Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream (No Pudding Mix!)

by Kayla Berman on September 17, 2024 1 comment

This 4 ingredient Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipe requires no pudding mix or gums and has over 35 grams of protein per serving. Which is the whole pint! With a creamy texture and delicious taste, this dessert is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth who also wants to hit their protein goals.

Looking for more high protein dessert recipes? Check out my Cottage Cheese Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt Strawberry Clusters, or Protein Powder Popsicles next.

What I Love About This Healthy Ninja Creami Recipe

As a girl with a major sweet tooth and protein goals to achieve, the better question would be what don’t I love about this recipe! But alas here is what I love about this high protein chocolate ice cream:

I can eat the whole pint – I will say this again because it is very important. I can eat an entire pint of ice cream … while increasing my protein intake and without feeling crummy afterwords. I absolutely love to eat, which means high volume treats like this are perfect for me. I get to eat a lot of ice cream while not ruining my progress and still hitting all of my nutritional and health goals!
Over 30 grams of protein – The exact protein count on this ice cream will vary depending on the specific ingredients you use, but with the base alone of protein powder and milk you will be surpassing 30 grams. It is the absolute perfect way to finish up my protein at the end of the day!
Delicious – The two bullets above would mean nothing to me if this ice cream wasn’t delicious. The good thing is, it really is!! Thanks to Clean Simple Eats protein with its fabulous dessert-like taste, Chobani creamer, and tasty mix-ins I look forward to this protein dessert masterpiece each and every night.
I have perfected it – As with any trendy appliance, the Ninja Creami takes a good bit of trial and error to figure out the recipe for success. I have made countless little swaps and changes to both my ingredients and my method for this protein ice cream recipe over the past few weeks! Until now, when I can finally say that I have created the PERFECT Ninja Creami protein ice cream. It is the exact right texture, ratio of mix-ins to ice cream, and flavor!

Don’t feel like reading? I got you covered! Watch this 5 minute video where I walk you through all the steps of making my perfect chocolate protein ice cream Ninja Creami.

Ingredients

This recipe for protein ice cream in the Ninja Creami only requires 4 simple ingredients!

Milk: You can use any milk of your choice here. I like to use Fairlife 2% milk! This feels like the best of both worlds – it has enough fat content to make for a creamy ice cream, but it is still light. Skim milk and whole milk will also both work!
Protein Powder: I recommend using Clean Simple Eats Chocolate Brownie Batter protein. It is incredibly tasty!
Creamer: Adding a splash of creamer is key in this recipe in my opinion. I love to use Chobani White Chocolate Mocha, Sweet Cream, or Cookie Dough.
Mix-Ins: This exact recipe calls for Oreo style sandwich cookies. You can use the name brand option, or a similar alternative. I have included my go-to choices in the Favorite Mix-Ins section of this post.

Nutrition Deep Dive

High-protein ice cream has been such a game changer for me in terms of increasing my protein intake. It adds an extra 30-40 grams to my day and makes hitting my goal of 120-130 grams of protein feel like a breeze. Let me tell you, before this magical ice cream dessert came into my life … hitting that goal was nowhere near easy! Let’s break it down:

Protein: Using the exact ingredients that I use, Fairlife 2% milk and Clean Simple Eats Chocolate Brownie Batter protein, the base of this ice cream comes to 37 g protein per serving. Insane! Then depending on your mix-in choices this number could go up even further.

Calories: The ice cream base with no creamer or mix-ins is about 250 calories. If you use skim or fat free milk this reduces to about 200 calories. The protein content stays the same for each option!

I personally love to load up my protein Ninja Creami ice cream with delicious mix-ins. I also opt to use the creamer! Therefore, my nightly dessert typically comes out to be around 500 calories.

ninja creami protein ice cream ingredients

How To Make Protein Ice Cream In The Ninja Creami

Step 1: Make ice cream base. Add the milk and protein powder to the Ninja Creami container. Use an electric milk frother to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Mix for about 30 seconds.

Step 2: Freeze ice cream base. Cover the container and place in the freezer on a level surface. Freeze for at least 24 hours.

Step 3: Thaw. When ready to enjoy protein ice cream, remove the container from the freezer. Run it under hot water for about 20-30 seconds, focusing on the sides and the bottom of the container.

Step 4: Insert into the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. Remove the lid from the frozen pint and place it into the Ninja Creami pint container. Then insert the pint container into the Ninja Creami machine. Follow the instruction manual of the machine for proper setup directions.

Step 5: First spin. Turn the machine on and choose the regular ice cream setting for the first spin.

Step 6: Re-spin. After the first spin add the creamer and re-spin. Re-spin until your desired texture is achieved.

Step 7: Add mix-ins. Once the ice cream base reaches the consistency you would like, add in the cookies. Or any mix-ins of your choices. Choose the mix-in setting for the final spin.

Step 8: Serve and enjoy!

milk and protein in the ninja creami pint container

milk and protein powder mixed together in the ninja creami pint container

Homemade Protein Ice Cream Flavor Variations

While this Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipe is specifically chocolate cookie flavored, it can still be used as a base for any flavor variation! The essential formula here is:

285 mL milk (skim, 2%, or whole) + 1 scoop of protein powder (34g) + 1 tbsp creamer

You could use any variety of milk, protein powder, and creamer. That is your ice cream base! Then the fun comes in with the mix-ins. Here are some ides:

Classic Cookies & Cream: Use a vanilla protein base and sandwich cookies as the mix-in
Fudge Brownie: Use the chocolate protein base and mix in fresh baked brownies
Mint Chocolate: Use a mint chocolate protein powder base and mix in Thin Mints (if it’s the season!) or a similar option
Chunky Monkey: Use a vanilla, chocolate, or banana protein powder base and mix in any combination of walnuts, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and chocolate sauce
Birthday Cake: Use a cake batter or vanilla protein powder base and mix in white chocolate chips and sprinkles
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use a pumpkin protein powder and mix in pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and cinnamon cookies

Favorite Mix-Ins

You can add almost anything and everything to your Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes. My personal favorite toppings and mix-ins are:

Unreal Candy: I have recently discovered this brand of “healthier” candy and I am obsessed. It is so delicious! Essentially the brand creates better-for-you versions of popular candies. The Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems are my favorite to add!
Sandwich Cookies: Oreo-like sandwich cookies are probably my number one favorite item to add to my protein ice cream. They mix in so well and I mean cookies & cream ice cream is popular for a reason. It is fabulous! I love Back To Nature Sandwich Cookies or Highkey Sandwich Cookies for a low calorie, high fiber option.
Simple Mills: My final specific product recommendation that mixes in fabulously to this chocolate protein ice cream is Simple Mills stuff. This is another better-for-you brand that I feel better about eating every single night. I especially love their Chocolate Brownie Seed & Nut Flour Sweet Thins!
Homemade Baked Good: It is a lucky day in my home when I have home-baked goods on hand to throw into my nightly Ninja Creami! This is the most delicious option of all.
Other: I typically stick to the above options, but you could also try mixing in:
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate chips
- Pretzels
- Fruit
- Nuts
- Caramel sauce

Expert Tips

This chocolate protein ice cream recipe has been developed through lots of trial and error! The Ninja Creami makes incredibly delicious ice cream, but it does take some time and effort to nail down.

Here are the tips and tricks I have learned along the way:

Don’t let the frozen pint thaw for too long before mixing. I find this creates a melty, soupy ice cream texture.
Freeze for a full 24 hours.
Run the frozen pint under hot water for 20-30 seconds. You should see the sides and bottom begin to thaw through the container! Skipping this step can result in the sides and bottom of your Ninja Creami remaining frozen and icy rather than smooth and creamy.
Add creamer after the first spin. I find that just a tablespoon makes such a heavenly texture and a boost of sweet flavor.
Re-spin, re-spin, and re=spin. Until your desired texture is achieved!
Mix-ins will make or break your ice cream treat. Mix-ins are probably my favorite part of any protein ice cream! Check out the mix-ins section of the post for all of my scrumptious ideas.
Freeze on a level surface. You don’t want the ice cream mixture to tilt and then freeze in a slant. This will mess with the machine’s ability to mix it properly!

Texture Tip: Want to achieve a harder ice cream texture? Use no creamer, do less spins, and mix immediately from the freezer. Want a softer ice cream texture? Add creamer, let thaw for longer, or even freeze for less time.

Protein Powder To Use

You can use any protein powder you would like in this ice cream recipe! My one suggestion would be to make sure you like the taste of the protein you choose to use, because that will be the taste of the ice cream.

I personally love Clean Simple Eats protein powders. They have really fun and delicious flavors that have a very dessert-like taste to them! Which is very beneficial in making the protein ice cream actually taste similar to traditional ice cream.

FAQs

Do you really need to freeze the Ninja Creami for 24 hours?

I would say yes! Freezing for 24 hours is the general rule of thumb.

I have made a Ninja Creami ice cream once with only freezing the pint for 12 hours. It worked, but had a very soft serve like, almost melty, texture.

My boyfriend and I actually thought this was delicious, but I would still recommend freezing for 24 hours before making the ice cream. This way you can choose the texture you want! With less than 24 hours, a very creamy soft serve consistency will be the only option.

How to get the perfect Ninja Creami texture?

If you follow the recipe instructions here you should get the perfect Ninja Creami texture! You can also check out my Expert Tips section for extra guidance.

Why is my ice cream crumbly from the Ninja Creami?

This is just part of the process, do not worry! Ninja Creami ice creams almost always come out crumbly after the first spin. They require an additional 2-3 spins to get to that lovely creamy texture!

Do you need pudding mix or gums for the Ninja Creami?

No you do not need a thickening agent, such as xanthan gum or pudding mix, for the Ninja Creami! You could add them if you would like, but I have never used them and have been able to create some incredibly delicious Ninja Creami recipes.

Can I use almond milk in my Ninja Creami ice cream base?

I have not tested it with this exact recipe, but I don’t see why not. Your end result will be less creamy then if you were to use a 2% milk or whole milk. But it should work!

You can also add extra creamer, plant based if needed, to up the fat content and make a creamier ice cream.

More High Protein Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this healthy ice cream recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.