Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipe
Greek yogurt and whole milk add fat and protein that keep the base from freezing into a hard, icy block, while a small amount of xanthan gum thickens the mixture just enough for the Creami's blade to shave it into a soft-serve texture instead of shredding it into ice shards.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 1440 min
- Total
- 1450 min
- Servings
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 scoop (about 30g) vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 204
- Protein
- 19g
- Carbs
- 21g
- Fat
- 5g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →
Instructions
- 1In a bowl or blender, whisk together the milk, protein powder, Greek yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, and xanthan gum until completely smooth, with no clumps of powder or yogurt visible.
- 2Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint container, keeping the level at or below the max fill line marked inside the container.
- 3Snap on the storage lid and freeze the pint upright on a flat shelf for at least 24 hours, until it is frozen completely solid all the way through.
- 4Remove the storage lid, attach the pint to the Creami's outer bowl, and lock the assembly into the machine.
- 5Run the Lite Ice Cream or Protein program, whichever is available on the model, and let it complete its full cycle.
- 6Check the texture after processing. If it looks powdery, crumbly, or has dry spots, use a spoon to carve a 1-inch-wide channel from one edge of the pint to the other, then run the Re-spin function.
- 7Scoop and eat right away for soft-serve texture, or add mix-ins like mini chocolate chips or crushed cookies and run one more short Mix-In cycle before serving.
Tips & variations
- Whole milk or half-and-half gives a noticeably creamier spin than skim milk; low-fat bases are more prone to turning icy since there's less fat to interrupt ice crystal formation.
- For a chocolate version, whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into the base before freezing.
- Add mix-ins only during the final Mix-In cycle, never before freezing, since chunks frozen into the block can chip the blade or jam the paddle.
- If the base looks too thick after whisking in the protein powder, thin it with an extra tablespoon of milk before pouring it into the pint; thick bases are more likely to freeze unevenly.
Storage & reheating
Keep the spun ice cream in the pint with its lid on in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. It will refreeze solid between servings, so run a quick Re-spin cycle each time before scooping rather than trying to scoop it straight from the freezer.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Weighing the base into the pint on a kitchen scale, rather than eyeballing the fill line, keeps freeze times and texture consistent from batch to batch.
- Letting a rock-solid pint sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before locking it into the machine helps stubborn high-protein bases spin smoother on the first pass.
FAQ
Why does my Ninja Creami ice cream come out powdery instead of creamy?
Powdery texture usually means the base was too lean or didn't have enough fat and stabilizer; running the Re-spin function fixes most cases, and adding Greek yogurt or a bit more fat to the next batch prevents it.
Do I have to freeze the base for a full 24 hours?
Yes. A base that isn't fully frozen through, even one that feels hard on the outside but is soft in the center, will jam the blade or produce a soupy, unevenly processed result.
Can I make this without protein powder?
Yes, swap the protein powder for 3 extra tablespoons of milk powder or an extra 2 tablespoons of sugar to keep the base similarly thick, since protein powder also acts as a thickener here.
Can I use flavored protein powder instead of vanilla?
Yes, chocolate, cookies and cream, or peanut butter protein powders all work as a 1:1 swap for the vanilla powder in this base.