Ninja CREAMi Pumpkin Spice Protein Ice Cream

It’s officially PSL season, and I wanted to share my go-to pumpkin spice protein ice cream recipe using the Ninja CREAMi. This one uses more pumpkin puree than you may see in other recipes, but I find it gives you the most authentic flavor, without being too overpowering or full of heavily processed ingredients. Pumpkin puree is surprisingly low calorie and low fat, so it shouldn’t throw off your macros too much; plus, it’s a great source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber.

You can add instant coffee for true pumpkin spice latte vibes, but I personally omit it because I tend to have my CREAMis for dessert and don’t want to have caffeine that late.

Hope you enjoy!

ninja CREAMi pumpkin spice protein ice cream

ingredients

Makes one CREAMi

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

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

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar-free pudding mix

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• Optional: 2-3 teaspoons instant coffee for true PSL vibes

• 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.

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. Make a hole in the middle of the ice cream (like a donut), and then add the 2-3 Oreos to the center. Spin “Mix-In.”

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

6. Top with extra cookie pieces if desired, and 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

    • 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

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