I’ll show you the steps to make the perfect Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream! With just a few simple steps, you’ll be making the best, creamiest, perfectly minty ice cream in no time! Don’t have starlight mints? No problem, you can use candy canes instead!
This recipe comes in at 338 calories, 26 grams of protein, 26 grams of sugar, 7 grams of fat, 63 carbs, 39 net carbs (total carbs-allulose) for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
Peppermint ice cream has always been one of my favorite flavors. It used to be that you could only find peppermint ice cream at the grocery store during the winter. Peppermint ice cream combines the perfect amount of mint flavor with just the right sweet vanilla flavor and crunch of peppermint candies.
For this recipe I used starlight mints but depending on the time of year and the availability of candy canes, you can use them instead of the individual mints. For the recipe, the candies get broken up into smaller pieces so the shape of the peppermint candy doesn’t make a difference.
Ninja Creami Peppermint protein ice cream provides additional protein without tasting like a protein shake or protein powder. Honestly, if I didn’t tell you that the recipe has added protein, you’d never know it since the texture and flavor are amazing! The whey protein powder that I use is unflavored and it doesn’t change the flavor or texture of the ice cream. If you don’t need additional protein in your diet, you can omit the protein powder.
When I make my protein ice creams using the Ninja Creami ice cream maker, I try to make them as low calorie, low fat, and low sugar as possible while still achieving a creamy texture and thick consistency. This recipe can easily be modified to fit your diet. Feel free to change up the dairy and sugar to fit your diet. As ingredients are modified, the nutritional info will change as well.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream:
When I make peppermint ice cream and mint chocolate chip ice cream, my mint extract preference is peppermint. So, the mint flavor is the same for both. However, there is much less peppermint extract in the peppermint ice cream in comparison to the amount used in the mint chocolate chip ice cream. One obvious difference is the mix-ins. For mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate chips are mixed in and peppermint candies are mixed into peppermint ice cream. The food coloring is different. I use red for peppermint and green food coloring for mint chocolate chip
Most Ninja Creami leftovers need to be respun because they refreeze and turn very hard, too hard to scoop. If you plan on having leftovers, you can add a little bit of food grade glycerin to the base recipe before freezing it originally. For protein recipes, I recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons per pint depending on the recipe. The vegetable glycerin should keep the ice cream leftovers soft enough to be scooped right out of the freezer. If you don’t add the glycerin, the leftovers will need to be respun, so I’d recommend waiting to add the mix-ins to the ice cream until you are ready to eat it. If you add the mix-ins and then spin the leftovers, the mix-ins will get pulverized and completely incorporated with the ice cream base.
Yes, you can use a premade protein shake in stead of the protein powder. But, you will need to significantly modify the recipe based on the protein shake that you use. The protein shake will replace the almond milk, protein powder, some of the guar gum, and possibly the flavor extracts.
There are a wide variety of mint flavorings available. In my experience, I have found that mint and spearmint extracts are are way too minty and taste a lot like toothpaste. Peppermint extract provides the perfect minty flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. Be careful though, a little goes a VERY long way.
Ninja Creami treats can be left in the freezer for an extended period of time before processing. I’ve left some in the freezer for a couple of months before processing and they have turned out great.
Absolutely!! Just be sure to crush up the candy canes pretty well before adding them to the ice cream as mix-ins. Word of advice- cover the candy with a kitchen towel and use a spoon or rolling pin to crush the candy. If you don’t cover them, the package will split open and you’ll end up with candy EVERYWHERE!!
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Ingredients to make Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream:
Ingredient substitutions for making Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Unsweetened Almond Milk– You can use any type of dairy or dairy-free product that you would like. However, since the recipe calls for sweetener and flavorings, I would recommend choosing a milk/non-dairy milk that is unflavored and unsweetened. You can use almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, whole milk, skim milk, or any other milk of choice.
Sugar Substitute– I have found that Swerve, granulated allulose blend works great and does not have a fake sugar aftertaste. If you prefer, you can use a different sugar or sugar substitute like monk fruit sweetener or liquid Stevia. Adjust the amount based on which sugar substitute you use. The Swerve that is used in this recipe is a 1:1 ratio for regular white sugar.
Protein Powder– Use your favorite brand of unflavored protein powder. If you don’t have unflavored protein powder, you can use vanilla protein powder instead. You can substitute a premade protein shake for the powder and the unsweetened almond milk. If substituting, add the vanilla and peppermint last. Based on the protein shake or powder that you use, you might need to cut back on the amount of vanilla and peppermint needed. Mix the ingredients together and then taste it. Add the vanilla and peppermint to taste.
Guar Gum– Guar gum has no flavor and helps create a great texture. While I have not tried it in ice cream, many have found success with Xanthan gum instead of guar gum.
Vanilla Bean Paste– If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can use vanilla extract instead. Vanilla extract is a 1:1 ration with vanilla bean paste.
Peppermint Extract– I don’t recommend substituting the peppermint extract for any other type of mint flavoring. Other mint flavors can make the ice cream taste like toothpaste.
Food Coloring– Red food coloring was used but you can omit it or choose a different color.
Starlight Mints– Any shape of peppermint candy can be used. I used starlight mints but candy canes can be used instead.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream:
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, vanilla bean paste, peppermint extract, red food coloring, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. 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, pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like dippin dots (little balls of ice cream) re-spin without adding liquid. You may have to respin a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the crushed pieces of candy. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Peppermint Protein Ice Cream
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.
Original and Deluxe Ingredient Measurements
Use the multiplier below to adjust quantities based on the machine that you own. 1X=Original 16 ounce 1.5X=Deluxe 24 ounces
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 12 Ounces (340 ⅕ g) Unsweetened Almond Milk (Fluid Ounces)
- 1 Scoop (1 Scoop) Unflavored Whey Protein Powder
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)
- ½ Tablespoon (½ Tablespoon) Vanilla Bean Paste
- ⅛ Teaspoon (⅛ Teaspoon) Peppermint Extract
- 4 Drops (4 Drops) Red Food Coloring (Optional)
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-ins
- 6 (6) Starlight Mints (Crushed)
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Prepare the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, vanilla bean paste, peppermint extract, red food coloring, and gaur gum into a small blender and blend until all ingredients are fully combined. 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, pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like dippin dots (little balls of ice cream) re-spin without adding liquid. You may have to respin a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the crushed pieces of candy. 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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