Secret Ingredient to Make Coffee Ice Cream

If you want rich, bold coffee flavor in your Ninja Creami ice cream, instant espresso powder is the way to do it. No extra liquid, no fuss, and you can dial in exactly how much coffee flavor you want. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why use instant espresso powder instead of brewed coffee?

Brewed coffee is mostly water. Adding it to your Ninja Creami base means you’re adding liquid that can change the consistency of your recipe and water down the other flavors. Instant espresso powder is pure concentrated coffee flavor with no extra liquid. You get all the coffee flavor without affecting the balance of your recipe.

Espresso Powder vs. Instant Coffee

Instant espresso powder and regular instant coffee are not exactly the same thing, and the difference matters when you’re using it for flavor.

Instant espresso powder is made from brewed espresso that has been concentrated and dried into a fine powder. The flavor is deeper, more intense, and more complex than regular instant coffee. A small amount goes a long way.

Regular instant coffee is also fine to use and will give you a good coffee flavor, but it is less concentrated than espresso powder, so you’ll need more of it to get the same intensity. If you only have instant coffee on hand, use it. If you have both, go with the espresso powder for a richer result.

How Much to Use Per Pint

Start with 1 teaspoon per 16-ounce pint and taste the base before freezing. From there, work your way up to a couple of tablespoons, depending on how strong you want the coffee flavor. The amount is really a personal preference thing. Some people want a hint of coffee, and some want it front and center. Taste as you go and stop when it’s where you want it.

Keep in mind that flavors can be slightly muted once frozen and processed. If you want a bolder coffee flavor in the finished ice cream, add a little more espresso powder than you think you’ll need.

How to Add Espresso Powder to Your Base

Instant espresso powder dissolves easily into liquid. Add it directly to your base ingredients and stir or blend until it’s fully incorporated before pouring into the pint. It should dissolve without any issue in milk, cream, protein shakes, or whatever liquid your recipe uses. Make sure it’s fully dissolved before freezing so you don’t end up with undissolved clumps in the finished pint.

Flavor Combos That Work Well with Espresso Powder

Espresso powder is incredibly versatile and pairs well with a lot of different flavors. Here are some combinations that work really well together.

Mocha. Espresso powder plus cocoa powder or chocolate in the base. One of the most classic coffee ice cream combinations.
Coffee caramel. Espresso powder with caramel sauce or caramel flavoring blended into the base.
Tiramisu-style. Espresso powder with cream cheese or mascarpone in the base for a tiramisu-inspired pint.
Coffee vanilla. Espresso powder added to a vanilla base for a subtle coffee note without making it full-on coffee ice cream.
Espresso protein. Espresso powder mixed into a protein powder base. Coffee and chocolate protein powder bases in particular work really well with espresso powder added.
Coffee hazelnut. Espresso powder with hazelnut flavoring or Nutella added for a coffee hazelnut combination.

Quick tip: Start with 1 teaspoon per pint, taste before freezing, and work up from there. A couple of tablespoons will give you a very strong coffee flavor. Go with what tastes right to you before it goes in the freezer.