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Pistachio ice cream has become very popular over the last several years and it’s really easy to make it at home with the Ninja Creami ice cream maker. To make homemade pistachio ice cream I’ve used instant pudding mix and almond extract to achieve the pistachio flavor for the ice cream.
This recipe comes in at 323 calories, 33 grams of protein, 6 grams of sugar, 10 grams of fat, and 22 carbs for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
Adding protein to your ice cream isn’t hard. But, it can be a little tricky to get it the right texture and a good flavor. Yes, you can just pour a protein shake in the container, freeze it, and then process it. But, it’s not going to be very good. The trick to getting a thick and creamy texture and stronger flavor, you need to add things to the protein shake or protein powder and milk. One of the easiest ways to do that is to add instant pudding mix. You can use regular or sugar-free. It’s up to you. They both have similar results, it’s just that the nutrition info is different for the two.
Instant pudding mix comes in a ton of different flavors, including pistachio! For this recipe, I’ve used the pistachio pudding mix to help create a great consistency and the pistachio flavor. I didn’t even have to use green food coloring because the pudding mix made it green!
You’ll notice that I used almond extract and not pistachio extract for this recipe. Why? Well, pistachio extract is a bit more difficult to find than almond extract. You can use Lorann pistachio flavor oils if you can find it. It’s available on Amazon but I have not seen it available at any regular stores. Since almond extract is available at most grocery stores, I used it instead. The almond extract tastes great in the recipe and you’d never know it wasn’t actually pistachio flavoring.
You’ll notice that I used a premade vanilla protein shake in this recipe. I go back and forth between using premade shakes and powder mixed with milk. It really doesn’t make a big difference. If you don’t want to use premade protein shakes, you can use vanilla protein powder mixed with your dairy choice. Just make sure you have the same amount of liquid as the recipe calls for. Keep in mind that one of the tricks to making creamy ice cream is using higher fat dairy. So, using all almond or oat milk can make an icier ice cream than if you were using whole milk or cream.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Pistachio Ice Cream:
The mix-ins process is not strong enough to break up pistachios or any nuts into small pieces. Chopping them up ensures that they are in bite sized pieces and spread evenly throughout the ice cream.
Almond extract is a lot easier (and less expensive) to find than pistachio extract or emulsion. The almond extract provides the perfect flavor for this recipe.
When adding the mix-ins, be sure to dig a hole that goes all the way to the bottom of the container. If they are still not mixed all the way in, put the container back into the machine, push the mix-ins button a second time. Do not use the re-spin function after adding the mix-ins.
You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk substitute that you would like. But, since the almond milk is vanilla flavored and sweetened, I would look for a substitute that is similar. Vanilla, coconut milk, sweetened oat milk, soy milk, regular whole, reduced fat, or skim milk, half and half or heavy cream can be used. If you use heavy cream, I would recommend mixing it with a lower fat milk. Otherwise, the heavy cream can basically churn into butter and create a waxy feel on the spoon. If you use an unflavored and unsweetened milk, you’ll likely want to add a little vanilla flavoring and additional sweetener.
The Ninja Creami machine is made to process frozen solid mixtures to turn them into homemade ice cream, so you should not need to let it sit out as long as your freezer is set at the correct temperature (between 9°F and -7°F) and you are using correct ingredients. Many people do let the ice cream sit out before processing because they are afraid of breaking the machine, but most do not.
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Ingredients to make Ninja Creami Pistachio Protein Ice Cream:
Ingredient substitutions for making Ninja Creami Pistachio Protein Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list and full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Vanilla Protein Shake- Premier protein vanilla protein shake was used but you can use another brand. I would try to stick with the vanilla flavor though. If you prefer, you can use vanilla protein powder mixed with your choice of dairy, instead of the premade protein shake.
Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk– You can use any type of dairy or dairy-free product that you would like. I would recommend choosing a milk/non-dairy milk that is vanilla flavored and sweetened. You can use almond milk, cashew milk, whole milk, skim milk, coconut cream, or any other milk of choice. If you are using an alternative milk, I would recommend tasting the mixture before freeze to check on the sweetness. Not all sweetened dairy products have the same amount of sweetness.
Sugar-Free Pistachio Instant Pudding- If you are unable to find the pistachio pudding, you can use vanilla but you’ll need to increase the amount of almond extract in the recipe. The more almond extract you use, the more it will taste like almonds and less like pistachios. So, if you can find the pistachio flavor oil, I would try to use that with the vanilla instant pudding mix.
Almond Extract-Use almond extract or pistachio flavor oil.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Pistachio Protein Ice Cream:
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the protein shake, almond milk, pudding mix, and almond extract into a small blender and blend until the pudding mix has completely combined with the other ingredients. Pour this mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container. Do not fill past the max fill line.
- 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 respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Pour the chopped pistachios down the center of the ice cream and then process on mix-ins.
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Pistachio Protein Ice Cream
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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
- 11.5 Fluid Ounces (340 ml) Vanilla Protein Shake
- 2 Fluid Ounces (59 ⅐ ml) Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Sugar-Free Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix
- ¾ Teaspoon (¾ Teaspoon) Almond Extract
Mix-ins
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Pistachios (Chopped)
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the protein shake, almond milk, pudding mix, and almond extract into a small blender and blend until the pudding mix has completely combined with the other ingredients. Pour this 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 respin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Pour the chopped pistachios down the center of the ice cream and then 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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