If Almond Joy is your candy bar, then this Ninja Creami Almond Joy Protein Ice Cream is going to completely ruin all other protein ice cream recipes for you. It has a deep, rich dark chocolate base with coconut flakes, chopped chocolate chips, and sliced almonds mixed right in, and it tastes EXACTLY like the candy bar it is named after. I promise you, this one is special.
This recipe comes in at 329.97 calories, 33.46 grams of protein, 2.12 grams of sugar, 16.72 grams of fat, and 21.24 carbs for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
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What makes this Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipe work so well is the coconut extract. That one little half teaspoon is doing a LOT of heavy lifting. It gives the base that unmistakable toasted coconut flavor you get from an Almond Joy without actually putting coconut in the base itself. And you would never guess this ice cream only has a handful of simple ingredients, because the flavor is VERY layered and complex.
There is no pudding mix in this recipe, so guar gum is the stabilizer that keeps this ice cream thick, creamy, and scoopable. Without it, a high protein, lower-fat base like this one can end up icy instead of creamy. A little goes a VERY long way though. The recipe uses just a quarter teaspoon and that is genuinely all you need. Add it last, right before you blend, so it incorporates properly instead of clumping up on contact with the liquid.
You might wonder why the coconut flakes go in as a mix-in instead of straight into the base. Here is the thing. When you blend shredded coconut into the liquid base and then freeze and process it, it creates a gritty texture in the ice cream that is really noticeable and not in a good way. Adding the coconut during the mix-ins step keeps it soft and chewy instead of gritty, and the texture difference is massive. Trust me on this one.
Make sure you chop the chocolate chips before adding them as a mix-in. Whole chocolate chips go into the Ninja Creami ice cream maker and come out frozen solid and VERY hard to chew. Chopping them into smaller pieces gives you that same chocolate chip flavor without risking a tooth. The sliced almonds and the coconut flakes can go in as-is since they are already small enough to distribute evenly through the pint.
This is a high protein, lower-sugar recipe, which is exactly why the lite ice cream setting is the right button to use on the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. If the ice cream comes out looking dry and crumbly like sand after that first spin, just add a tablespoon or two of chocolate almond milk and re-spin. The chocolate almond milk adds a little extra chocolate flavor while fixing the texture at the same time. If it looks more like little balls instead of sand, skip the liquid and just re-spin without adding anything.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Almond Joy Protein Ice Cream
Guar gum acts as a stabilizer and thickener in ice cream. It helps to make the ice cream more of a scoopable consistency rather than soft serve, and it also helps make the ice cream creamy instead of icy. But a little goes a VERY long way. At the most, ¼ teaspoon should be added per pint, and sometimes you might only need ⅛ teaspoon. Add the guar gum after the other ingredients and right before you blend, because if it does not immediately get mixed well with the other ingredients, it will start to thicken on its own.
Adding shredded coconut to the base before freezing is not something I recommend, because it has a tendency to make the ice cream quite gritty feeling after it has been processed in the Ninja Creami. Adding the coconut during the mix-ins step keeps the texture soft and chewy instead.
Yes! Xanthan gum is a 1:1 substitute for guar gum, so you can use the exact same amount called for in the recipe. Both work as stabilizers and will give you the same creamy, scoopable texture in your Ninja Creami protein ice cream.
The chocolate protein shake is really important to the flavor of this recipe since it is the foundation of that Almond Joy taste. If you use a vanilla or unflavored protein shake instead, you will need to increase the dark cocoa powder to make up for the lost chocolate flavor. I use a Premier Protein chocolate shake, but any chocolate protein shake you enjoy will work.
This recipe is high in protein and lower in fat and sugar, which is exactly the type of base the lite ice cream button is designed for on the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. Using the regular ice cream setting on a high protein, lower-fat base like this one will not give you the best results. Stick with the lite ice cream setting for Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes like this.
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Ingredient tips and substitutions
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
- Chocolate Protein Shake: Any chocolate protein shake you enjoy will work here. I use Premier Protein chocolate shakes, but Fairlife chocolate protein shakes are another great option for Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes. Taste your shake first since the flavor does come through in the finished ice cream.
- Dark Cocoa Powder: Dark cocoa powder is the same as Dutch processed cocoa powder and gives this recipe a much deeper, richer chocolate flavor than regular cocoa powder. You can also use cacao powder as a substitute.
- Coconut Extract: Coconut extract is what gives this Ninja Creami Almond Joy protein ice cream its signature flavor, so do not skip it. If you prefer a milder coconut flavor, start with ¼ teaspoon and taste the base before adding more.
- Guar Gum: Xanthan gum is a 1:1 substitute for guar gum and works exactly the same way as a stabilizer in this low-carb, high protein ice cream recipe.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: Sweetened coconut flakes will work if that is what you have, just keep in mind it will change the sugar content of the recipe. Do not add the coconut to the base before freezing since it will make the texture gritty after processing.
- Zero-Sugar Chocolate Chips: Regular chocolate chips or any chocolate chips you enjoy work fine here. Make sure you chop them into smaller pieces before adding as a mix-in since whole chips come out VERY hard when frozen.
- Sliced Almonds: Slivered almonds or roughly chopped whole almonds are a great substitute if you do not have sliced almonds on hand.
- Chocolate Almond Milk (Optional): This is only needed if the ice cream comes out dry or crumbly after the lite ice cream setting. Any dairy or non-dairy milk works, including Fairlife milk, oat milk, or regular 2% milk.
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the chocolate protein shake, cocoa powder, coconut extract, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until the cocoa powder has completely combined with the liquids. Pour the mixture into the 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.
Directions for Processing the Ice Cream Mixture
- 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 (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of chocolate almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour coconut flakes, chopped chocolate chips, and sliced almonds down the center of the ice cream (you might have to push the mix-ins down the center with a spoon), and then process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Almond Joy 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
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Dark Cocoa Powder
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Coconut Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-ins
- 1 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Zero-Sugar Chocolate Chips (Chopped)
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sliced Almonds
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Chocolate Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the chocolate protein shake, cocoa powder, coconut extract, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until the cocoa powder has completely combined with the liquids. Pour the mixture into the 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 (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of chocolate almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour coconut flakes, chopped chocolate chips, and sliced almonds down the center of the ice cream (you might have to push the mix-ins down the center with a spoon), and then 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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