Basic Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

This Ninja CREAMi vanilla ice cream recipe is a simply delicious keto treat on its own. Or add fresh berries, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips for a decadent upgrade.

Once you have everything on hand, you can whip up this ice cream in less than five minutes! It’s the perfect base to add all your favorite toppings and mix-ins to, like fresh strawberries, pecans, or chocolate pieces. Keep reading for more suggestions.

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Equipment Needed to Make Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Here’s a list of the kitchen gear you’ll need to make this recipe. Gather everything first, so the recipe goes together quickly.

• mixing bowl
• spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• Ninja CREAMi pint
• Ninja CREAMi machine

Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredients

Here are the ingredients I used in this Ninja CREAMi basic vanilla ice cream recipe, along with suggestions for substitutions. But read the tips below the recipe for how to make it dairy-free, even more low carb, and other ideas.

Cream cheese You don’t have to use cream cheese in this recipe. Cream cheese is used as a thickener in ice cream recipes. I often leave it out if I don’t have any on hand, and I don’t notice a difference in texture. So if you prefer a vanilla ice cream recipe without cream cheese, just skip it. NOTE: I don’t think vegan cream cheese products would work, but I’ve never tried it.

Heavy cream I prefer heavy whipping cream or coconut cream, but many people use commercial creamers. I like to avoid as many processed ingredients as possible and stick to “whole” ingredients. But you choose your own adventure.

Raw agave nectar Even though I follow a low carb/keto diet, I occasionally use raw agave nectar for its sugary-vanilla flavor, so I think it’s appropriate here. It does add a few grams of carbs to the recipe, though, so feel free to leave it out.

Monk fruit sweetener This is my preferred low carb sweetener, but other sugar-substitutes can be used. Use what you have on hand or whatever brand you like.

Vanilla bean powder I nearly always use this in place of vanilla extract for several reasons, mostly because I think it has a better vanilla flavor without the “alcohol” taste. It can be hard to find, but a bag lasts a long time! But feel free to use extract if that’s all you have.

Unsweetened vanilla almond milk Plain almond milk instead of vanilla, another plant based milk, cow milk or half-n-half can be used.

If you gather all the kitchen gear, ingredients, and Ninja CREAMi pint first, then this recipe whips together in just a few minutes!

Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe, Toppings & Mix-Ins

Here’s the recipe for Ninja CREAMi keto vanilla ice cream, but don’t forget the suggestions below the recipe card for toppings and mix-ins!

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Keto Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Freeze Time: 1 day

Blend Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

This keto Ninja CREAMi vanilla ice cream is simply delicious on its own. But add fresh berries, chopped nuts, and low carb chocolate chips for a decadent upgrade.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp cream cheese, softened*
• 2 Tbsp monk fruit sweetener
• 1 Tbsp raw agave nectar*
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder*
• 3/4 cup heavy cream*
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Instructions

1. To prepare the base, mix the softened cream cheese, monk fruit sweetener, raw agave nectar, and vanilla bean powder in a bowl until the sweetener is dissolved.
2. Add the heavy cream and vanilla almond milk to the bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Pour the base into a CREAMi pint, making sure it doesn't go over the MAX FILL line, and put the lid on it.
4. Place the pint in the freezer, making sure it's level. Freeze for 24 hours.
5. Take the pint from the freezer, remove the lid, and place it in the outer bowl. Install the paddle in the lid and attach lid to the outer bowl.
6. Plug in the Ninja CREAMi unit and install the bowl on the base.
7. Press the power button and select LITE ICE CREAM.
8. When the unit shuts off, remove the bowl from the base and remove the lid.
9. If the ice cream is crumbly, then reattach the lid and install the bowl on the base again. Select RE-SPIN.
10. Once the ice cream is at the right consistency, serve immediately.

Notes

* See the Tips below the recipe card for substitution suggestions.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 189Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 54mgSodium 23mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 0gSugar 5gProtein 2g

Nutrition information is an approximation and may vary based on the specific ingredients and amounts used when preparing the recipe.

Toppings & Mix-Ins for this Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Obviously, the list here could get quite long, but here are a few suggestions to get you started. Keep in mind, though, not all of these toppings are keto-friendly!

• fresh or frozen fruit – cherries, strawberries, bananas (see FAQs below for guidelines)
• nuts – pecans, peanuts, walnuts
• candy – pieces of candy bars, Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms
• mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, sprinkles
• mini cookies or broken up cookies

These can either be mixed in after the ice cream is blended up, or just sprinkled on top.

Tip: Save some of your vanilla ice cream to use in this Peanut Butter Oreo Milkshake recipe!

Ninja CREAMi Vanilla Ice Cream FAQs

Here are some frequent questions that come up when making this recipe.

Is this ice cream recipe low carb / keto?

Yes it is. In fact it has only about 6 grams of carbs per serving, depending amounts and brands of the ingredients that you use. But you could lower the carb count even more by skipping the raw agave nectar.

Can I make it vegan/dairy-free?

I often revise recipes to be dairy-free, and this one is easily tailored to a vegan or dairy-free lifestyle. You just simply substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream, leave out the cream cheese or substitute for vegan cream cheese, and make sure to use a plant-based milk, like vanilla almond milk or oat milk.

How long does it take the Ninja CREAMi to make ice cream?

If you’re new to using a Ninja CREAMi machine, you’ll love how quickly you can make a pint of ice cream! Gathering all the kitchen gear and ingredients and then mixing up the base takes no more than 10 minutes. Then, you freeze the base for 24 hours.

Once it’s frozen, the ICE CREAM function will blend it all up in about 3 minutes. If you want to add some mix-ins, that takes a few more minutes.

Can I use frozen fruit in the Ninja CREAMi?

Frozen fruit is not recommended to make ice cream bases in the Ninja CREAMi. However, you can use frozen fruit as mix-ins to ice creams and gelatos.

Just dig a hole in the middle of your ice cream base so that it goes all the way to the bottom of the pint, add your frozen fruit and other mix-ins, then make sure to use the MIX-IN function when processing your treat.

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