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Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream

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If you love blueberries as much as I do, then you’re going to love my recipe for making a protein packed blueberry ice cream in the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. There’s lots of flavor, added protein (using unflavored protein powder),no pudding mix, and a super creamy texture!

This recipe comes in at 246 calories, 26 grams of protein, 14 grams of sugar, 71 carbs, 23 grams of net carbs and 5 grams fat for the entire pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.

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For this recipe, I chose to use unflavored whey protein powder instead of a pre-made protein shake. Using unflavored protein powder is a great way to add protein without adding extra flavor or sweeteners. When you use unflavored protein powder, you can make just about any flavor of ice cream that you want and you can control the sweetness of it since the protein powder doesn’t have sweeteners already added, like most protein shakes.

Ninja Creami

This recipe was made using the Ninja™ Creami

You could very easily make this recipe dairy-free or vegan just by changing the type of protein powder used. I used GNC Unflavored Whey Protein powder, but if you want to make it vegan or dairy-free you could use a vegan, unflavored protein powder instead.

Blueberry Protein Ice Cream-8

Many of my recipes with blueberries have an extra step in them, and that’s cooking the blueberries into a sauce. I LOVE fresh blueberries but sometimes they lose flavor when they are made into ice cream. If you want a rich, blueberry flavor, the best way to get it is by turning the ingredients into a cooked blueberry sauce. It takes a couple of extra minutes but it’s well worth it in the end.

Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream-07

If you’re used to using protein shakes or flavored protein powder, you don’t usually need to add much sweetener since it’s already in the shakes and powders. Since this recipe uses unflavored protein powder, you need to add sweetener. I often use allulose in my protein recipes to keep the net carbs and sugar lower than it would be if the recipe were to use sugar. But, if you aren’t concerned with the carbs or sugar content, you can use regular sugar instead.

Blueberry Protein Ice Cream-17

Tips for making Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream:

Why are the blueberries cooked before adding them to the ice cream base?

Cooking fruit with sweetener helps to bring out the fruit flavors, adds sweetness and intensifies the flavor. Essentially, you are making a jam or pie filling when you cook the berries. It’s a little extra work but it makes a huge difference in the final product.

Does the Swerve sugar substitute taste like fake sugar?

Of all the sugar substitutes that I have used, I prefer the Swerve Allulose blend. I can’t tell the difference in flavor and there’s no weird texture. It’s great too because it measures the same as sugar does. If you use a different sugar substitute, you may need to adjust the amount used based on the conversion for that substitute.

Why do so many Ninja Creami recipes use Fairlife milk or protein shakes?

Fairlife milk is ultra-filtered milk that is made in such a way that it concentrates protein and calcium while filtering out lactose and natural sugars.  It’s available in whole, 2%, fat-free, strawberry, and chocolate.

Fairlife milk is lactose-free, does not contain artificial growth hormones, has a longer shelf life, and has 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk. 

Can vanilla protein powder be used instead of unflavored?

Yes, but the ice cream will have more of a vanilla flavor. And, since the vanilla protein powder is flavored and has sweetener added, you will need to cut back on the amount of allulose that is used.

Can other mix-ins be added to Ninja Creami blueberry protein ice cream?

Yes, you can add anything that you think might go well with blueberry flavors. Dried coconut, lemon cookies, chocolate Oreo cookies, or even vanilla wafers would go great as a mix-in.

Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipes?

Ingredient tips and substitutions for making Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream:

The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.

Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream-24
  • Blueberries– Fresh or frozen can be used in the base recipe. Fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries can be used as mix-ins.
  • Swerve Sugar Substitute Granulated-Allulose Blend– If you prefer, you can use sugar or any other sugar substitute that is a 1:1 ratio with sugar: monk fruit, brown sugar, powdered sugar, Splenda, Stevia, etc.
  • Lemon Juice– Fresh or bottled. If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use lime juice or omit it completely. Do not use lemon or lime extract.
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk-If you prefer, you can use cow’s milk, (1%, 2%, whole, or half and half), coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or any other dairy-free milk substitute that you would like.
  • Unflavored Whey Protein Powder-The key is to use unflavored protein powder. The brand or type isn’t as important as the unflavored part. If you absolutely need to use a flavored protein powder, use vanilla and then cut back on the amount of sweetener that is used in the recipe.
  • Guar Gum– If you don’t have guar gum, you can use the same amount of xanthan gum, or 2 tablespoons of vanilla instant pudding (you will need to reduce the amount of allulose that the recipe calls for), or 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese or yogurt.

Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries with the sugar substitute 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 for 5 minutes.
  2. Pour the blueberry mixture, unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend together until all ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami container.
  3. 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.
Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream Make the base

Directions for Processing the Ice Cream Mixture

  1. After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
  2. Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “LITE ICE CREAM.”
  3. If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened 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.
  4. Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in fresh blueberries. Process on mix-ins.
  5. Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream Process

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Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream

Recipe

Blueberry Protein Ice Cream Featured Image

Ninja Creami Blueberry Protein Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote
Rate this Recipe
Servings: 1 Pint
Calories: 245.92kcal
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
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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.

(Click here) This is the food grade vegetable glycerin that I experimented with.

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

Mix-ins

Optional

Instructions

Make the Ice Cream Mixture

  • In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries with the sugar substitute 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 for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the blueberry mixture, unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend together until all ingredients are well combined. 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 unsweetened 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 in fresh blueberries. Process on mix-ins.
  • Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!

Notes

Why are the blueberries cooked before adding them to the ice cream base?
Cooking fruit with sweetener helps to bring out the fruit flavors, adds sweetness and intensifies the flavor. Essentially, you are making a jam or pie filling when you cook the berries. It’s a little extra work but it makes a huge difference in the final product.
Does the Swerve sugar substitute taste like fake sugar?
Of all the sugar substitutes that I have used, I prefer the Swerve Allulose blend. I can’t tell the difference in flavor and there’s no weird texture. It’s great too because it measures the same as sugar does. If you use a different sugar substitute, you may need to adjust the amount used based on the conversion for that substitute.

Nutrition

Calories: 245.92kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.99g | Protein: 25.69g | Net Carbs (Total Carbs-Allulose Carbs): 22.99g | Fat: 4.68g | Saturated Fat: 1.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.56g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.56g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 166.49mg | Potassium: 416.94mg | Fiber: 3.61g | Sugar: 13.59g | Vitamin A: 173.07IU | Vitamin C: 13.17mg | Calcium: 490.2mg | Iron: 0.67mg

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.

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it turned out in a comment below!

Leave a comment and rate this recipe!

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