If you love coffee ice cream, you have to try my recipe for Ninja Creami toffee coffee protein ice cream. It has the perfect amount of coffee flavor, a thick and creamy texture, and a really good crunch from the Heath chip mix-ins. I promise you would never know it’s a protein ice cream!
This recipe comes in at 357 calories, 30 grams of protein, 19 grams of sugar, 13 grams of fat, for the ENTIRE pint.
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Coffee ice cream is one of those flavors that is really easy to mess up. Either there’s not enough coffee flavor and it just tastes like vanilla, or there’s so much that it tastes bitter. Coffee lovers, this Ninja Creami ice cream maker recipe nails the perfect amount of coffee flavor, has a creamy smooth texture, and is the perfect treat when you want a lighter alternative to regular coffee ice cream with 30 grams of protein per entire pint.
The instant espresso powder is what gives this recipe its bold coffee flavor without ruining the texture. Do NOT try to use regular brewed espresso or coffee instead. It adds too much liquid and you will end up with an icy texture instead of the creamy ice cream you want. If you can’t find instant espresso powder, instant coffee works as a substitute, but you might need a little extra to get the same strong coffee flavor.
The Heath chips are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth who wants real toffee crunch in every bite. They are crunchy, sweet, and hold up perfectly through the mix-ins cycle without getting soggy or super ground up. If you can’t find bagged Heath chips at your grocery store, chop up an actual Heath candy bar and use that for the mix-ins instead. You could also throw in some chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or even crumbled chocolate cookies if you want more of a sweet tooth treat.
One ingredient that confuses people is the caramel syrup. This recipe uses Torani sugar-free caramel syrup, which is the type of thin syrup that you add to coffee and drinks. It is NOT the thick caramel topping that you would drizzle on ice cream. The thin syrup blends right into the base with the rest of the simple ingredients and adds the right amount of sweet caramel flavor to balance out the espresso.
Coffee and toffee are a flavor combination that just works. The bitterness from the espresso and the buttery sweetness of the toffee balance each other out, and the Heath chips give this Ninja Creami machine recipe a really good crunch. With creamy flavor, simple ingredients, and way more protein than a protein bar, this is going to be a personal favorite in your freezer.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Toffee Coffee Protein Ice Cream
Heath chips are little pieces of toffee that you find in the center of a Heath Bar. They are crunchy, sweet, and so good in this Ninja Creami protein ice cream. If you can’t find Heath chips, you can chop up a Heath candy bar and use that for the mix-ins instead.
This recipe uses Torani sugar-free caramel syrup. This is the type of thin syrup that gets added to coffee and other drinks, not the thick caramel sauce that you would top ice cream with. You can use any brand of sugar-free or regular caramel coffee syrup that you like.
No. Regular brewed espresso or coffee adds way too much liquid to the ice cream base and the result will be watery and icy. If you can’t find instant espresso powder, use instant coffee instead, but you might need a little extra to get that same strong coffee flavor.
Usually, if your ice cream is coming out fluffier than you want, it’s because too much liquid was added during a re-spin. To prevent this, use about a tablespoon of liquid on the re-spin. If it’s still not creamy, re-spin again, but don’t go too heavy on the liquid the second time.
Not at all! The bold espresso flavor, sweet caramel syrup, and crunchy Heath chips give this so much flavor that you would never guess it’s made with a protein shake. The texture is creamy and thick too, not chalky or icy like a lot of protein ice cream recipes can be.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipes?
Ingredient tips and substitutions
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
- Vanilla Protein Shake: Premier Protein and Fairlife both work great in this Ninja Creami ice cream maker recipe, but if you don’t have a protein shake, use the same volume of your milk of choice mixed with whey or unflavored protein powder and adjust the flavor and sweetness based on what you use (you can add a splash of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for more vanilla flavor).
- Instant Espresso Powder: Do not use regular brewed espresso or coffee since it will add too much liquid and ruin the creamier texture, but instant coffee works as a substitute if you can’t find instant espresso powder (you may need a little more to get the same bold flavor that coffee lovers want).
- Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend): Use your favorite granulated sweetener that is a 1:1 ratio with sugar, or use real sugar if you prefer for this low-calorie treat.
- Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup: This recipe uses Torani sugar-free caramel syrup, which is the thin syrup added to coffee and drinks (not the thick caramel topping you put on ice cream), and any brand of sugar-free or regular caramel coffee syrup works as a substitute.
- Guar Gum: Guar gum is what gives this creamy ice cream its smooth texture on the first spin, and if you can’t find it, xanthan gum works as a substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- Heath Chips: If you can’t find bagged Heath chips at your grocery store, you can chop up a Heath candy bar and use that for the mix-ins instead, or swap them for chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or even some chopped cookies if you have a serious sweet tooth.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk (Optional): This only gets used if the ice cream looks dry or crumbly after the first spin, and any dairy or plant-based milk works in its place like whole milk, 2% milk, heavy cream, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, low-fat milk, or Fairlife milk (the higher the fat content of the dairy-free or plant-based alternative, the creamier the texture).
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the protein shake, instant espresso powder, sugar substitute, caramel syrup, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients have completely combined with each other. Pour the mixture into a 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 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 the Heath chips. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Toffee Coffee Protein Ice Cream
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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.
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 Fluid Ounces (340 ml) Vanilla Protein Shake
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Instant Espresso Powder
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-Ins
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Heath Chips
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the protein shake, instant espresso powder, sugar substitute, caramel syrup, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients have completely combined with each other. Pour the mixture into a 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 the Heath chips. 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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