in the pint containers to help give it the smoothest texture possible.
- Many people use a small pinch of guar gum or xanthan gum to help stabilize and bind the ice cream. We prefer to leave these out and still have a great end result. For best results, make sure you respin the pint enough times until you have a creamy ice cream.
FAQ
Yes, if you have leftover ice cream, let it soften so that you can push any ice cream on the sides down to create a level surface before freezing. If the surface of the leftover ice cream is not level, it can damage the machine when you respin it to eat the leftovers. Simply follow the same instructions and mix the pint on "lite ice cream" and use the re-spin option as needed. If you have mix-ins in your pint, note that when you blend the pint again the next day, they will be fully blended into the pint. We suggest scooping the amount you want to eat immediately first and then mixing in the toppings of choice by hand.
For a gluten-free option, ensure that all of your ingredients, including the mix-ins, are certified gluten-free.
For a dairy-free and vegan option, ensure that you use a dairy-free milk like almond or coconut and a plant based protein powder. Ensure your mix-ins are dairy free as well.
First, make sure you register your Ninja Creami machine on the Ninja Creami website for future warranty claims. We prefer to hand wash the machine parts and pints to prevent any melting in the dishwasher. However, Ninja claims that all of the machine parts, except for the motor base, are top rack dishwasher safe. Clean the motor base with a soft, damp rag.
If your ice cream is icy and powdery, simply add a few tablespoons of milk and respin it in the machine. You may have to respin it a few times to achieve the desired result.
If you like this high protein ice cream, check out a few of our other smoothies:
If you make this Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice + 1-3 tbsp for the respin (almond, coconut, regular, etc. Our favorite right now is the Silk unsweetened coconut milk.)
- ¼ cup protein powder (1 scoop of protein powder)
- Sweetener of choice (½ of a banana, 1 date, 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tbsp honey, 1-2 tbsp powdered instant jello mix)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine 1 cup of milk of choice, protein powder, and sweetener of your choice. Blend for 20 seconds until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami cup. Place the lid on and set it in the freezer on a level surface. Freeze for 24 hours.
- Once the mixture is completely frozen, remove it from the freezer and run the sides of the container under hot water for 1 minute. You will see the sides of the mixture start to pull away from the container. This step helps to prevent the outer edge from getting too icy.
- Secure the frozen Creami pint container in the machine and twist to lock it into position. Press the "Lite Ice Cream" setting and let the machine run through the cycle. Once the cycle is complete, remove the cup and pour 2 tbsp of milk in the center of the container. Secure the container back into the machine and select the "Mix-in" button. At this point, your creami may be smooth and ready. If it is still powdery, add 1-2 more tbsp of milk and select the "Mix-in" function again. You can also scrape the sides of the pint with a spoon to get rid of any extra icy layers before the re-spin. This process will differ depending on the type of milk and sweetener you choose. The Creami is ready when the ice cream is smooth and no longer powdery or icy. You can find more tips in our post above. You must be patient and add a few tablespoons of liquid and re-spin the pint if you have powdery ice cream. We typically have to re-spin two times when using a lower fat milk. Feel free to add any desired mix-ins like oreos, peanut butter, etc. during the process as well.
- Make this recipe your own! There are so many variations. See our ideas in the blog post above.
Notes
- If your ice cream is icy and powdery, simply add a few tablespoons of milk and respin it in the machine. You may have to respin it a few times to achieve the desired result.
- Refer to the post above for mix-in and flavor combination ideas.
NUTRITION
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream." This nutrition is for Silk unsweetened coconut milk with Truvani protein powder and ½ of a banana.
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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