Ninja Creami Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote

Ninja Creami Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

An indulgent chocolate ice cream, packed with protein! This thick and creamy ice cream is the perfect dessert, but is sugar free, low carb, and low in calories. Go ahead and eat the whole pint!

Prep Time5

Freezing Time12

Total Time12 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Michelle Miller

Equipment

Ninja Creami

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups almond milk unsweetened
1 cup Greek yogurt (I use Fage 2%)
6 tablespoons allulose or other favorite sweetener, like maple syrup, honey, or a monk fruit sweetener (omit if using a flavored protein powder)
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon Chocolate SunButter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
60 grams whey protein powder* (I use an unsweetened/unflavored whey. Adjust sweetener if using a flavored and sweetened option.)
20 grams collagen protein* optional

Instructions

Add all the ingredients into a blender, and process until the yogurt, SunButter, cacao powder, and protein powders are fully incorporated. (Or put the ingredients into the pints and use an immersion blender.)
Divide the chocolate ice cream mixture between two Ninja Creami Pint containers. Cover with the lid and freeze the pints on a level surface overnight. They may seem to be ready after 6-8 hours, but if you’d like a firmer textured ice cream (as opposed to a smoothie or milkshake texture), it really needs to fully freeze.
Run the frozen pint under warm water for about 15 seconds. This melts the outer layer so it gets creamy and doesn’t leave a frosty layer around the edges of the pint.
Add the pint container to the Ninja Creami outer bowl, and securely attach the Outer Bowl Lid with the Creamerizer Paddle. Turn the machine and set to “Lite Ice Cream.” If after running, the ice cream looks icy/dry, do not run a full “Light Ice Cream” cycle again – instead, run it again with the “Respin” feature.
If desired, add mix-ins to the pint, reattach the outer bowl lid with paddle, and place it in the Ninja Creami machine. Turn it on and run the “Mix-In” setting.
Add your favorite toppings – I typically eat this right out of the pint!

Notes

*Add the equivalent of 60 grams of protein from whey and 20 grams of protein from collagen to keep the nutrition facts the same. Whey protein powders are different by weight depending on additional ingredients.

Tips for the Ninja Creami

Ice Cream Icy/Dry: If your ice cream doesn’t mix well the first time, do not run it on the “lite ice cream” cycle a second time. This will melt the ice cream and make it soft like a milkshake. Instead, run it a second time on the “Respin” setting.

Ice Cream Too Soft: If you do not fully freeze the pints, the ice cream will turn out soft or runny more like a smoothie or a milkshake. Ensure your freezer is set between -7º F and 9º F (I store my pints in the garage freezer set to 0ºF and they come out perfect).

Nut Free Ice Cream: Instead of almond milk, use coconut milk beverage, oat milk, or regular milk to keep this recipe nut free. SunButter is made from sunflower seeds and is already nut free.

Flavor Variations

Add some flavor to your chocolate protein ice cream!

Almond Joy: Use coconut milk instead of almond milk, and then mix-in shredded coconut, chopped almonds, and mini chocolate chips. You can also add almond extract (about 1/4 teaspoon) if you have it on hand!

Chocolate Mint: Add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the ice cream base.

Banana Chocolate: Add 1 large ripe banana and use only 1 cup of almond milk. Blend the banana with the base and freeze as directed.

Raspberry Chocolate Protein Ice Cream: Add 1/4 cup of freeze dried raspberries to the chocolate base. Top with fresh raspberries if desired!

Nutrition