Making frozen yogurt in the Ninja Creami ice cream maker is really easy to do. If you want, you can freeze plain yogurt in the container and then process it in the Ninja Creami! It’s literally that simple. But, if you are looking to add some additional flavor and additional protein to your frozen treat, you can do that too! In this recipe, I combine some additional ingredients with the yogurt to kick up the flavor and the protein. The result is the creamiest, most delicious chocolate chip frozen yogurt ever!
This recipe comes in at 364 calories, 36 grams of protein, 4 grams of sugar, 14 grams of fat, 55 carbs, 31 net carbs (total carbs-allulose) for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
The Ninja Creami ice cream machine creates an incredible texture, much creamier than you would get if you were to just freeze yogurt on its own without processing it with the Ninja Creami! I love a good chocolate chip ice cream or frozen yogurt! But, if you want a really good base to go along with the chocolate chips, you’ve got to add a bit of a vanilla flavor. Yogurt tends to be a bit tart and for this recipe you want the base to be a little sweet. To help create a rich sweetness, I added a little bit of granulated allulose, you can use your favorite sweetener, and I added in some vanilla bean paste. Not only does the frozen yogurt base taste great, but the chocolate chip pieces add a nice texture and pop of chocolate!
For this recipe, I used protein powder instead of a premade protein shake. I wasn’t sure how the protein powder was going to compare in texture and flavor compared to the premade protein shakes. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the texture come out super creamy and thick, but there was zero protein shake aftertaste. None. If you didn’t know that it was made with protein powder, you would have no idea based on the flavor and texture.
Unlike a lot of protein recipes, this recipe does not use any instant pudding powder. This means I needed to add a stabilizer to help create a smooth and creamy texture that was thick enough to scoop. I started using guar gum as a stabilizer and it works wonders! There is no flavor and you only need a very small amount to make a 16-ounce container of ice cream!
You’ll notice that I recommend chopping the chocolate chips up before adding them in as mix-ins. I find that this helps distribute the chocolate throughout the entire container when using the Ninja Creami machine and it makes it much easier to eat. Whole chocolate chips can be very hard on your teeth if they are cold. The small slivers work really great! If you prefer, you can melt the chocolate chips and pour them in as a mix-in. This will accomplish the same goal. But, I find that I waste a lot of the chocolate when it gets melted in a separate dish so I prefer to just chop them up.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Chip Protein Frozen Yogurt
When you add full-sized, whole chocolate chips to Ninja Creami ice cream, they get very cold and VERY hard. Also, you need a lot of whole chocolate chips to get them all throughout the ice cream. Chopping them up allows you to use fewer chocolate chips while still getting chocolate all throughout the ice cream!
You can, but the chocolate chips will get ground up and totally incorporated into the ice cream. For ice cream that has mix-ins already added, leftovers are better if they are allowed to sit on the counter for a while until it softens up.
The yogurt adds additional protein, helps create a thick and creamy texture, and adds a little bit of a tangy flavor!
Click on the 1X button in the recipe card. When you do so, it will automatically change the ingredient amounts to accommodate the larger 24-ounce containers for the Ninja Creami Deluxe.
For this recipe, there is yogurt so you might think that frozen yogurt might be the right processing option. But, since the yogurt mixture is not all frozen yogurt and instead has a lot of other ingredients in it like almond milk, I prefer to process using the lite ice cream button. I recommend using the lite ice cream button for all protein-based recipes in the Ninja Creami.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Recipes?
Ingredients to make Ninja Creami Chocolate Chip Protein Frozen Yogurt:
Ingredient substitutions for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Chip Protein Frozen Yogurt
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Unsweetened Almond Milk– You can use any type of dairy or dairy-free or vegan product that you would like. However, since the recipe calls for sweetener and flavorings, I would recommend choosing a milk/non-dairy milk that is unflavored and unsweetened. Whole milk, 2% milk, skim milk, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or soy milk will work for this recipe. I would not recommend using heavy cream instead of almond milk as heavy cream tends to create a greasy texture.
Vanilla Yogurt– Choose a yogurt that you like the taste of. To keep the sugar levels down, I went with a zero-sugar, vanilla-flavored, lactose-free vanilla-flavored yogurt. You can use Greek yogurt or regular or low-fat yogurt.
Sugar Substitute– You can use regular sugar but if you are looking for a healthier alternative or are just watching your sugar intake, you can use a sugar substitute instead. I have found that Swerve, granulated allulose blend works great and does not have a fake sugar aftertaste. If you prefer, you can use a different sugar or sugar substitute like monk fruit sweetener or Stevia. Adjust the amount based on which sugar substitute you use. The Swerve that is used in this recipe is a 1:1 ratio for regular white sugar.
Protein Powder– Use your favorite brand of unflavored protein powder.
Vanilla Bean Paste– Vanilla extract can be used instead of vanilla bean paste.
Guar Gum– Guar gum has no flavor and helps create a great texture. While I have not tried it in ice cream, many have found success with Xanthan gum instead of guar gum.
Chocolate Chips– Zero-sugar chocolate chips were used in the recipe to reduce the amount of added sugar. If you prefer you can use regular milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or any other flavored chips.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Chip Protein Frozen Yogurt:
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, vanilla yogurt, sugar substitute, protein powder, vanilla bean paste, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all of the ingredients have combined together. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid getting a bump on the top of the frozen mixture, freeze with the lid off of the container.
Process the Ice Cream
- After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
- Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “LITE ICE CREAM.”
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking, pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the chopped chocolate chips. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Chocolate Chip Protein Frozen Yogurt
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Equipment
Add Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin To Make Leftover Ice Cream Scoopable Right Out of the Freezer
Per 16 ounce pint: *Add 1 Teaspoon to full fat/full sugar bases *Add 1.5 teaspoon to high protein bases *Add 2 teaspoons to low sugar/low fat lite bases. Freeze and process per the recipe. Take the leftovers out of the freezer and scoop without having to reprocess. ***This is a guideline and adjustments may be needed based on your recipe.
Original, Breeze, Swirl, and Deluxe Ingredient Measurements
Use the multiplier below to adjust quantities based on the machine that you own. ***If you have the Original, Breeze, or Swirl machine, which use 16 ounce containers, choose the 1X option. ***If you have the Deluxe or XL machine, which use 24 ounce containers, choose the 1.5X option.
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 6 Ounces (170 g) Unsweetened Almond Milk (Fluid Ounces)
- 5.3 Ounces (150 ¼ g) Zero Sugar Vanilla Yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)
- 1 Scoop (1 Scoop) Unflavored Whey Protein Powder (33.6 Grams)
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Vanilla Bean Paste
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-ins
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Zero-Sugar Chocolate Chips (Chopped)
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, vanilla yogurt, sugar substitute, protein powder, vanilla bean paste, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all of the ingredients have combined together. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid getting a bump on the top of the frozen mixture, freeze with the lid off of the container.
Process the Ice Cream
- After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
- Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on "LITE ICE CREAM."
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking, pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the chopped chocolate chips. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Optional ingredients are not included in the nutrition information.
Recipes that use allulose:
Allulose is a low calorie sweetener that your body doesn't fully digest, so it provides only 0.4 calories per gram instead of 4. That's why the calorie total doesn't match what you'd expect from the carb count. Calories from allulose are calculated based on metabolized carbohydrates. Allulose contributes fewer calories than standard carbohydrates.
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