Secretly nutritious ice creams in the Ninja Creami

I have had a Ninja Creami for 3 years now and actually use it mainly to make creative flavors for myself, but also to make meal replacement ice creams for my children. Sometimes they go through a phase where they don't eat as well, but of course, ice cream always goes down well. Lately, I have been pushing the boundaries of how far I can go with what I put in a Creami and have already tested and discovered all sorts of things.

I always share my recipes on Instagram, but lately I've been getting more requests for more details and a clear, organized article. Here it is :)

Nowadays, there are many similar machines such as a Moulinex Dolce, Greenpan Frost, Nutribullet Chill... this method also works for these machines.

My oldest daughter is participating in the preparation, so she knows exactly what is involved.

I will start by explaining my basic principles for building a delicious creamy creation. Please read this carefully before you start the recipes , so that it is clear why the recipes are structured this way.

Structure of a cream:

• Your base mixture should actually be too sweet . This is because taste buds need heat to taste all the flavors. So, if you make a mixture and then freeze it, it should be too sweet at room temperature. That way, the frozen result will be nice and sweet. Otherwise, your ice cream will easily taste watery and bland.

  • Examples of a sweetener:

  • I usually use a sugar substitute like stevia, xylitol, ... then you need to add a fat to your mixture.

  • Honey

  • Agave syrup

  • White sugar, brown sugar...

    
    

• Use some fat OR sugar. This helps to achieve a nice creamy result. If there is no fat or sugar in your base mixture, you will get a watery result. Of course, you can also use both fat and sugar. I usually opt for fat and then use a sweetener.

  • Examples of a fatty ingredient:

  • Greek yogurt 10% fat

  • Avocado

  • Cottage cheese

  • Butter

• Thickening agent

  • I used to use guar gum or xanthan gum, and sometimes I even see people using gelatin powder. Personally, I find this unnecessary . I do use:

  • Oatmeal/oat bran

  • Banana

  • Unflavored protein powder

• Fruit:

  • Fruit flavors always go down well here. I buy frozen fruits and vegetables. This is cheaper and already cut. So I put them in the pot frozen. It is also great to use fresh fruit.

  • Cherries

  • Raspberry

  • Strawberry

  • Pineapple

  • Mango

  • ...

Vegetables and other things to make the ice cream more nutritious:

• I choose neutral-tasting ingredients to add to the creams for my children. I then make sure that the other flavors in it come through more strongly.

• Courgette (from the freezer, do not thaw)

• Butternut squash (from the freezer, do not thaw)

• Silken tofu

• Cottage cheese

• ...

Extras to make it extra tasty :)

• Vanilla extract

• Cocoa powder (pure)

• Speckles and cute little horns

Spinning the Creami:

• Freeze your jar of base mixture for at least 24 hours; I usually prepare 4-5 jars.

• Place your jar in the Ninja Creami and spin once on the sorbet setting (this setting works for all types of mixture). The mixture will likely appear very grainy after the first spin.

• Add about 2 tablespoons of liquid; depending on what is in your mixture, use milk, water, or juice.

• Do 1 respin.

• Is the mixture still grainy? Add another 2 tablespoons of liquid and do another respin.

Frequently asked questions:

How much is in 1 jar?

I have a regular Ninja Creami. Do you have a deluxe one? Then multiply all ingredients by 1.4.

1 tub makes approximately 450 ml of ice cream, 6 scoops.

What if not everything is sold out?

Press the mixture flat with a spoon and freeze. You can then churn the ice cream again.

Do I need to mix everything first?

No, as long as you cover everything with something liquid, e.g. yogurt, juice, milk...

Yes, if there isn't enough liquid in it. Then you can use a blender or immersion blender.

Example recipes:

1. Zucchini and raspberry ice cream

For 1 pot

200 grams of zucchini (frozen)

100 grams of raspberries (frozen)

100 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

2 tablespoons oat bran

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

2. Butternut and mango ice cream

For 1 pot

150 grams butternut squash (frozen)

200 grams of mango (frozen)

100 grams of silken tofu

2 scoops of unflavored protein powder

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

3. Cherries, strawberries and yogurt ice cream

For 1 pot

150 grams of cherries (frozen, still frozen)

5 strawberries (frozen, still frozen)

150 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

2 scoops of flavorless protein powder

100 ml milk (or until everything is submerged)

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

4. Avocado and pineapple ice cream

For 1 pot

1 avocado

150 grams of pineapple (frozen)

100 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

1 scoop of unflavored protein powder

100 ml milk or until everything is submerged

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

5. Butternut and strawberry ice cream

For 1 pot

200 grams butternut squash (frozen)

100 grams of strawberries (frozen)

150 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

3 tablespoons oat bran

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

6. Banana and chocolate ice cream

For 1 pot

2 bananas (as ripe as possible)

2 scoops of unflavored protein powder

2 tablespoons pure cocoa powder

200 ml whole milk

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

7. Butternut and raspberry ice cream

For 1 pot

200 grams of butternut squash (from the freezer, frozen)

150 grams of raspberries (from the freezer, frozen)

100 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

30 grams of oat bran

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

8. Strawberry and banana ice cream

For 1 pot

2 bananas (as ripe as possible)

100 grams of strawberries (frozen)

150 grams Greek yogurt 10% fat

2 tablespoons oat bran

Stevia to taste

• Put all the ingredients in the cream pot and stir together.

• Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours.

• Spin once on the "sorbet" setting.

• Add 2 tablespoons of milk.

• Do 1 more respin

Additional info:

Make ice creams extra fun by adding a cute cone or sprinkles. For example: waffle cones, chocolate cones, or sprinkles like disco balls or chocolate shavings. This doesn't detract from the fact that the ice cream base is nutritious, and the children will be extra happy!