Check out my recipe for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream! It tastes like cheesecake but in ice cream form…and with extra protein!
Is there anything better than a piece of cheesecake topped with strawberries for dessert? The smooth and creamy cheesecake mixes so well with the sweet strawberries and the crunchy graham cracker crust! It really is the perfect combination! Well, now you can have all of those great flavors and creamy texture in a high protein ice cream!
This recipe comes in at 265 calories, 31 grams of protein, 7 grams of sugar, 4 grams of fat, and 26 carbs for the ENTIRE pint. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all nutrition facts.
With just a few easy-to-find ingredients, you can make your very own strawberry cheesecake protein ice cream! It’s super creamy, but thanks to the fresh strawberries and graham crackers, it’s also got a little bit of added crunch!
Strawberry cheesecake protein ice cream made in the Ninja Creami has 252 calories for the entire pint. While most people might not eat the entire pint in one sitting, you could if you wanted to with the low-calorie count!
Something to keep in mind when making this ice cream is that you will be adding strawberries and graham crackers as mix-ins. They really help to add to the flavor and texture of the ice cream! But, if you have leftovers, you may not want to process it again as all of the strawberries and graham crackers that you added as mix-ins will get completely crushed up and disbursed throughout the ice cream.
So, there are a couple of options for eating the leftovers, if there are any. First, you can let the ice cream sit out on the counter until it is soft enough to scoop again. The texture won’t be as creamy as it was when you first processed it. But the flavor will still be great! Or, you can reprocess the leftovers on lite ice cream again and add in more mix-ins. However, as you add more mix-ins, the nutritional information will be impacted. Also, as strawberries have a high water content, the reprocessed ice cream may be a little icy compared to when you first processed it.
Can you put frozen strawberries in the Ninja Creami?
Yes. You can. But, you cannot put just frozen fruit or just frozen fruit with water into the Ninja Creami. You need to blend the frozen fruit with a liquid, thaw the frozen fruit before using it, or fully submerge the frozen fruit in liquid in the container. There should be no gaps between the pieces of fruit and there should be no spots of only water in the container.
Be sure to taste the mixture before putting it in the freezer. Ice cream tends to taste less strong in flavor when it’s frozen. So, be sure to taste the mixture to see if it’s sweet enough or strawberry enough for you before putting it in the freezer. I find that when I use instant pudding, I tend to need to use less sugar than with other recipes. You should check for sweetness and flavor with all of your Ninja Creami creations. It’s much easier to add flavor before freezing than it is once it’s already frozen.
Tips for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
I tried using an immersion blender and the mixture went EVERYWHERE! I don’t recommend using an immersion blender. Instead, use a bullet-type blender, a small blender, or a food processor. You just need to get all of the ingredients mixed together pretty well before freezing it. This is especially important if you are using cocoa powder, pudding or jello mix, fruit, or cottage cheese.
I don’t add any sweetener to this recipe because the protein shake and strawberries make it just sweet enough. But if you taste it before freezing and want it to be a little sweeter, you can add in sugar, a sugar substitute, honey, or even maple syrup.
This is a very controversial topic. Some ALWAYS shave down the bump before processing the ice cream. You can use a warm spoon, or microwave the pint to soften it a little bit enough to flatten it. Many freeze the containers without the lids to help reduce the likelihood that the bump will appear. I personally have had no issues with the bump and have processed hundreds of pints. The bump is different from an unlevel pint. You should never process an unlevel pint (usually from freezing on an unlevel surface).
Many have found that freezing the ice cream without the lid helps reduce the bump that sometimes gets created during the freezing process. While this may work sometimes, it does not always work.
Honestly, the sky is the limit! You can make all sorts of different flavors just by switching up the flavors of the protein shake, pudding mix, extract, or fruit.
Yes! you can! The recipe needs to be modified quite a bit to accommodate these ingredients. You can use regular, lite, or full-fat cottage cheese and just about any type of yogurt that you would like! But, stay tuned as I will be coming out with a recipe for strawberry cheesecake cottage cheese ice cream very soon!
Looking for more of the best Ninja Creami Recipes? Check out all of our Ninja Creami ice cream recipes here!
Ingredients to make Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream:
Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream:
The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Sugar and dairy substitution suggestions can be found here.
Strawberry Protein Shake- I used a strawberries and cream premier protein shake for this recipe. But, you can use your favorite brand of protein shake (this recipe is not written to be used with protein powder). Since protein shake taste and texture vary by brand, the end product may vary.
Sugar-Free Cheesecake Instant Pudding Mix- You can use a Jello mix that has sugar but the nutrition info will change based on what you use. Use the powdered mix and not premade jello.
Strawberry Extract– You can use strawberry extract, lorann oils, or skinny syrups of some sort. Just be sure to taste the mixture before freezing it to make sure it tastes strong enough.
Fresh Strawberries– (Chopped) You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If you use frozen ones, be sure to thaw them before adding as mix-ins.
Graham Cracker– (Broken into pieces-½ of 1 whole graham cracker or 4 small graham crackers)
Optional
Unsweetened Almond Milk– Any dairy or dairy substitute can be used. You may not need it. If the ice cream is dry and crumbly after processing, you’ll need to add a tablespoon or two of liquid.
Steps for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream:
Prepare the mixture:
Steps for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream:
Process the mixture:
Directions for making Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream:
1. Pour the strawberry protein shake, pudding mix, and strawberry extract into a small blender and blend together until the pudding mix is completely combined with the liquids. Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint container.
2. 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.
3. After 24 hours, remove the pint container from the freezer.
4. Place the pint container into the outer bowl of the Ninja Creami and then process on “LITE ICE CREAM.”
5. 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.
6. Pour the fresh strawberries and graham crackers down the center of the ice cream and then process on mix-ins.
7. Remove the pint from the machine and enjoy!
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Recipe
Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
Rate this Recipe
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 Ounces (326 g) Strawberry Protein Shake
- 2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Sugar-Free Cheesecake Instant Pudding Mix
- ¼ Teaspoon (¼ Teaspoon) Strawberry Extract
Mix-Ins
- ½ Cup (118 2/7 ml) Fresh Strawberries (Chopped)
- ½ (½) Graham Cracker (Broken into pieces-½ of 1 whole graham cracker or 4 small graham crackers)
Optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Unsweetened Almond Milk
Instructions
Make the Ice Cream Mixture
- Pour the strawberry protein shake, pudding mix, and strawberry extract into a small blender and blend together until the pudding mix is completely combined with the liquids. 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, 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 fresh strawberries and graham crackers 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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Karen says
Havent tried this recipe yet, but wanted to know if I use my protein powder to make my shake instead of using the premier, what should I mix it with, or does that not matter? I usually use almond milk with a little HWC…
Lauren Cardona says
You can make a protein shake with the powder and liquid of your choice. Almond milk and heavy cream should do the trick.
Roxanne Francis says
Could I use cheesecake extract instead of strawberry?
Thank you for all you do!
Lauren Cardona says
You could. The cheesecake flavor will just be much stronger. And, if you are using cheesecake extract or flavor oils, the amount needed will differ, as different flavors have different strengths.