Ninja CREAMi Peppermint Protein Ice Cream
Peppermint is such a nostalgic part of the holidays, and once I got my Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker, I knew I wanted to see if I could create a protein version of my favorite holiday flavor. The best peppermint ice cream is minty without being overly sweet, so using peppermint extract will give you the perfect amount of flavor. While there are peppermint protein powders out there, I personally use my go-to vanilla protein powder because the ingredients are slightly cleaner. Without fail though, I love to top my ice cream with a crushed candy cane to make it extra festive - these taste great but are organic, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free.
Just a note: following my recipe, the peppermint ice cream will be white white even if you mix-in peppermint candy, but if you want a bolder pink tint, you can add a little bit of red food coloring.
ninja CREAMi cheesecake protein ice cream
ingredients
Makes one CREAMi
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1.5 cups Fairlife milk
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar-free pudding mix (this is a healthier brand that works well, too.)
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract or organic flavoring
Optional: tiny splash of red food coloring
Optional mix-ins - crushed candy cane, mini chocolate chips, etc.
Tip: For harder mix-ins like peppermint balls/ candy cane, stick them in a Ziplock bag and then use a meat tenderizer to crush them a little. Easy to do and easy clean up!
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 and 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