Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Bean Protein Ice Cream
This Ninja CREAMi recipe is a staple; it’s incredible on its own but also serves as the “base” recipe for many of our favorites, like Cookie Lovers and Peppermint. The secret is to use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract - this adds depth and the perfect amount of sweetness, and cancels out any of the protein powder flavor that can sometimes come through in other Ninja CREAMi recipes. I find that the paste also mixes in better than vanilla extract, which can be a little thin. Get your vanilla bean paste on Amazon - it’s way cheaper than what you’ll find at grocery stores or Target, high quality, organic, and it’ll last you a long time. Hope you enjoy!
ninja CREAMi vanilla bean protein ice cream
ingredients
Makes one CREAMi
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1.5 cups Fairlife milk - this will get you the creamiest ice cream; don’t sub for regular milk
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar-free pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Optional mix-ins - mini chocolate chips, fresh fruit, cookies, 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:
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
