Ninja CREAMi Strawberry Protein Ice Cream

Strawberry ice cream is such a summer classic, and the best kinds always incorporate real strawberries. The mix of strawberry and cream is nostalgic; I also love to top this one with extra strawberries, a dash of honey, and crushed Golden Oreos for a strawberry shortcake vibe. This is a really easy recipe to recreate and will give you at least 30 grams of protein. You can use frozen strawberries if it’s easier; just make sure to thaw them and mash them up; adding them directly might result in a chunkier ice cream.

One note: I try to not leave this in the freezer for more than 3 days before making it; any longer and the strawberry flavor weakens.

ninja CREAMi strawberry 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

• 1.5 tablespoons vanilla sugar-free pudding mix

• 1/2 cup strawberries - chop into super small bites for best results, and set aside an additional 1/4 cup for topping

• Optional: lemon juice from one lemon wedge

• Optional mix-ins - mini chocolate chips, 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. Or if your ice cream just needs a little longer but you think the re-spin will make it too soft-serve, you can use the “Mix-In” setting.

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

    • 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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