Get ready to have the creamiest, smoothest, richest espresso sorbet with the best consistency ever! The Ninja Creami ice cream maker turns just 4 simple ingredients into a thick and creamy Espresso sorbet with only 50 calories in the ENTIRE pint! It’s even dairy-free!
This recipe comes in at 50 calories, 74 carbs, and 9.59 net carbs (total carbs-allulose) for the ENTIRE pint! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
I made this recipe as an experiment and had low hopes that it would turn out anything but icy. Well, I was so wrong! When I processed the espresso sorbet, I couldn’t believe the results. Somehow, the Ninja Creami turned 4 ingredients, one being water, into a super thick and creamy frozen treat. How could that be? I’ve never been so pleasantly surprised by a Ninja Creami recipe before! Trust me, this recipe is amazing!
This recipe is for ESPRESSO sorbet, not coffee sorbet. I mention that because a lot of times when people think of coffee, they think of sweet, flavored coffee drinks and this recipe is not sweet and does not have sweet flavors added to it (like chocolate, caramel, or hazelnut). Espresso is usually served without any cream or sugar, although you can add it if you would like (I never do…I prefer it without cream or sugar). My recipe for Ninja Creami espresso sorbet tastes like espresso. It has a strong, bitter espresso flavor to it.
One of the most amazing things about this recipe is that it becomes super creamy ice cream with NO DAIRY! It’s completely dairy-free! This is a water-based sorbet, and it’s creamy!
There’s no dairy or dairy substitutes. It’s super creamy even though there’s no heavy cream, whole milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, Greek yogurt, Fairlife milk, half and half, cottage cheese or even pudding mix or a protein shake in it.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Espresso Sorbet-Low Calorie:
This recipe uses instant espresso powder, not brewed espresso. The instant espresso powder adds a lot of flavor without adding extra water. Using the instant espresso instead of brewing it allows more control over the strength of the flavor. If you prefer, you can use decaffeinated instant espresso powder.
No, the sorbet does not end up being icy. Instead, it turns into a very creamy texture with a lot of espresso flavor. This recipe is not overly sweet, so if you like your espresso a little sweeter, add more sweetener to the base recipe before freezing.
The instant espresso powder mixed with the other ingredients will expand quite a bit, more than in any other recipe that I have ever made. Don't panic if this happens, as it's normal. Instead, let the mixture sit for several minutes before putting it in the freezer. During this time, the mixture will settle and should be right a the max-fill line.
Traditional espresso does not have cream or sugar added to it. Because of this, espresso is more bitter tasting than a sweetened coffee drink. Espresso has a very strong coffee flavor. If you want a “milder” espresso flavor, you can cut back on the amount of espresso powder used. If you want to add a bit of sweetness, increase the amount of sweetener in the recipe.
The first thing that comes to mind for mix-ins is mini chocolate chips, ready to eat cookie dough, cookies, or small pieces of biscotti. Keep in mind that adding mix-ins will change the nutritional values on this recipe.
There is caffeine in this recipe since there’s caffeine in the espresso powder used. If you don’t want the caffeine, try to find decaffeinated espresso powder. It’s a bit more difficult to find at the grocery store but they do sell it online at Target. The bottle for the decaf says espresso and underneath it says decaf coffee.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Low Calorie Recipes?
Ingredient substitutions for Ninja Creami:
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
Water-Adding water to a Ninja Creami recipe is a bit taboo. The book that comes with the Ninja Creami says not to freeze water. What it really means is don’t freeze “just water.” Once you mix things like fat, dairy, sugar, etc. with water, it’s no longer water. You cannot freeze only water, ice, or have areas between things like frozen fruit that are plain water as that water turns to plain ice. If you add other ingredients to the water and blend before putting it in the Ninja Creami to freeze, it’s no longer just water.
Allulose Granular Sugar Substitute-You can use whatever kind of sweetener you prefer. I choose to use allulose because it’s a 1:1 ratio with sugar, does not have a fake sugar flavor to it, and it does not impact the calories or net carbs in the nutritional values for the recipe. If you prefer, you can use sugar, monk fruit, stevia, Agave, Splenda, Swerve etc.
Instant Espresso Powder-Be sure to use instant espresso powder and not instant or brewed coffee. The espresso powder has a deep flavor and changing this ingredient can alter the flavor and texture of the end result.
Guar Gum-I use guar gum as a thickener that helps cut back on the iciness of the sorbet. If you don’t have guar gum, you can use xanthan gum. Other guar gum substitutes like cottage cheese, yogurt, pudding mix, or cream cheese will change the flavor and texture of the sorbet, so they are not recommended for this recipe.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Low Calorie Espresso Sorbet
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the water, allulose, instant espresso powder, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. The mixture will increase in volume by quite a bit. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami Ninja Creami container and let it sit for about 10 minutes before freezing, stirring every couple of minutes. During this time, the mixture should “deflate” a bit, keeping it at the max fill line.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Directions for Processing the Ice Cream Mixture
- After 24 hours, remove the Ninja Creami container from the freezer. If there is a large bump in the sorbet, melt or scrape the large bump so that the top is level.
- Run warm water on the outside of the container for about 15 seconds to melt the ice layer inside the container.
- Place the Ninja Creami container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process using the “SORBET” button.
- If the sorbet is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), respin. You should not need to add any additional liquid during the re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Espresso Sorbet-Low Calorie
Rate this Recipe
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
- 10 Fluid Ounces (295 ¾ ml) Water
- ⅓ Cup (66 ⅔ g) Allulose Granular Sugar Substitute
- 1½ Tablespoons (1 ½ Tablespoons) Instant Espresso Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the water, allulose, instant espresso powder, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. The mixture will increase in volume by quite a bit. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami Ninja Creami container and let it sit for about 10 minutes before freezing, stirring every couple of minutes. During this time, the mixture should "deflate" a bit, keeping it at the max fill line.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Process the Ice Cream
- After 24 hours, remove the Ninja Creami container from the freezer. If there is a large bump in the sorbet, melt or scrape the large bump so that the top is level.
- Run warm water on the outside of the container for about 15 seconds to melt the ice layer inside the container.
- Place the Ninja Creami container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on "SORBET."
- If the sorbet is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), respin. You should not need to add any additional liquid during the respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
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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Lee says
won’t this damage the ninja since it’s mainly ice, which ninja says not to process.
Lauren Cardona says
No,it shouldn’t damage the machine if you follow the recipe. Ice is just water. This recipe has other ingredients added to it like guar gum, sweetener, and cocoa powder, so it’s not just ice.
Christie Smith says
I really want to make this, but wondering if I can add a protein powder to this or are there modifications that would need to be made? Thanks.
Lauren Cardona says
You should be able to add protein powder. If you are using sweetened or flavored protein powder, you’ll need to adjust the sweetener and flavor that’s in the recipe. But if you are using unflavored, unsweetened protein powder, you should just be able to add it to the existing recipe.
Mark H Dewey says
This really turned out great, had to recycle 2x’s and came out nice and creamy. When I served it, added some sugar free chocolate syrup and that added additional flavor.