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Taffy apples are one of my favorite fall treats, and this Ninja Creami taffy apple protein ice cream tastes just like one. You get that sweet caramel flavor, real green apple, and chopped peanuts in every bite. It’s creamy, sweet, a little tart, and so much fun to eat.
This recipe comes in at 293 calories, 33 grams of protein, 17 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fat, and 26 carbs for the ENTIRE pint.
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Taffy apples are that classic fair and fall treat with a crisp apple covered in chewy caramel and rolled in peanuts. This Ninja Creami protein ice cream takes all of those same flavors and turns them into a creamy frozen dessert. You get the caramel, the green apple, and the peanuts all in every single bite, just in ice cream form.
The unsweetened apple Kool-Aid powder is the secret ingredient here. It might sound a little strange to put Kool-Aid in ice cream, but it’s a really unique way to add a TON of apple flavor without adding any extra sugar or calories. A little goes a long way, so you only need ½ teaspoon of the powder to get that bright apple flavor through the whole pint. Just make sure to use the unsweetened powder that comes in the little paper pouches, not the kind with sugar already added.
The applesauce does double duty in this recipe. It adds real apple flavor to the base, and it also helps give the ice cream a smooth, creamy texture. I use no-sugar-added applesauce to keep the sugar down, but the natural apple flavor still comes through. Combined with the caramel protein shake and caramel syrup, the base tastes like caramel apple before you even add the mix-ins.
The chopped peanuts and fresh green apple mix-ins are what really make this taste like a taffy apple. The peanuts add that salty crunch and the green apple pieces give you little bursts of tart, fresh apple. Chop both of them by hand instead of using a blender, because a blender will turn the peanuts into dust and the apple into applesauce instead of leaving you with real pieces.
A drizzle of sugar-free caramel ice cream syrup on top finishes this one off and makes it taste even more like a real taffy apple. This is the thick caramel topping you would drizzle on a sundae, not the thin coffee syrup that goes in the base. It’s the perfect last touch before you dig in.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Taffy Apple Protein Ice Cream
Kool-Aid comes in a couple of different varieties. For this recipe, be sure to use the unsweetened, powdered Kool-Aid that comes in the little paper pouches. Do not use sweetened or premade Kool-Aid.
You can peel the apple if you would like. Since the apple is chopped into such small pieces, you can’t even tell there is still skin on the apple once it’s been added to the recipe.
I don’t recommend using a blender to chop up the apples and peanuts. If you do, you’ll end up with peanut dust and applesauce instead of full pieces of both.
The applesauce adds real apple flavor to the base and also helps give the ice cream a smooth, creamy texture. I use no-sugar-added applesauce to keep the sugar down, but regular applesauce works too if that’s what you have.
Green apple gives you that tart bite that pairs so well with the sweet caramel, just like a real taffy apple. You can use any apple you like though, just know that a sweeter apple like Honeycrisp or Gala will make the ice cream taste sweeter and less tart.
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Ingredient tips and substitutions
The full ingredient list is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
- Caramel Protein Shake: Any of your favorite caramel protein shakes will work in this recipe, and if you don’t have one, use the same volume of your milk of choice mixed with vanilla protein powder plus a little extra caramel syrup, adjusting the flavor and sweetness based on what you use.
- Applesauce: I use no-sugar-added applesauce to keep the sugar down, but regular applesauce works too, and if you make your own applesauce, taste the base before processing since homemade can vary in flavor and sweetness.
- Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup: This is the thin coffee syrup that you add to drinks, not the thick caramel topping, and any brand of sugar-free or regular caramel coffee syrup works as a substitute.
- Apple Kool-Aid Mix: Be sure to use the unsweetened powder that comes in the little paper pouches and not the kind with sugar already added, and if you can’t find apple, another fruit flavor will work but it will change the flavor of the ice cream.
- Guar Gum: Guar gum is what gives this ice cream its creamy texture, and if you can’t find it, xanthan gum works as a substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
- Peanuts: Chop the peanuts by hand instead of in a blender so you get real pieces, and you can swap them for another chopped nut like cashews or pecans if you prefer.
- Green Apple: Green apple gives you that tart taffy apple bite, but any apple works, just chop it by hand and know that a sweeter apple will make the ice cream less tart.
- Sugar-Free Caramel Ice Cream Syrup: This is the thick caramel topping you drizzle on top, and regular caramel ice cream syrup works too if you aren’t worried about the extra sugar.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk (Optional): This only gets used if the ice cream looks like sand after the first spin, and any dairy or non-dairy milk works in its place like whole milk, 2% milk, heavy cream, coconut milk, oat milk, or cashew milk (the higher the fat content, the creamier the texture).
Directions for Making the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the caramel protein shake, apple sauce, caramel syrup, kool-aid powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend together until all ingredients are completely combined. Pour the mixture into the 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 (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour the chopped peanuts and chopped apple pieces 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 Taffy Apple 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) Caramel Protein Shake
- ½ Cup (120 g) Applesauce-No Sugar Added
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup
- ½ Teaspoon (½ Teaspoon) Apple Kool Aid Mix (Unsweetened- Just the powder)
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Guar Gum
Mix-Ins
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Peanuts (Chopped)
- ¼ (¼) Green Apple (Chopped)
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (1 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Topping
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sugar-Free Caramel Ice Cream Syrup
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the caramel protein shake, apple sauce, caramel syrup, kool-aid powder, and guar gum into a small blender and blend together until all ingredients are completely combined. Pour the mixture into the 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 (like sand), pour in a tablespoon or two of unsweetened almond milk and then re-spin. If the ice cream looks like little balls of ice cream, respin without adding liquid. You may have to repeat this process a couple of times.
- Dig a well down the center of the ice cream and pour the chopped peanuts and chopped apple pieces 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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