Ninja CREAMi Banana Protein Ice Cream
Banana has surprisingly been my favorite ice cream flavor for as long as I can remember. It’s hard to find and even harder to do well, so once I got my Ninja CREAMi I knew I wanted to try to create my own recipe at home - and the added protein doesn’t hurt, either. This recipe is extremely straightforward and easy to make; it tastes like a banana Laffy Taffy without being too sweet. I’ve also made it with real bananas (which I now prefer, honestly) and have included the modifications for that below, but if you want the standard low-cal, high-protein Ninja CREAMi, the original recipe will be your go-to. Either recipe will give you at least 30 grams of protein.
ninja CREAMi banana protein ice cream
ingredients
Makes one CREAMi
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1.25 cup Fairlife milk - this will get you the creamiest ice cream; don’t sub for regular milk
1 tablespoon banana cream sugar-free pudding mix (this is a healthier brand that works well, too.)
For a more subtle banana flavor, you can use 1/2 tablespoon banana cream sugar-free pudding mix and 1/2 tablespoon vanilla sugar-free pudding mix.
Optional: 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter for a chunky monkey vibe
Optional mix-ins - mini chocolate chips, drizzle of caramel, chopped pretzels etc.
Tip: Chop your mix-ins prior to adding them; the Ninja CREAMi will blend them out but won’t make pieces smaller. This is especially true with crunchier or harder mix-ins like pretzels, cookies, and candy.
If you want to use real bananas, your ingredients will be:
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup Fairlife milk
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar-free pudding mix
Depending on how ripe your banana is, add 1/8 tablespoon banana cream sugar-free pudding mix for a stronger banana flavor
1 large ripe banana, mashed well
to prepare:
Combine all ingredients (except the mix-ins) and stir well. I just use a spoon, but some prefer to use a hand-held frother. Freeze overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Spin “Lite Ice Cream.”
Scrape the sides. You might need to add 1-3 tablespoons of Fairlife milk (a splash or two).
Re-spin.
If you want to add mix-ins, add them into the center and then press “Mix-Ins.”
Serve immediately.
I’ve found that regular/ non-protein CREAMis are still good if you re-freeze and re-spin later on, but it’s not worth it for protein-based recipes.
ninja creami protein ice cream tips:
Add the milk first and then your powders. I like to stir in the pudding mix first, and then add the protein powder afterwards. It mixes better.
To help avoid icy chunks in your CREAMi, run the pint under warm water for 30ish seconds. You might hear a crack (it’s the mixture separating from the sides). I wait to hear 2 cracks because it also makes it easier to scrape the sides after the spin.
Use a butter knife to (carefully) scrape the sides. It works better than a spoon.
Best chocolate protein powders for Ninja CREAMis: Body by Bree Chocolate Protein, Ascent 100% Whey Protein Powder Chocolate, and Active Stacks Peptides Protein Powder Chocolate
Clean Simple Eats is a really popular brand I’ve seen others use, but it contains 3 types of different types of sweeteners and I find it makes the CREAMis overly sweet with an artificial taste.
Best vanilla protein powders for Ninja CREAMis: Body by Bree Vanilla Protein, Ascent 100% Whey Protein Powder Vanilla Bean, Intek Protein Evolution Vanilla
Vanilla extract really doesn’t do much; use vanilla bean paste instead (it’s a 1:1 ratio). I typically stick to around 1 tsp max.
Instead of using cookies and cream protein powder, you’ll get a better result if you use vanilla protein powder and then mix in the cookies later on. The cookie crumbs in the protein powder just get ground out during the processing.
I highly recommend powdered peanut butter instead of actual peanut butter; it’s less messy and still gives you a great, genuine taste. The one I linked is organic with only 3 ingredients (peanuts, coconut sugar, salt) so it’s not as sketchy or processed as it sounds.
Base recipe for vanilla protein ice cream: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1.5 cups milk, 1-1.5 tablespoons vanilla sugar-free pudding mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Chocolate: 1.5 cups milk, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1.5 tablespoons chocolate sugar-free pudding mix
or 1 tb vanilla sugar-free pudding mix, 0.5 tb chocolate sugar-free pudding mix for a lighter milk chocolate/ Wendy’s frosty taste
