Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream!
Banana cream pie is traditionally made with bananas, pudding or custard, and a whipped cream topping. The flavor is light and creamy. The banana and cream flavors go perfectly together! It's sweet, but not too sweet!
If you love banana cream pie, then you're in luck! You don't need to turn on the oven to have banana cream pie because I basically turned banana cream pie into ice cream...with extra protein!!
This recipe comes in at 335 calories, 31 grams of protein, 18 grams of sugar, and 10 WW points. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
When I made this recipe, I wasn't sure how the bananas and the protein shake would taste together. I wanted to make sure that the banana flavor stood out but didn't want to overpower the vanilla flavors. The combination of the fresh bananas mixed with the instant pudding and vanilla protein shake came together beautifully! The final product is a super creamy, (when I say creamy, I mean creamy) and flavorful protein-packed ice cream!
For this recipe, I did not add mix-ins because I was trying to keep the calories and amount of added sugar to a minimum. But, if you don't mind the extra calories or sugar, and are looking for a little extra texture or added crunch, feel free to add in vanilla wafers, sugar cookies, sugar wafers, or a graham cracker! You could even add them as a garnish and crumble some right on top of the ice cream!
Can I put frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami?
Yes. You can use frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when using frozen fruit.
- You cannot put only frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami. Frozen fruit always needs to be used with a liquid or blended with other ingredients. You need to use a liquid so that there are no gaps in between the fruit. If you are not blending the frozen fruit and just adding it to the pint container whole, you cannot use water as the liquid. If you do, there will basically be ice pockets between the frozen fruit pieces. And, the Ninja Creami should not process ice as it could damage the machine.
- For the best results, thaw the frozen fruit and add it to the rest of the mixture. I recommend blending the fruit with the other ingredients so that everything is evenly combined.
Through all of my Ninja Creami protein ice cream experiments, I have found that more times than not, the ice cream needs to be respun not once, but twice. When respinning, I ALWAYS add about 2 tablespoons of liquid, usually milk of some kind. And, it's important to add that liquid EVERY time you respin. If you don't add the liquid when respinning, the ice cream seems to get worse in texture with every respin.
If you are making protein ice cream in your Ninja Creami, you can reserve a little bit of the protein shake and add that in with the response. Or, you can use milk or almond milk.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream
Instant pudding, with or without sugar, helps to thicken the ice cream and makes it very creamy. You can use a gum instead, like guar gum. The instant pudding mix also adds flavor. And, there are so many different flavors of instant pudding available that it makes it pretty easy to come up with great flavor combinations.
Yes! Yes! and Yes!! And, you should! Bananas create a wonderful texture when they are mixed into ice cream recipes in the Ninja Creami! When using bananas, you don't need to add any other stabilizer as the banana does a great job on their own! Bananas help to create a VERY thick and creamy ice cream! You can definitely taste the bananas, regardless of how much you use. So, if you like bananas, add them to your ice cream! You'll be amazed by the great texture!
Per the manufacturer, it is recommended to freeze your desserts for a full 24 hours to ensure that the base mixture is evenly frozen throughout. Many have experimented and frozen for a shorter amount of time and have had good results. When making milkshakes with prepared ice cream, you don't need to wait 24 hours.
You can use fresh or frozen bananas. If you are using frozen bananas, I recommend thawing them before adding them to the mixture. If you don't thaw them, they will not fully incorporate with the other ice cream ingredients and the mixture will be very thick and difficult to get into the pint container.
When respinning a Ninja Creami creation, it's necessary to add a couple of tablespoons of liquid like milk, juice, or water. If you don't add the liquid and respin, usually the ice cream will continue to get drier and more crumbly. Adding the liquid helps the Ninja Creami mix everything together and creates a creamy result. If you need to respin more than once, be sure to add liquid each time that you respin.
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Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Banana Cream Pie 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.
Vanilla Protein Shake- I used a Premier Protein vanilla protein shake. But, if you have a favorite brand of protein shakes, you can use that. I would use the vanilla, and not banan flavor, as the banana flavored shake would make the ice cream taste more like banana ice cream and less like banana cream pie ice cream.
Banana-I used one small banana. You can substitute half of a large banana instead. And, since you are going to blend the banana, you can use a thick banana puree in place of the fresh, real banana.
Sugar-Free Banana Cream Instant Pudding Mix- Try to find the banana cream pie flavor of sugar-free instant jello. If you can't find it, you can use just banana flavored instead.
Vanilla Bean Paste- I always use vanilla bean paste in my recipes because I like the richness that it provides and sometimes the extract provides more of an artificial vanilla flavor. But, if you prefer you can use vanilla extract.
Optional:
Unsweetened Almond Milk- Feel free to use whatever your favorite milk is. You can use skim milk, oat milk, almond milk, or any other milk.
Steps for making Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream:
Prepare the mixture:
Steps for making Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream:
Process the mixture:
Directions for making Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream:
1. Pour the vanilla protein shake, a small banana, instant pudding mix, and vanilla bean paste into a small blender and mix the ingredients together until the pudding mix is 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 unsweetened almond milk and then respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
6. Remove the pint from the machine, scoop, and enjoy!
Pin Ninja Creami Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream on Pinterest for later:
Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeEquipment
Original and Deluxe Ingredient Measurements
Use the multiplier below to adjust quantities based on the machine that you own. 1X=Original 16 ounce 1.5X=Deluxe 24 ounces
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 11.5 Ounces (326 g) Vanilla Protein Shake
- 1 (1) Banana (Small banana)
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Sugar-Free Banana Cream Instant Pudding Mix
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Vanilla Bean Paste
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the vanilla protein shake, banana, instant pudding mix, and vanilla bean paste into a small blender and mix the ingredients together until the pudding mix is 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 unsweetened almond milk and then respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- 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.
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Lauren Cardona
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Rachel
I made this recipe. It’s my first time ever using a Ninja Creami and my very first recipe. I was excited to try it because I wanted some thing that was very low sugar and the high protein is just a bonus. It’s an excellent recipe. I had really good results. And, I look forward to experimenting some more and hoping that Lauren puts out more of the very low sugar recipes.
Lauren Cardona
Ohhh this is a good one! I'm so glad you liked it! And, yes! I will be making more low sugar recipes.