Ninja CREAMi Chai Tea Latte Protein Ice Cream

When it comes to coffee versus tea, I’ll always choose tea, and chai is my #1 favorite. Coffee ice cream is popular, but I’ve never really seen chai tea ice cream offered anywhere (aside from as a seasonal flavor at select shops), so once we got our Ninja CREAMi machine, I knew I wanted to try to make my own. This was definitely one of the harder recipes to master, especially since I didn’t want to use a chai-flavored protein powder, as they’re often filled with artificial flavors and other unnecessary ingredients.

You can really customize this recipe based on how strong of a chai flavor you like - I like a spicy chai, but my friends prefer a vanilla chai, for example - but I know there’s nothing better than a chai that is the perfect mix of vanilla and spice. Using vanilla protein powder helps to really round out the flavor and keep the sugar low for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!

ninja CREAMi chai tea latte protein ice cream

ingredients

Makes one CREAMi

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

• 1 cup Fairlife milk - this will get you the creamiest ice cream; don’t sub for regular milk

• 1/2 cup chai tea latte concentrate

  • For a stronger/ spicier chai flavor, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoons chai tea latte powder (get this one for a vanilla chai flavor or this one for stronger spice)

  • Another way to make it stronger: 3/4 cup concentrate, 3/4 cup milk

  • Last note: if you don’t have chai tea latte powder, you can always add more concentrate until you hit the “Max Fill” line for stronger flavor.

• 1.5 tablespoons vanilla sugar-free pudding mix

• Optional mix-ins - mini marshmallows, cheesecake bites, graham cracker, drizzle of caramel, 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.

to prepare:

1. 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.

2. Spin “Lite Ice Cream.”

3. Scrape the sides and add 1-3 tablespoons of Fairlife milk (a splash or two).

4. Re-spin.

5. If you want to add mix-ins, add them into the center and then press “Mix-Ins.”

6. Serve immediately.

   1. 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

---

keep reading