Ultimate Ninja Creami Guide — Kathryn Mueller

Well this is a long time coming! I’ve been making Ninja Creamis for nearly 2 years now and would say I am a bit of a protein ice cream expert at this point. I always get new people asking how to make them and how to perfect them, so here we go!

What to buy

Obviously, start out with a Ninja Creami (affiliate link, opens external site). I find the base model to do everything I need it to do, but they also have the deluxe (affiliate link, opens external site) (larger size) and swirl (affiliate link, opens external site) (can make soft serve).

Ninja Creami machine

Next, get yourself some extra pints (affiliate link, opens external site). I recommend these ones since they are actually from Ninja and you know they will fit. Make sure if you have the deluxe you get the right size! These are for the standard Ninja Creami. This allows you to prep a lot more in advance so you can make one big batch and not have to redo the process every other night!

Extra Ninja Creami pints

Also get yourself a good hand mixer (affiliate link, opens external site). This hand whisk is the strongest one I’ve seen and way better than the milk frothers!

Then, the grocery list

Any high protein Ninja Creami has the following base:

Milk — I usually use half 2% Fairlife milk (ultra filtered milk with higher protein per serving and no lactose), then half almond milk. This gives a good consistency but the almond milk helps keep the calories a bit lower.
Protein

That’s it! With the right protein, you don’t need to add any fillers or gums. Then after freezing, I like to add mix-ins. I’ll have more recipes coming.

For proteins, you will get the thickest consistency with PEScience (affiliate link, opens external site) (code KATHRYN) — saves 10%. I also find their flavors to have a very minimal aftertaste. They sell 5-serving bags too so you don’t have to commit to a full tub!

If you like more of a soft-serve consistency, I also like Clean Simple Eats (affiliate link, opens external site)!

How to prepare a Ninja Creami

Get your container and ingredients
Add the milk to about 1–2cm below the max fill line. This is about 14 oz
Add 1 scoop of your protein of choice. Mix with hand mixer.
Place in the freezer (with the lid off — will explain later) for at least 24 hours. You can leave it in for much longer than that. Once it’s frozen it’s frozen.
After 24 hours (or more) remove from the freezer
Take out your Ninja Creami, place the pint in the clear bowl, put the blade on top, and snap into place
Press lite ice cream and let it run
After the first cycle, it will look powdery. This is normal!! Add a splash (~1 tbsp) of any milk, then put it back in and click respin
Continue until it becomes a thick Creami consistency (usually 1–2 respins)
Create a core in the center, then add your mix-ins. Try to squish them to the bottom
Put back in the Ninja Creami and click mix-ins
Enjoy!

Common mistakes & tips

Ninja Creami-ing is a learning process. Here are the issues I see people running into most:

Issue #1: It’s too much work and I don’t want to wait 24 hours for ice cream

Solution: Prepare in advance! This is why I have 7 pints. I make them all at once and then for 2 weeks I don’t have to think about Ninja Creami. They all just sit ready in the freezer.

Issue #2: My Ninja Creami is powdery

Solution: This is normal. I always have to respin 1–2x. If it’s powdery, add a splash of milk and respin until smooth.

Issue #3: My texture isn’t right. It’s icy

Solution: You may be using a protein powder that just doesn’t work for Ninja Creamis. I’ve tried so many brands and the only 2 I recommend are PEScience and Clean Simple Eats. They don’t need any thickeners or additional ingredients.

Issue #4: My Ninja Creami has a lump in the middle when I take it out of the freezer

Solution: This is why we freeze with the lid off, at least during the initial freezing phase (you can put it back on after 24 hours). This lump will dull the blade on the Ninja Creami and risk ruining your machine. Without the lid, it freezes much more smoothly.

Issue #5: I’m doing too many respins and there is ice along the side of my pints

Solution: Run the pint under warm water for 10–15 seconds before the first spin. Then, before respinning, shave down the sides of the pint with a spoon so it all gets mixed in.

Recipe inspo!

I will get to typing these out, but here are some links to my favorite Ninja Creami recipe videos I’ve made:

Seasonal: