Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream!
I just hate it when I get chocolate ice cream and it barely tastes like chocolate! So, I made the most chocolatey, delicious, ice cream I could come up with! Using the Ninja Creami, you can make almost anything that you would like! If you are health conscious, you can sub out many of the ingredients to make it healthier, or you can enjoy the full-fat/sugar ice creams that everyone loves!
Do you have a great Ninja Creami recipe that you want to share? Submit your recipe to The Tasty Travelers!
I have to say, this is my favorite chocolate ice cream that I’ve ever made! I really love the rocky road ice cream from Baskin Robbins because of how intense the chocolate ice cream is. To me, this recipe gets pretty close to that same taste! So chocolatey!
Homemade chocolate ice cream can be difficult to get enough chocolate flavor in. The key is in the ingredients that are used, particularly in the cocoa powder. For this recipe, I used DARK cocoa powder and it made all the difference in the world! When I say that this recipe is super chocolatey, I mean it! It’s sure to cure your sweet tooth!
How to use the Ninja Creami
The process for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream is the same with just about any other frozen treat that you will be making in the Ninja Creami ice cream maker.
- You’ll start with a base recipe that is usually made of dairy, sugar, stabilizers, and flavorings. Depending on the ingredients, you may need to blend everything together before adding to the pint container.
- Once your mixture is ready to go, pour it into the Ninja Creami pint container and place the lid on it. Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours (recommended).
- Once fully frozen, remove from the freezer and place the pint container into the outer bowl. Check to make sure the blade/paddle is inserted correctly into the outer bowl lid and put the lid on.
- Place the outer bowl into the Ninja Creami ice cream machine and turn the outer bowl handle to the right. DO NOT turn it to the left or it may get stuck…and there’s no good way to get it unstuck!
- Choose the appropriate process and push the button. Let the machine do the work!
- Once it’s finished processing, remove the outer bowl from the base and remove the lid. If you are adding mix-ins, dig a hole down the center and add in your mix-ins. Place the container back into the machine and push mix-ins!
- Your treat should be ready to eat now!
- For more info, see all Ninja FAQs here: https://thetastytravelers.com/ninja-creami-faqs/
Tips for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream
Yes! You absolutely should. Initially, a lot of Ninja Creami recipes were made with heavy cream. But, due to the way that the machine processes the ice cream, the heavy cream gets overmixed and starts to almost turn to butter. This butter-like texture leaves a greasy feel on the spoon and mouth. To prevent this from happening, use a combination of half and half and milk instead of heavy cream.
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.
Be sure to mix the ice cream ingredients together in a blender of some type, an immersion blender works really well. If you don’t mix them together well, the cocoa powder will not mix in thoroughly and you will end up with an inconsistent texture and flavor throughout.
Put the container in the microwave for 10-30 seconds to allow some of the ice around the outside to melt. Or, leave the container on the counter for up to 30 minutes before processing. You can also run the container under warm water for several seconds before processing.
This recipe calls for dark cocoa powder. Dark cocoa powder adds a deeper and stronger chocolate flavor than regular cocoa powder. It’s worth it to but the dark cocoa powder for this recipe if you are looking for a strong chocolate flavor.
No- you do not. But, you do need to use another stabilizer/thickener such as instant pudding mix or guar gum. A full list of cream cheese substitutes can be found here: https://thetastytravelers.com/ninja-creami-faqs/#stabilizers
Looking for more of the best Ninja Creami Recipes? Check out all of our Ninja Creami ice cream recipes here!
What you’ll need to make Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream:
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
***Ice Cream Base
Milk- I prefer to use whole milk when making an ice cream base. But, you can use a lower-fat milk or a dairy substitute instead. Lower-fat ice creams tend to be less creamy than full fat so the texture may vary a bit.
Half and Half- If you don’t have half and half, you can use a mixture of heavy cream and milk instead.
Sugar– White sugar was used. You can use a sugar substitute instead.
Instant Pudding Mix (Chocolate Flavored)- DO NOT use cook and serve pudding. Be sure to use instant pudding. You can use sugar-free instant pudding instead.
Dark Cocoa Powder– Be sure to use dark cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder for this recipe. It makes a big difference!
***Mix-Ins
Mini Chocolate Chips– Can be subbed with chopped-up chocolate bars or other flavors of chips. I would still recommend using mini chips instead of full-sized chips, regardless of the flavor.
Chocolate Fudge- Hot fudge (not heated though) is used. You want a thicker sauce, the kind that comes in the jar and not in the squirt bottle.
Magic Shell (Chocolate Fudge flavored)-DO NOT use the regular chocolate sauce for this recipe. The chocolate sauce that comes in the squirt bottle does not get hard as the magic shell does and it will completely mix into the ice cream instead of creating flakes/chips.
Steps for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream:
Directions for making Ninja Creami Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream:
1. Combine all ice cream ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender to mix all ingredients together. Because the cocoa powder does not mix well with a whisk, you need to mix it in a blender for 2-3 seconds.
2. Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
4. 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.
5. Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
6. Dig a tunnel down the center of the ice cream if there isn’t already one there. Pour in chocolate Fudge, then the chocolate chips, and then top off with the magic shell.
7. Add the pint back into the Ninja Creami and process on Mix-ins.
8. Once the Mix-ins process has been completed, remove the pint from the Ninja Creami.
9. Your ice cream is ready to eat! Enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream
Rate this Recipe
Equipment
- Spoon
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
- ¾ Cup (183 g) Milk
- ⅔ Cup (161.33 g) Half and Half
- ⅓ Cup (66.67 g) Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (1.97 Tablespoons) Instant Pudding Mix (Chocolate Flavored)
- 2 Tablespoons (1.97 Tablespoons) Dark Cocoa Powder
Mix-Ins
- 2 Tablespoons (1.97 Tablespoons) Mini Chocolate Chips
- 2 Tablespoons (1.97 Tablespoons) Chocolate Fudge
- 1 Tablespoon (0.99 Tablespoon) Magic Shell (Chocolate Fudge)
Instructions
- Combine all ice cream ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender to mix all ingredients together. Because the cocoa powder does not mix well with a whisk, you need to mix in a blender for 2-3 seconds.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours.
- 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.
- Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
- Dig a tunnel down the center of the ice cream if there isn't already one there. Pour in chocolate Fudge, then the chocolate chips and then top off with the magic shell.
- Add the pint back into the Ninja Creami and process on Mix-ins.
- Once the Mix-ins process has completed, remove the pint from the Ninja Creami.
- Your ice cream is ready to eat! 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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Claudio says
It looks amazing! I have a love-hate relationship with chocolate chips because I hate it when the chips are like little stones to chew. What can I use instead so that the chocolate pieces remain soft, despite the cold temperature of the mix?
Lauren Cardona says
Chop the chips up into small pieces or try using magic shell. Both ways make it so you aren’t biting into big, rock-hard chocolate chips.
Valerie says
Can you use sugar free instant pudding?
Lauren Cardona says
Yes, you can.
Michelle says
This is an excellent chocolate ice cream. I used monk fruit in place of sugar, and regular cocoa powder as that is what I had and it was absolutely splendid.
Esty says
Yummy! just the right amount of sweetness! I had tried another Creami chocolate ice cream recipe and it was not sweet at all or flavorful.
Thank you!
Kim says
Can anything be used to substitute the pudding mix? I do not buy or use anything with GMO ingredients or additives, preservatives, etc. That is the main reason I invested in the Ninja Creami. I want my ice cream how it use to be: milk, cream, sugar and natural fruit, ect. I plan to research the net to see if there is a homemade version out there but I’m pretty sure I have only been able to find the cooked version. Thanks!
Lauren Cardona says
I have lots of recipes that don’t have pudding mix. I would check one of those out. To sub out the pudding you would need to add sweetener, chocolate flavor, and a thickener as that’s what the pudding mix provides for the recipe.
Kacy says
Hello,
I agree with Kim. I am looking for recipes that don’t use pudding mixes or protein powders. We just want real ice cream! You advised Kim to look for another recipe, but I have not been able to find one that doesn’t use one or the other. Is there a substitute for the pudding mix that will make this recipe work? I don’t care about extra sweetener, I am not a huge sugar fan anyway. How about cream cheese?
Lauren Cardona says
Hi Kacy! There are several things you can use instead of instant pudding mix or protein powder. My go-to is guar gum. You only need about 1/4 of a teaspoon per pint. You could use a tablespoon or two of cream cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt instead. With all of these things, you will need to add sweetener and flavorings (like cocoa powder) to replace the sweetener and flavor that you get from the pudding.
Martina says
I made this recipe how it was written and LOVED the flavor, but wasn’t a fan of how icy it came out. So I replaced the half and half with heavy cream and oh. My. God. It is to DIE for. It is taking EVERYTHING in my to not eat the entire thing in one sitting
Lauren Cardona says
Weird that it came out icy. I’ve never had that issue with this particular recipe. I’m glad you got it perfect with the heavy cream. And yes…it’s to DIE FOR!!! So much chocolate!!
Sharon Schroeter says
The Chocolate Ice Cream is yummy! I found the “Food Grade Vegetable Glycerin” on Amazon, but the say it is for hair or skin softening. What kind do you use for Creani ice cream ?
Thanks–keep up the good work!
Lauren Cardona says
I use a brand called Raw+Rare that I bought on Amazon. It says food grade on the label.
Sharon Borovay says
I have been adding vegetable glycerin to all my concoctions and everything is so wonderful and creamy with it. Are you doing the same?
Lauren Cardona says
Yes! I just did some experiments with the vegetable glycerin to find the perfect amounts for each type of recipe!