This easy Ninja Creami chocolate protein ice cream is a low calorie ice cream recipe made with chocolate milk and without protein powder.
The secret to this Ninja Creami protein ice cream is Fairlife 2% chocolate milk. It is a high-protein, ultra-filtered milk that is lactose-free.
Instant Jell-O sugar free chocolate pudding mix is the next important ingredient, and it is dairy-free, making this a great recipe if you are lactose intolerant.
This is a 3-ingredient ice cream recipe. Chocolate milk, stevia sugar substitute, and chocolate Jell-O powder are combined to make your ice cream base. The mixture is frozen in a Creami pint for 24 hours, then processed on Lite Ice Cream.
You can easily adjust this recipe to work in both the standard Creami pints and the deluxe Creami pints (see the Notes in the recipe card).
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This homemade ice cream is the perfect healthy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can enjoy the entire pint if you'd like! See the recipe card for full nutritional information.
For another low-calorie dessert, try vanilla protein ice cream or these Diet 7UP Strawberry Cupcakes.
Recipe Highlights
- High protein: 340 calories and 28 grams of protein in the entire pint. A standard Creami pint is 16 ounces (2 cups) which is easily multiple servings.
- Low calorie: This healthy ice cream has far fewer calories than traditional ice cream.
- Simple recipe: An easy three-ingredient recipe.
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Ingredients
- Fairlife 2% Chocolate Milk - This is the regular 2% chocolate milk, not the Fairlife protein shakes. It is a lactose free and high-protein ultra-filtered milk with 50% less sugar than regular chocolate milk and 50% more protein than regular milk.
- Stevia - Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener blend made with stevia extract that measures cup for cup like sugar.
- Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Mix - Jell-O Chocolate Sugar Free & Fat Free Instant Pudding & Pie Filling Mix is a reduced calorie instant pudding dry powder mix found on the baking aisle.
See the recipe card for quantities.
For the Creami Deluxe: For the larger Deluxe pints, multiply the ingredient quantities by 1.5. The instructions are the same for both the standard pints and the deluxe size.
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, add the chocolate milk, stevia, and Jell-O powder. Whisk until the stevia is dissolved. The pudding mix will not fully dissolve.
Allow the bubbles to settle (less than 1 minute) before pouring the mixture into a Creami pint.
Tip: You can mix the ingredients directly in the pint, but I find that the pudding and sugar can get clumped into the crevices in the bottom of the pint, so a mixing bowl makes for a more consistent mixture.
After pouring the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint, cover it with a lid and freeze for 24 hours.
Remove the pint from the freezer and remove the lid.
Tip: It is important to freeze ice cream pints on a level surface. Do not process a base if the ingredients were frozen at an angle as this could damage the machine.
Put the opened pint into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami machine, install the paddle attachment to the lid, and lock the lid assembly to the bowl. Slide the bowl assembly into the machine's motor base, twist it to the right to lock it into place, and select the Lite Ice Cream button. For the Deluxe maker, you can process the full pint or just the top half).
After processing is complete, unlock and remove the bowl assembly from the ice cream maker and unlock the lid. If the ice cream is powdery in appearance, close the lid, lock the bowl assembly back into the machine, and re-spin as needed until you reach a creamy consistency.
Note: Light ice creams do not have the high fat content of regular ice cream, so the consistency will be closer to soft serve or frosty than regular ice cream. I also find they do not need to freeze for quite as long (as few as 12 hours), so play around with your machine and see what works best.
Top with sugar-free chocolate syrup and sprinkles, and serve immediately.
Substitutions
- Milk - For similar macros, substitute Fairlife with a similar ultra-filtered high-protein milk sugar as Horizon Organic Protein or Kroger CARBmaster. You can also use a protein shake (see Variations below).
- Sweetener - Try Stevia, Splenda, Swerve, and monk fruit with erythritol.
- Pudding mix - The instant chocolate pudding mix deepens the flavor and acts as a binder to give you a creamy texture and a scoopable consistency. You can skip it for an icy, frosty-like texture or use full-sugar Jell-O mix instead of sugar-free (but you may want to reduce the added Stevia). You can also make homemade pudding mix. I hear Angel Delight (for my UK readers) is similar to Jell-O though I have not tested it.
Variations
- More protein - For an even higher protein treat, add a scoop of protein powder or swap the Fairlife for a chocolate protein shake such as Fairlife protein shakes, Premier Protein shakes, or Pure Protein shakes.
- Mix-ins - Try adding mini chocolate chips, pretzels, or your favorite mix ins (such as candies, cookies, nuts, cereal, or frozen fruit) after processing. With a spoon, make a small hole in the center of your ice cream that reaches the bottom of the pint container. Add the mix-ins to the hole and process on the Mix-In program.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl - To mix the ingredients. As mentioned before, you can also mix the ingredients directly in the pint but it may not mix as thoroughly.
- Whisk - To mix the ingredients.
- Ninja Creami, Ninja Creami Breeze, or Ninja Creami Deluxe - The standard Creami and the Creami Breeze make 16-ounce (2 cups) pints, and the Deluxe makes 24-ounce (3 cups) pints.
Storage
For any leftover ice cream, do your best to flatten the top of the ice cream with a spoon or spatula and cover it with the storage lid before refreezing. The ice cream will harden as it re-freezes, so you will need to process it again on the lite ice cream setting.
FAQ
The Ninja Creami takes 2-4 minutes, depending on the function selected. The Deluxe model has a timer that shows Ice Cream takes 2 minutes and Lite Ice Cream takes 4 minutes.
Your freezer may be too low or you may just need to re-spin. For best results, set your freezer between 9ºF and -7ºF. Additionally, low-fat, light ice creams may appear powdery after one spin. You can re-spin until it becomes creamy (1-2 times usually does the trick).
Related
📖 Recipe
Ninja Creami Chocolate Protein Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Fairlife 2% Chocolate Milk
- 2 tablespoons Stevia
- 2 tablespoons sugar free chocolate pudding mix
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the chocolate milk, stevia, and pudding mix. Whisk until the stevia is dissolved. The pudding mix will not fully dissolve. Allow the bubbles to settle (less than 1 minute) before pouring the mixture into a Creami pint.
- Pour the mixture into a clean Creami pint. Cover it with a lid and freeze for 24 hours.
- After freezing, remove the pint from the freezer and remove the lid. Put the opened pint into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami machine, install the Creamerizer Paddle to the lid, and lock the lid assembly to the bowl. Slide the bowl assembly into the machine's motor base, twist it to the right to lock it into place, and select the Lite Ice Cream button.
- After processing is complete, unlock and remove the bowl assembly from the ice cream maker and unlock the lid. If the ice cream is powdery in appearance, close the lid, lock the bowl assembly back into the machine, and re-spin as needed until you reach a creamy consistency.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
For best results
Below are a few key tips for getting the best results.
- Use an upright freezer - Chest freezers often get too cold. If your pint is too cold, you may get icy sides that don't process well inside the pint.
- Freeze on a flat surface - Processing pints frozen at an angle could damage the machine or blade.
- Mix fill - Only fill your pint to the Max Fill line.
- Process half the pint - If you have a Deluxe model, you can process just the top half of the pint, then save the rest for later.
See your Ninja Creami user manual and safety instructions prior to use.
If you'd like to try more protein ice cream recipes, tell me what flavor you'd like to see next.
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