Check out our recipe for Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!
There is just something so great about the rich vanilla flavor that vanilla beans give to ice cream. Yes, vanilla extract does the job, but vanilla beans give the ice cream such a rich and sweet vanilla flavor that you just can't get from the extract alone.
I almost always use vanilla bean paste whenever a recipe calls for vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste is great to have on hand because it makes the process of using vanilla bean instead of just vanilla extract so easy. With vanilla bean paste, there's no longer a need to buy fresh vanilla beans or to go through the process of removing the beans.
This vanilla bean ice cream base recipe can be used to create many other favorite ice cream flavors! Add in fruit to create a creamy strawberry ice cream. Add in chocolate chips to make the best chocolate chip ice cream! Mix in some caramel and apples to make the best taffy apple ice cream! The options are literally endless.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Vanilla bean paste is a thick syruplike vanilla flavoring. The vanilla bean paste is a combination of vanilla pods (the little seed-looking things inside the bean) and vanilla extract. The flavor is more intense but has less of an alcohol and artificial tasting. Vanilla bean paste is used just like vanilla extract, it's a 1:1 ratio. The result is a rich vanilla flavor with vanilla bean speckles throughout. You can buy vanilla bean paste at most grocery stores (even Home Goods and TJ Maxx sell it now!!) near the vanilla extract and on Amazon.
Usually, if your ice cream/sorbet comes out dry or crumbly it’s due to one of the following reasons:
*Your freezer is too cold. Try to adjust your freezer to be a little warmer or let your ice cream sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before processing it.
*Your recipe does not have enough fat in it. Try adding in a little bit of a higher fat dairy product to your recipe next time.
*Your recipe may not have enough sugar in it. The less sugar in the recipe, the icier and crumblier the ice cream will be. Regular sugar, honey, or corn syrup can be used to increase the sugar content if desired.
If you have made ice cream and it just isn’t quite as creami as you would like, you can very easily get it super creami by using the re-spin function on the Ninja Creami. Simply place the pint into the outer bowl and snap it into place. Choose the RE-SPIN function. Once the cycle completes, remove the pint and enjoy! Your gelato should be nice and creamy again. ***Use re-spin on already spun ice cream. If the ice cream has been spun and then frozen again, do not use re-spin, Instead, use the original process (ice cream, gelato, etc.)
You sure can! But...you will need to use 2 pint containers instead of one. You always want to make sure that the pint containers are only filled up to the max fill line and not any more than that. In order for the ice cream to turn out creamy, it needs to be mixed by the machine after freezing. If you overfill the pint, the machine is going to have a hard time mixing it and the result will not be as expected. It's ok if you go over the max fill line a little bit when adding in the mix-ins after the ice cream has already gone through the ice cream function.
It depends. If you are keeping the ice cream in the Ninja pint container with the lid sealed tightly and are freezing it in a cold freezer (between 9 degrees F and -7 degrees F), your ice cream will keep for several weeks, even months. However, if you transfer your ice cream to another container or freeze it in a freezer that is not quite as cold (or that is accessed a lot/door opened and closed often), the lifetime of your ice cream will decrease greatly to just a few days and you will likely end up with freezer-burned ice cream.
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Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Vanilla Bean Paste- I highly recommend using vanilla bean paste for this recipe as it adds richness to the ice cream. But, if you don't have access to vanilla bean paste, you can use vanilla extract instead. It is a 1:1 ratio between the vanilla bean paste and the vanilla extract.
Cream Cheese (Room temperature)- Be sure that the cream cheese is room temperature otherwise it will not combine well with the other ingredients. If needed, you can microwave the cream cheese for 5-10 seconds to soften it up. You can use low-fat or regular cream cheese for this recipe.
Sugar- Feel free to reduce or increase the sugar based on how sweet you would like the ice cream. If you decide to use a sugar substitute, such as monk fruit or agave sweeteners, use the LITE ICE CREAM function instead of the ICE CREAM function.
Heavy Whipping Cream- The heavy whipping cream helps to add to the creaminess of the ice cream. If you prefer, you can use half and half or a lower fat option. The results will be less creamy.
Milk- I used whole milk but you can use lower-fat milk or a non-dairy option like oat milk, coconut milk or, almond milk.
Directions for making Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:
1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, mix together until all ingredients are fully combined and the sugar starts to dissolve.
2. Add in the heavy whipping cream and milk. Whisk until all ingredients have combined well.
3. Pour the mixture into an empty Ninja Creami pint container and freeze for 24 hours.
4. After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
5. Place the Ninja Creami pint into the outer bowl. Place the outer bowl with the pint in it, into the Ninja Creami machine and turn until the outer bowl locks into place. Push the ICE CREAM button. During the ice cream function, the ice cream will mix together and become very creamy.
6. Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
7. Your ice cream is ready to eat! Enjoy!
Pin recipe for later!!
Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Ice Cream Base
- ½ Tablespoon Cream Cheese (Room temperature)
- ⅓ Cup Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- ½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1¼ Cup Milk
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, mix together until all ingredients are fully combined and the sugar starts to dissolve.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream and milk. Whisk until all ingredients have combined well.
- Pour mixture into an empty Ninja Creami pint container and freeze for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer. Remove the lid.
- Place the Ninja Creami pint into the outer bowl. Place the outer bowl with the pint in it, into the Ninja Creami machine and turn until the outer bowl locks into place. Push the ICE CREAM button. During the ice cream function, the ice cream will mix together and become very creamy.
- Once the ice cream function has ended, turn the outer bowl and release it from the Ninja Creami machine.
- Your ice cream is ready to eat! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
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Cheryl Eckley
I’d love to try this but my husband isn’t fond of cream cheese can I omit or or substitute something else in place of it ?
Lauren Cardona
Hi Cheryl, Yes, YOu can substitute the cream cheese, although you can't really taste it. Here's a list of cream cheese substitutes that you can try. https://thetastytravelers.com/ninja-creami-faqs/#stabilizers
Tamara
Can I use the cream cheese that comes in the tub for the 1/2 TBL that is required for the ice cream? )I hate to cut into an 8 oz block of cream cheese for such a small amount). In the past when I’ve done that, the cream cheese never seems to get used up before going bad.
Lauren Cardona
Hi Tamara- yes. You can use the cream cheese that is in the block or in the container. Either will work. 🙂 For the block of cream cheese, I also have a tendency not to use it up before it goes bad. So, I've been cutting it up into tablespoon-sized squares, putting them in a freezer bag, and freezing them until I need them. It's perfect for making ice cream. I just take a square out and microwave it until soft and add it to my ice cream base.
Charlie
I’m so confused . Lime
Curd in Vanilla ice cream? To make vanilla do I just leave out the lime and graham crackers?
Lauren Cardona
Oh my goodness! I was working on a key lime pie recipe earlier today and it looks like it updated this recipe card too. Standby! I'll fix that right away. I'm so glad you commented!
Lauren Cardona
Ok. It's updated back to the actual vanilla ice cream recipe! I'm so sorry about that mixup!
bryce
great