Pineapple and coconut go together soooo well! While I do love piña coladas, sometimes you just want the pineapple and coconut flavors and not the actual (delicious) drink. I’ll show you how to make the perfect piña colada ice cream recipe with added protein, using the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. It’s the perfect tropical treat!
This recipe comes in at 256 calories, 25 grams of protein, 16 grams of sugar, 6 grams of fat, 46 carbs, 27 net carbs (total carbs-allulose) for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
Jump to:
- Tips for making Ninja Creami Pina Colada Protein Ice Cream:
- Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipes?
- Ingredient tips and substitutions for making Ninja Creami Pina Colada Protein Ice Cream:
- Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Directions for Processing the Ice Cream Mixture
- Save for Later on Pinterest!
- Recipe
- Comments
Traditionally, a piña colada is made with coconut cream or coconut milk, pineapple juice or fresh pineapple, and rum. To make this high-protein ice cream recipe using the Ninja Creami, we are using canned pineapple and coconut extract to get our pineapple and coconut flavors.
While you could very easily just pour a piña colada or bottled piña colada mix into a Ninja Creami container and freeze it to make piña colada ice cream, the sugar and calories will be much, much higher than they are in my recipe. Most piña coladas are made with sweetened coconut syrup. While that syrup is delicious, it is loaded with sugar. To reduce the amount of sugar while still getting the flavor of a piña colada, I have used coconut extract and real, crushed pineapple in this recipe.
I prefer to use canned, crushed pineapple in most of my Ninja Creami recipes. I find that the crushed pineapple mixes together really well with the other ingredients and the crushed pineapple seems to be juicer straight out of the can compared to pineapple rings or pineapple chunks. It’s also much easier to measure than the bigger pieces of pineapple.
Looking for other pina colada ice cream recipes? Check out my recipes for piña colada lite ice cream and piña colada dairy-free sorbet.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Pina Colada Protein Ice Cream:
Yes, you can add rum (or rum extract) or any other liquor that you would like. But, alcohol does not freeze like the other ingredients do. So, adding alcohol has a tendency to provide a softer ice cream. Usually about an ounce of alcohol will work in the base recipe without negatively impacting the texture too much. The more alcohol you add, the less likely it is that the base will freeze solid. If you want more alcohol, try adding it during the re-spin process.
Yes, but be sure that the pineapple is sweet before adding it to the recipe. If the pineapple is not sweet, the final product won’t be very sweet and will be lacking pineapple flavor. Be sure to cut the pineapple up into very small pieces so that it gets distributed throughout the entire container of ice cream. The juicier the pineapple, the less likely you will need to do a re-spin or add any additional liquid.
This recipe uses almond milk and coconut extract to provide the coconut flavor while keeping the calories, carbs, and sugar very low. The coconut extract adds a ton of flavor without adding calories, carbs, or sugar to the recipe.
No, the recipe is written to be a scoopable, piña colada flavored protein ice cream. It is a thick, scoopable piña colada flavored ice cream and is not a drink.
Yes, you can add shredded coconut to the recipe. I would add the shredded or toasted coconut to the recipe as a mix-in, instead of adding it to the base. The shredded coconut will add texture and flavor to the final product when added as a mix-in. You’ll get more coconut flavor from just adding a tiny bit of extra coconut extract than you will from adding shredded coconut to the base before freezing.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Recipes?
Ingredient tips and substitutions for making Ninja Creami Pina Colada Protein Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk– I like to use almond milk when I’m making protein or low-calorie Ninja Creami recipes. The almond milk doesn’t change the flavor and it keeps the calories, sugar, and carbs low. If you prefer, you can use cow’s milk, whole milk, heavy cream, or your preferred dairy-free milk option like oat milk or coconut milk.
- Unflavored Whey Protein Powder– Unflavored protein powder is really easy to use and the best part is that it doesn’t add flavor to the ice cream. That means you can use it in just about any recipe!
- Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)- If you prefer, you can use a different sweetener or regular sugar. Stevia, monk fruit, Splenda, or even honey or maple syrup will work. It’s easiest to use a sweetener that is a 1:1 ratio with sugar. If you use something else, be sure to adjust the amount based on the desired level of sweetness. All sweeteners are not the same sweetness and you may need to add more or less based on what you choose to use.
- Coconut Extract– Don’t substitute the coconut extract. This is one of the most important ingredients in the recipe and using a syrup or powder will likely make the ice cream taste different.
- Guar Gum– If you don’t have guar gum, you can use equal parts xanthan gum.
- Crushed Pineapple– In pineapple juice, canned (drain and reserve the juice). You can use fresh or frozen pineapple. If you use frozen pineapple, thaw it first.
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, coconut extract, 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.
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, pour in a tablespoon or two of leftover pineapple juice from the canned pineapples and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times. Keep in mind that the pineapple mix in has a high moisture content so it will change the consistency of the ice cream. Adding too much pineapple juice on a re-spin will make the consistency of the ice cream much softer.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the crushed pineapple. Process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Pina Colada 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. ***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) Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Scoop (1 Scoop) Unflavored Whey Protein Powder
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Swerve Sugar Substitute (Granulated-Allulose Blend)
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Coconut Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-ins
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Reserved Pineapple Juice
Instructions
Prepare the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, sugar substitute, coconut extract, 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 leftover pineapple juice from the canned pineapples and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times. Keep in mind that the pineapple mix in has a high moisture content so it will change the consistency of the ice cream. Adding too much pineapple juice on a re-spin will make the consistency of the ice cream much softer.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour in the crushed pineapple. 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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