This Ninja Creami low-calorie frosted lemonade is a copycat version of the famous Chick-fil-A frosted lemonade, but made at home with a fraction of the calories. It’s sweet, tart, and has that perfect frosty, drinkable texture that you would expect. You would never know it’s low-calorie.
This recipe comes in at 263 calories, 12 grams of protein, 21 grams of sugar, 7 grams of fat, 81 carbs, and 33 net carbs (total carbs minus allulose carbs) for the ENTIRE pint.
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If you’ve ever had a Chick-fil-A frosted lemonade, you know how good they are. That sweet, tart, frosty combination of lemonade and ice cream is SO refreshing. This Ninja Creami version tastes really close to the original, but it’s way lower in calories and sugar than the Chick-fil-A one.
I made this recipe MANY times to get it just right. The balance between the sweetness and the tartness of the lemon was the trickiest part, and I had to play with the amounts to get it to taste as close to the original as possible. The Kool-Aid to allulose ratio in this recipe is what I landed on and it’s really close to the real thing.
The unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid powder is the trick to getting that bright lemonade flavor without adding a ton of sugar or calories. A little bit really goes a long way with this stuff, so don’t be tempted to add more than the recipe calls for. Make sure you use the unsweetened Kool-Aid that comes in the little paper pouches, not the pre-sweetened kind that comes in a big container.
The re-spins with extra milk are KEY to getting the right texture for this recipe. A frosted lemonade isn’t supposed to be a thick, scoopable ice cream, it’s supposed to be drinkable through a straw. You’ll need to add a tablespoon of milk at a time and re-spin, then repeat until it’s drinkable but still frosty. If you want it thicker, just re-spin with less milk (or skip the re-spin altogether).
This is a really fun recipe to make in the summer when it’s hot outside and you’re craving something cold and refreshing. It’s also a fun copycat recipe to make at home if you love Chick-fil-A but don’t want to make the trip (or spend the money). You get all of that same flavor without leaving the house, and you can make it as thick or as drinkable as you want.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Low Calorie Frosted Lemonade
Jell-O powder (not the pudding) has added sweeteners, usually a stabilizer, and a different flavor. I tried this recipe with lemon Jell-O and would not recommend it since the flavor ends up being much different and not nearly as good as when the Kool-Aid powder is used.
Absolutely! The leftovers can be spun on the “ICE CREAM” setting. If you want the leftovers to be drinkable again, process on “ICE CREAM” and then re-spin and add more liquid just like you did the first time.
A frosted lemonade isn’t supposed to be scoopable, it’s supposed to be drinkable through a big straw. If you want a thicker consistency, don’t re-spin with as much liquid, or you may not need to re-spin it at all.
No, do NOT use the pre-sweetened Kool-Aid for this recipe. It has a lot of added sugar and will throw off both the flavor and the low calorie count. Stick with the unsweetened powder that comes in the little paper pouches.
It’s really close to the original! I made this recipe many times to get the balance of sweet and tart just right, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. It definitely satisfies that Chick-fil-A frosted lemonade craving.
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Ingredient tips and substitutions
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
- 2% Milk: You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk in place of 2% milk, just know that the higher the fat content, the creamier the texture will be (whole milk, Fairlife, oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk all work).
- Allulose Granular Sugar Substitute: You can use your favorite granulated sweetener that is a 1:1 ratio with sugar, like monk fruit sweetener or real sugar.
- Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder: Make sure to use INSTANT pudding mix, not cook-and-serve or premade pudding, and the regular sugared version works just as well if you’re not worried about the sugar.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract works as a substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- Unsweetened Lemonade Kool-Aid Powder: Be sure to use the unsweetened powder that comes in the little paper pouches, NOT the pre-sweetened kind that comes in a big container (a little goes a long way, so don’t over do it).
- Guar Gum: If you can’t find guar gum, xanthan gum works as a substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- 2% Milk (Optional): This gets used for the re-spins to get that drinkable frosted lemonade texture, and any dairy or non-dairy milk works in its place like whole milk, skim milk, heavy cream, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or Fairlife milk.
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the milk, allulose, pudding mix, vanilla bean paste, Kool-Aid powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami container.
- 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 ice cream, melt or scrape the large bump so that the top is level.
- Place the Ninja Creami container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “ICE CREAM.”
- Since frosted lemonade is more of a soft serve consistency, you will need to add milk and re-spin. Pour a tablespoon of milk into the pint and re-spin. Repeat this process until it has reached the desired consistency- like soft-serve ice cream.
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Low Calorie Frosted Lemonade
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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
- 12 Fluid Ounces (354 ⅞ ml) 2% Milk
- ¼ Cup (50 g) Allulose Granular Sugar Substitute
- 1½ Tablespoons (1 ½ Tablespoons) Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Vanilla Bean Paste
- ¾ Teaspoon (¾ Teaspoon) Unsweetened Lemonade Kool-Aid Powder
- ⅛ Teaspoon (⅛ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) 2% Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the milk, allulose, pudding mix, vanilla bean paste, Kool-Aid powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami container.
- 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 ice cream, melt or scrape the large bump so that the top is level.
- Place the Ninja Creami container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on "ICE CREAM."
- Since frosted lemonade is more of a soft serve consistency, you will need to add milk and re-spin. Pour a tablespoon of milk into the pint and re-spin. Repeat this process until it has reached the desired consistency- like soft-serve ice cream.
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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