Check out our recipe on how to make Blueberry Pie Ice Cream using the Ninja Creami!
I'm a sucker for anything with blueberries. You name it, and I'll eat it or drink it just as long as it has blueberries in it! I've made several iterations of blueberry ice cream in my Ninja Creami and they turned out really well. But, I wanted to make something that really tasted like blueberries, not just a hint of blueberry flavor...but real blueberry ice cream!
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I found inspiration on how to make the blueberry flavor more concentrated from this recipe on Taste of Home. I modified the recipe to fit my tastes and to work with the Ninja Creami. Let's just say that the results were FANTASTIC!!! So much blueberry flavor!
The flavor and texture of this blueberry pie ice cream made in the Ninja Creami is one of my favorites so far. Cooking the blueberries to make them into a compote or thick sauce really made all of the difference! I usually just throw fresh blueberries in and I'm so happy that I cooked them this time. It's a real game-changer. The blueberry flavor is so much stronger and a bit sweeter too. And LOOK AT THE COLOR of the ice cream! I mean...it just doesn't get any blueberrier (not a real word lol) than that!! Be careful though...all of that blueberry color will turn your teeth, tongue, and lips PURPLE!!! Ah...ok...maybe that only happened because I ate the entire pint!! It was worth it though!
It may sound strange to add instant pudding mix to ice cream, but trust me when I say...it makes a huge difference! The instant pudding acts as a thickening agent and makes the Ninja Creami ice cream super thick and creamy! Don't add too much though. The more you add, the thicker it will get and the more difficult it will be for the Ninja Creami to process the treat. I have found that 2 tablespoons is just the right amount for a Ninja Creami treat. While the pudding does add some flavor, it's not overpowering. For most recipes, you can use vanilla or chocolate- depending on what your base recipe is.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Blueberry Pie Ice Cream
Yes and no. You cannot just put frozen fruit into the pint container and freeze or process it. Doing so may damage the Ninja Creami machine. You need to have something to fill in the spaces in between the chunks of frozen fruit. So, either thaw the fruit first, blend the fruit to make a puree, or add the frozen fruit to a liquid base of some sort.
Sometimes using heavy cream or full-fat cream can turn into a buttery texture. This can create a greasy feel on your spoon. To correct this issue, add less heavy cream or use half and half or milk instead.
No. Premade pudding cannot be used for this recipe. The recipe takes the flavors of the pudding and incorporates it into the rest of the ingredients. Also- the instant pudding mix has modified cornstarch in it which acts as a thickening agent. Using already made pudding will not achieve the same results.
Usually, if your ice cream comes out dry or crumbly it's due to one of the following reasons:
*Your freezer is too cold. Try to adjust your freezer to be a little warmer or let your ice cream sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before processing it.
*Your recipe does not have enough fat in it. Try adding in a little bit of a higher fat dairy product to your recipe next time.
*Your recipe may not have enough sugar in it. The less sugar in the recipe, the icier and crumblier the ice cream will be. Regular sugar, honey, or corn syrup can be used to increase the sugar content if desired.
To help resolve this issue, after processing, add 1 tablespoon of dairy and then reprocess.
It depends. If you are keeping the ice cream in the Ninja pint container with the lid sealed tightly and are freezing it in a cold freezer (between 9 degrees F and -7 degrees F), your ice cream will keep for several weeks, even months. However, if you transfer your ice cream to another container or freeze it in a freezer that is not quite as cold (or that is accessed a lot/door opened and closed often), the lifetime of your ice cream will decrease greatly to just a few days and you will likely end up with freezer-burned ice cream.
Cooking the fruit and making a compote or thick sauce is a really good way of making the flavors of the fruit really stand out! If you want more fruit flavor, add more of the compote. Adding in extracts and oils can also add extra flavor.
Technically yes. According to Ninja, they do recommend that you wait the full 24 hours before processing anything in the Ninja Creami. Have I seen it work with less time, yes. But, even though it looks like the base is completely frozen, it may not be evenly frozen throughout. You ou can try to process sooner but here's my disclaimer: I recommend waiting the full 24 hours. Failure to do so may void the manufacturer's warranty.
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Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Creami Blueberry Pie Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Half and Half- Half and half is half milk and half cream. So, you can essentially make your own half and half by using cream and milk. I buy half and half because it's more convenient than measuring out the cream and milk individually. You can even use non-dairy milk instead.
Milk- Whole milk was used but any milk or non-dairy substitute can be used.
Instant Pudding Mix (Vanilla Flavored)- Make sure you use the INSTANT pudding mix. Instant pudding mix is made with modified cornstarch. Vanilla, blueberry, or cheesecake flavors can be used in this recipe. For folks that are not in the US and don't have access to instant pudding mix- You can make your own substitution. There are a bunch of recipe variations online but INSTANT pudding mix is essentially made by combining 1 part modified cornstarch, such as Ez Gel, to 2 parts sugar and then adding flavoring to the ice cream base. In many of my recipes, I use 2 tablespoons of INSTANT pudding mix. To substitute this, I would use 2 teaspoons of modified cornstarch and 4 teaspoons of sugar or a sugar substitute and a small amount of flavor extract. Since this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of pudding mix, you can use 2 teaspoons of modified cornstarch (EZ Gel) and 4 teaspoons of sugar or a sugar substitute and a small amount of vanilla extract. Angel Delight is a similar product to Instant Pudding that is available in other countries. If you only have access to regular cornstarch, you can try to heat up your ice cream base with the corn starch in it, let it cool, and then put in the freezer. I have not tried this method but it was recommended by a member of the Ninja Creami Community on Facebook.
Blueberries (Fresh)- For this recipe, I basically made a blueberry compote with the fresh blueberries. You can use a different berry instead like raspberry or blackberry or even peaches, but I would not recommend using frozen fruits because they tend to have much more liquid when they thaw. The extra liquid will make the compote less flavorful and more watery. You can however substitute the blueberries, lemon juice, and some of the sugar for a store-bought compote or pie filling. Be careful when buying canned pie filling as it usually has a lot of sugar in it.
Sugar- Any sugar substitute can be used but when making the crust portion, I would recommend using a granulated sugar or sugar substitute and not liquid. The granulated sugar adds to the texture of the crust portion.
Lemon Juice- Usually I recommend using fresh fruits and veggies. In this recipe, using packaged lemon juice is totally fine! The recipe calls for such a small amount of lemon juice that it's not necessary to buy an entire lemon.
Graham Cracker- Graham crackers are recommended but you could use any crunchy, cinnamon, or vanilla-flavored cookie. Teddy Grahams would work great!
Butter (Melted)- Salted butter is preferred. Make sure you melt it before using it.
Cinnamon (Ground)- Nutmeg and allspice are good substitutes for cinnamon. If you don't have any of these options, you can omit it.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Blueberry Pie Ice Cream:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the pie filling ingredients; blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries have burst and turned into a saucy consistency. This should take about 5 minutes. Allow to cool while making the ice cream base.
2. Pour the ice cream base ingredients; milk, half and half, and pudding mix into the Ninja Creami pint container. Mix well with a whisk.
3. Add the blueberry pie filling mixture to the Ninja Creami Pint container and mix together with the ice cream base.
4. Put the lid on the pint container and freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
5. After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
6. Place the Ninja Creami pint into the outer bowl. Place the outer bowl with the pint in it, into the Ninja Creami machine and turn until the outer bowl locks into place. Push the ICE CREAM button. During the ice cream function, the ice cream will mix together and become a very creamy texture.
7. Combine the crust ingredients together (be sure the butter is melted) and stir until well combined.
8. Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
9. Dig a hole down the center of the ice cream and add in the crust mixture.
10. Put the Ninja Creami pint back into the Ninja Creami and process on mix-ins.
11. Your ice cream is ready to eat! Enjoy!
Pin recipe for later!!
Ninja Creami Blueberry Pie Ice Cream
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- Spoon
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- ½ Cup Half and Half
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Pudding Mix (Vanilla Flavored)
Pie Filling
- 1 Cup Blueberries (Fresh)
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Crust
- 1 Graham Cracker (1 whole graham cracker has 4 rectangles. Use one whole graham cracker which equals 4 rectangles. Crush the graham cracker before using. )
- 1 Teaspoon Butter (Melted)
- ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon (Ground)
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
Instructions
- Pour the ice cream base ingredients; milk, half and half and pudding mix into the Ninja Creami pint container. Mix well with a whisk.
- Add the blueberry pie filling mixture to the Ninja Creami Pint container and mix together with the ice cream base.
- Put the lid on the pint container and freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
- After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
- Place the Ninja Creami pint into the outer bowl. Place the outer bowl with the pint in it, into the Ninja Creami machine and turn until the outer bowl locks into place. Push the ICE CREAM button. During the ice cream function, the ice cream will mix together and become very creamy.
- Combine the crust ingredients together (be sure the butter is melted) and stir until well combined.
- Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
- Dig a hole down the center of the ice cream and add in the crust mixture.
- Put the Ninja Creami pint back into the Ninja Creami and process on mix-ins.
- Your ice cream is ready to eat! Enjoy!
Notes
*Your freezer is too cold. Try to adjust your freezer to be a little warmer or let your ice cream sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before processing it.
*Your recipe does not have enough fat in it. Try adding in a little bit of a higher fat dairy product to your recipe next time.
*Your recipe may not have enough sugar in it. The less sugar in the recipe, the icier and crumblier the ice cream will be. Regular sugar, honey, or corn syrup can be used to increase the sugar content if desired.
To help resolve this issue, after processing, add 1 tablespoon of dairy and then reprocess. Can you use frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami? Yes and no. You cannot just put frozen fruit into the pint container and freeze or process it. Doing so may damage the Ninja Creami machine. You need to have something to fill in the spaces in between the chunks of frozen fruit. So, either thaw the fruit first, blend the fruit to make a puree, or add the frozen fruit to a liquid base of some sort.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
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