Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato!
You can make just about any type of frozen dessert in the Ninja Creami. You can even make gelato. Many gelato recipes call for cooking the ice cream base but there is no cooking needed for this recipe! I've used a special ingredient to add to the creamy texture and the rich lemon flavor in my lemon gelato recipe.
There's a big debate about whether or not gelato is made with eggs. Depending on the recipe, some have egg yolks or egg whites and some don't have any eggs at all. Most traditional gelatos do not have eggs in them and use a lower fat content dairy product like milk instead of heavy cream. The texture is dense and super creamy. With the Ninja Creami ice cream maker, you can achieve this texture by using the Gelato function and it works whether you use eggs or not.
The texture of gelato can't be beat, if you ask me. I've been to Italy several times and every time I go, I have the gelato...several times. When I return home all I can think about is the amazing gelato. The texture is so thick and smooth and there are an endless number of flavors available. Compared to regular ice cream, gelato is much thicker, has less air, and seems much smoother even when there are "mix-ins" added to the gelato. When I was coming up with this recipe for lemon gelato, the texture was so important. It had to be thick and super creamy! I think I got it just right.
Since I was trying to create a super smooth and creamy gelato, I did not add any mix-ins to it. If you want to add a little texture to the Ninja Creami lemon gelato, you could add in lemon zest, blueberries (lemon and blueberries go great together!), freeze dried strawberries, or cookie crumbles.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato:
Click here to see a list of pudding mix substitutes.
A few instant pudding mix substitutes are below:
Sugar-Free instant pudding Mix- 2 tablespoons per pint
Guar Gum- ¼ teaspoon per pint 0r 0.1% by weight per pint
Tara Gum- ⅛-¼ teaspoons per pint
Acacia Gum- ¼ teaspoon per pint
None- skip the stabilizers all together
Mayonnaise- 1 tablespoon per pint
Coconut cream- 1 to 2 teaspoons per pint
Dream Whip- 1 to 2 teaspoons per pint
If you have made a frozen treat and it just isn’t quite as Creami as you would like, you can very easily get it super Creami by using the re-spin function on the Ninja Creami and a little liquid. Simply pour one tablespoon of milk or cream into the pint and place the pint into the outer bowl and snap it into place. Choose the RE-SPIN function. Once the cycle completes, remove the pint and enjoy!
Traditional Italian gelato does not have eggs in it. Although, some recipes do use eggs, egg whites, or egg yolks. It depends on the recipe that you are using.
Yes, you can use homemade lemon curd for this recipe. Lemon curd is made of lemon juice, white sugar, egg yolks, and butter. It's really quite easy to make. Here's a recipe on making lemon curd.
Yes, you can substitute the dairy and sugar to fit your dietary needs. You can use any sugar substitute that you would like, just make sure that it is a 1:1 ratio with the sugar. The milk and half and half can also be substituted. However, some substitutes like oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and cashew milk have a lower fat content and will likely produce ice crystals and a less creamy result.
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Ingredient substitutions for making Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
- Milk- I used whole milk in this recipe. You can use a dairy substitute or lower fat milk if you prefer but the lower the fat content, the less creamy the result will be.
- Half and Half- If you don't have half and half, you can use a mixture of ¼ heavy cream and ¾ whole milk.
- Sugar- White sugar was used. You can use a sugar substitute that is a 1:1 ratio.
- Instant Pudding Mix- Lemon flavored instant pudding mix. Feel free to use the regular or sugar free instant pudding mix. Do not use premade pudding. You will only be using the instant pudding powder in the recipe, not prepared pudding.
- Lemon Curd- Store-bought lemon curd was used in this recipe. If you prefer, you can make your own lemon curd for this recipe. If you can't find lemon curd, lime curd would work well too. The flavor will be slightly different but still great. You can also use canned lemon pie filling. However, pie filing tends to be VERY sweet so you will likely need to cut back on the amount of sugar that is used for this recipe. Taste the mixture after adding lemon pie filling and before adding sugar. If it's not sweet enough, gradually add more sugar.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato:
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Combine all ingredients in the Ninja Creami pint container and blend well.
- 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 from the freezer. Remove the lid.
- Place the container into the Ninja Creami and then process on "Gelato."
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking, pour in a tablespoon or two of milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato
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Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 1 Cup Milk (Whole Milk)
- ½ Cup Half and Half
- ⅓ Cup Sugar (White)
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Flavored Instant Pudding Mix
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Curd
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Combine all ingredients in the Ninja Creami pint container and blend well.
- 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 from the freezer. Remove the lid.
- Place the container into the Ninja Creami and then process on "Gelato."
- If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking, pour in a tablespoon or two of milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
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