Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami scoopable ice cream! I’ve added a secret ingredient that makes leftover Ninja Creami ice cream scoopable straight out of the freezer! It’s total gamechanger!
One of the difficult things about using the Ninja Creami ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream is that when refrozen, leftovers become hard as a rock and you have to reprocess the ice cream to be able to scoop it. You can’t just pull the frozen treat out of the freezer and eat it since it’s so hard. Until now!!
While you can make ice cream that scoops very nicely after processing, it has been a much bigger challenge to make ice cream that is scoopable right out of the freezer. If you’ve added mix-ins to your ice cream, they pretty much get ruined if you reprocess the leftovers. Until now, you had to let the container thaw and eat the leftovers with the mix-ins, but the texture was just never as good. Or, you could reprocess the leftovers with the mix-ins added, but the mix-ins would get completely mixed into the ice cream base, which kind of defeats the point of adding mix-ins. So the question is…How do you keep Ninja Creami ice cream soft?
How to make scoopable ice cream
I was on a mission to find a way to make Ninja Creami ice cream scoopable right out of the freezer! So, I started experimenting!
I created 3 ice cream bases using the EXACT same ingredients with the exception of adding vegetable glycerin to the bases.
Pint #1- NO vegetable glycerin
Pint #2- 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
Pint #3- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
All three were blended in a small blender, poured into a Ninja Creami container, and then frozen in a 0 degree freezer with the lids on for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, I took them out of the freezer and processed all on the ICE CREAM setting.
Processing Ninja Creami Scoopable Ice Cream
Pint #1 was respun with no additional liquid.
Pint #2 was respun with no additional liquid.
Pint #3 was not respun.
The texture of pint #1 and pint #2 were absolutely perfect! Super thick and creamy. But, pint # 3, the one with the full tablespoon of vegetable glycerin was very soft and definitely not scoopable.
The Results of the Experiment
After processing the pints of ice cream, I stuck them back in the freezer, as is, I did not smooth out the top or anything. I kept them in the 0 degree freezer for a full 24 hours. After the 24 hours, I took them out of the freezer to see if they were still soft enough to scoop.
Pint #1 was quite hard. I was barely able to scoop off a tiny little chunk. This was expected as every recipe that I’ve made are too hard to scoop right out of the freezer.
Pint #2 was AMAZING! I was able to scoop full scoops!!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! The texture was the same as it was right after I processed it!! When I say it was magical, it’s an understatement!! This is the PERFECT Ninja Creami base recipe!
Pint #3 was gross. It was very soft, like soft serve. But the texture was just terrible. I couldn’t even eat a whole bite of it. The texture is a cross between Styrofoam and marshmallow. I don’t know. It’s just not good. 100% would not recommend!
Tips for making Ninja Creami Scoopable Ice Cream:
The glycerin tends to make the base mixture expand a little bit after blending. It’s okay if the container is a little bit past the max fill line. The extra bubble will deflate during the freezing time.
Throughout my experimentation, I found that it’s not necessary to freeze this recipe without the lids as no hump developed at all.
I am not a health professional and would recommend doing some research to see if vegetable glycerin is right for your diet. Based on my research, FOOD GRADE vegetable glycerin can be found in several foods like ice cream. Vegetable glycerin is made from soybean, coconut, or palm oils. Learn more here.
With this recipe, the ice cream stays scoopable for several days, and possibly weeks. Since I just developed this recipe, I haven’t had several weeks to check on the ice cream yet. But, several days later it’s still perfectly scoopable!
No, Ninja Creami ice cream is usually rock hard when you take it out of the freezer and you then need to reprocess it. With this recipe, after you have processed the ice cream once, you can put it back in the freezer and scoop it anytime that you would like without having to process it again.
I did the experimenting for you. For this recipe, I do not recommend adding more than 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin. The texture becomes unappealing!
I’m currently doing some experiments and will post the results when they are in! I’ve started testing some lite ice cream recipes using almond milk, sugar substitutes, and protein powders. I’ll also be testing out recipes that use oat milk, coconut milk, and milk powders.
This recipe should work for all 3 versions of the Ninja Creami. To make larger portions to fit the deluxe cups, use the button on the recipe card to give measurements for 1.5X.
This is the perfect base recipe to use in the Ninja Creami, especially if you plan on adding mix-ins and will likely have leftovers. The answer is glycerin. Adding the right amount of glycerin to your Ninja Creami recipe will help it stay soft.
Looking for more Ninja Creami Recipes?
Ingredient substitutions for making Ninja Creami SCOOPABLE Vanilla Ice Cream:
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.
Vanilla Bean Paste- I prefer to use vanilla bean paste because it adds a deeper vanilla flavor and I find that it tastes less like alcohol. You can substitute the vanilla bean paste with vanilla extract.
Vegetable Glycerin– Make sure to use FOOD SAFE vegetable glycerin.
Guar Gum-I use guar gum, but you can use another stabilizer like xanthan gum, instant pudding mix, or cream cheese.
Directions for making Ninja Creami SCOOPABLE Vanilla Ice Cream:
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour all ingredients 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 with the lids on. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
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 “ICE CREAM.”
- You should not need to respin the ice cream. But if the ice cream is looks like little balls of ice cream (dippin dots), respin without adding liquid. If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- If you want to add mix-ins, dig a whole down the center of the ice cream and pour in your mix-ins. Put the pint container back into the Ninja Creami and process on “MIX-INS.”
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
- Put your leftovers back into the freezer. When you are ready to eat the leftovers, take out of the freezer and scoop. No need to reprocess or thaw. The ice cream should be perfectly scoopable!!
Pint #1- No Glycerin Added
Pint #2- 1 Teaspoon of Glycerin
Pint #3- 1 Tablespoon of Glycerin
Pin Ninja Creami SCOOPABLE Vanilla Ice Cream!
Recipe
Ninja Creami SCOOPABLE Vanilla 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.
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
- 1¼ Cups (295 ¾ ml) Whole Milk
- ½ Cup (121 g) Half and Half
- ⅓ Cup (66 ⅔ g) White Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 Teaspoon (1 Teaspoon) Vegetable Glycerin
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour all ingredients 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 with the lids on. Your freezer should be between 9 and -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
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 "ICE CREAM."
- You should not need to respin the ice cream. But if the ice cream is looks like little balls of ice cream (dippin dots), respin without adding liquid. If the ice cream is dry or crumbly looking (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of milk and then re-spin. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- If you want to add mix-ins, dig a whole down the center of the ice cream and pour in your mix-ins. Put the pint container back into the Ninja Creami and process on "MIX-INS."
- Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
- Put your leftovers back into the freezer. When you are ready to eat the leftovers, take out of the freezer and scoop. No need to reprocess or thaw. The ice cream should be perfectly scoopable!!
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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Jill H says
Don’t know why, but my vanilla ice cream never really freezes using the scoopable recipe. After processing in the Ninja Creami Deluxe (and yes, I adjusted the recipe as directed) it ends up super soft and gummy. My mint chocolate chip is even worse, more the consistency of a thick milkshake. Any ideas? I even tried reducing the amount of vegetable glycerin. Thanks!
Lauren Cardona says
What vanilla and mint chocolate chip recipe are you using? What temp is your freezer? How long are you freezing for? Are you processing straight out of the freezer or thawing first?
James says
I used the Jamie Oliver “How to make gelato at home” recipe with this, and I was amazed about how well this works! 1 teaspoon (5ml) works like a treat!
Lauren says
How do you keep it from spiking up in the middle when using protein powder?
What does the guar gum do?
Lauren Cardona says
I don’t have issues with getting the big bump in the middle. Sometimes it will be slightly raised but no big lump in the middle like some of the ones I’ve seen. I blend all of my bases in a small blender before freezing. I think that helps with bump. The guar gum helps to reduce the icy texture and makes the ice cream thicker and creamier. It does the same thing as pudding mix but without the added flavor or sweetener.
Danie Beck says
Thanx…I love that you experiment and share all with your readers! I make sugar free recipes as I am on Keto…but ice cream is my downfall…so love that you have reipes to share. I am still experimenting for a perfect Keto Coffee ice cream…any thoughts?
I also use Premier Protein drinks most of the time for the liquid. thanx again!
Lauren Cardona says
I’m so glad you enjoy the experiments. I am not keto so I’m not the best person to advise on keto recipes. But, I would think that you could just sub out the sugar for sugar substitutes in just about any recipe. This one might be accidentally keto, or close to it. https://thetastytravelers.com/mocha-espresso-protein-ice-cream/. It’s chocolate espresso flavored…not just coffee flavored. That’s the closest thing I have to a coffee ice cream right now.
Jena says
Have you tried this with a dairy free fruit sorbet? Would it be possible and what would the amount of glycerine and guar gum be for it?
Thank you!
Lauren Cardona says
I have not tried that yet. If/when I do, I’ll post the results.
If I had to guess, I’d probably add 1 teaspoon of glycerin to make the leftovers scoopable out of the freezer.