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Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream! All of the delicious flavors from Reese’s peanut butter cups with the added benefits of extra protein! This recipe uses the Ninja Creami to create protein ice cream instead of a traditional ice cream maker.
Chocolate and peanut butter are one of the best flavor combinations out there!! Whether it’s in ice cream, cakes, or candy bars, peanut butter, and chocolate go together really well as the flavors complement each other without one overshadowing the other.
This recipe comes in at 403 calories, 40 grams of protein, 3 grams of sugar, 13 grams of fat, and 41 carbs for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
The base of this recipe gets its super-rich flavor from combining a chocolate protein shake with some extra cocoa powder and gets its super creamy texture from the help of instant pudding mix. To keep this recipe high in protein with fewer calories and sugar content, I made my own peanut butter from powdered peanut butter! You can’t even tell the peanut butter came from a powder!
When I say this protein ice cream is good…I mean it!! It’s sooooo good that you would never know that it started out as a protein shake and has very little sugar in it! Not only is it rich and delicious, but the texture…the texture is incredibly smooth!
I had Luis sample this flavor and the first thing he said was….”WOW!!! You could sell this stuff… no seriously….we should sell this stuff!!” So, I guess you could say that my recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream was a hit!
If you’re looking for extra protein but still want it to taste like ice cream and not like protein shakes, give this one a try!
What brand of protein shakes make the best ice cream?
There is no right or wrong answer here. It is 100% based on your own preference. You need to try a couple of protein shakes or protein powder, taste them, and then turn them into ice cream to figure out what you like best.
In general, the most common protein shake used to make ice cream seems to be Fairlife protein shakes. However, with the recent shortage in Fairlife shakes, folks have been turning to Premier Protein shakes.
I tried to get my hands on some of the Fairlife shakes to compare them to the Premier protein shakes. But, they are were not available anywhere! So, most of my recipes are made with Premier Protein shakes. Coming from someone (me) that doesn’t like the taste or texture of protein shakes, I can say that the Premier Protein shakes do really well in the Ninja Creami, and in most cases, you can’t even tell the ice cream was made with a protein shake!
For this recipe, you can use regular peanut butter and regular peanut butter cups instead of sugar-free if you would like. The change in ingredients will alter the nutrition facts. But, I promise you can’t tell the difference between the regular ingredients and the sugar-free/lower-calorie ones.
I started using PB Fit peanut butter powder in my protein ice creams instead of regular premade peanut butter due to the lower calorie count. I’ll admit, I was skeptical…peanut butter from a powder? That can’t be good! But wait…I opened the container and added some water based on the instructions…and something magical happened!! I made peanut butter out of powder!! And it actually tasted like peanut butter. The texture is great.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream
Using the protein shake and the PB fit peanut butter powder helps to add protein to the ice cream. There are 40 grams of protein in this recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream.
Jif peanut butter has 190 calories and 7 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons. PB Fit has 70 calories and 8 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons.
Technically, you can. But, protein shakes by themselves don’t taste that great as ice cream. Adding additional flavorings and stabilizers will increase the quality and taste of the ice cream.
No, you do not need cream cheese to make protein ice cream. But, you will need to add something to help thicken it up and make it a creamy consistency. In this recipe, we are using instant pudding mix instead of cream cheese but you can use guar gum or another substitute instead. See a full list of cream cheese substitutes here.
If you are making this recipe in the Ninja Creami, you cannot add peanut butter and expect it to turn out as a peanut butter swirl. The Ninja Creami will fully mix the peanut butter into the rest of the ice cream creating a peanut butter-flavored ice cream.
Looking for more of the best Ninja Creami Recipes? Check out all of our Ninja Creami ice cream recipes here!
Ingredients to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream:
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Sugar and dairy substitution suggestions can be found here.
Ice Cream Base:
Chocolate Protein Shake- I used a chocolate premier protein shake for this recipe. But, you can use your favorite brand of protein shake. Since protein shake taste and texture vary by brand, the end product may vary.
Sugar-Free Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix- You can use an instant pudding mix that has sugar but the nutrition info will change based on what you use. Use the powdered mix and not premade or cook and serve pudding.
Dark Cocoa Powder-Unsweetened, dark cocoa powder. You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder but the chocolate flavor won’t be quit as rich.
PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder– I used the powdered peanut butter because it tends to be lower in calories than regular peanut butter. If you prefer, you can use premade peanut butter instead. For this recipe, I used just the powder, and did not add water to the powder to turn it into peanut butter. Using regular peanut butter may make the texture of the ice cream a little softer since you would be adding in a liquid instead of a powder.
Mix-Ins:
Zero Sugar Peanut Butter Cups– Use your favorite peanut butter cups. I used zero sugar to cut back on the sugar but you can use regular or a different brand if you would like. Looking for a little extra texture? Try adding in some chocolate chips too!
Optional:
Chocolate Almond Milk- You can use regular chocolate milk, whole milk, skim milk, nonfat milk, or any dairy or dairy substitute. You may not need it. If the ice cream is dry and crumbly after processing, you’ll need to add a tablespoon or two of liquid and then respin. You might need to do this twice. Be sure to add the liquid each time before respinning.
Steps for making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream:
Prepare the mixture:
Steps for making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream:
Process the mixture:
Directions for making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream:
1. Pour the chocolate protein shake, instant pudding mix, dark cocoa powder, and peanut butter powder into a small blender to mix the ingredients together until the pudding mix and cocoa powder are completely combined with the liquids.
2. 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.
3. After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
4. Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “LITE ICE CREAM.”
5. If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking, pour in a tablespoon or two of chocolate almond milk and then respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
6. Remove the pint from the machine and add 3 peanut butter cups and process on “Mix-ins.”
7. Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream
Rate this Recipe
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
- 11.5 Ounces (326 g) Chocolate Protein Shake
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Sugar-Free Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Dark Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoon) PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder
Mix-Ins
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Chocolate Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the chocolate protein shake, instant pudding mix, dark cocoa powder, and peanut butter powder into a small blender to mix the ingredients together until the pudding mix and cocoa powder are completely combined with the liquids.
- 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 chocolate almond milk and then respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Remove the pint from the machine and add 3 peanut butter cups and 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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Lisa says
Tasty but after it froze all the cocoa powder was on the bottom of the pint even though I mixed everything in my vitamix. Any suggestions? Thank you 🙂
Mary says
Only makes small quantity. There is only 11.5 oz of liquid, missing some thing.
Lauren Cardona says
Hi Mary-The pudding mix, cocoa powder, and peanut butter powder add to the volume of the recipe. After blending all of the ingredients together, it should just about fill the container all the way up to the max fill line. Were you making a 16 ounce recipe or were you making the 24 ounce recipe for the deluxe containers? If you have the deluxe, you need to choose the 1.5X option in the recipe card. When you click on the 1.5X button, it will adjust the measurements to fit the deluxe containers.
Nikki Wagner says
Chocolate and PB For the win! Delicious.