As a personal trainer and healthy recipe developer, I’m always encouraging my clients to increase their protein intake—not just for building muscle, but also to stay lean, healthy, and youthful. That’s why my Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes are such a winner. Using clean, natural vanilla protein powder and other healthier alternatives free from artificial additives, these recipes deliver extra protein with delicious ice cream that the whole family can enjoy. And the best part? They’re all sugar-free, macro-friendly, and perfect for supporting your fitness goals while tasting indulgent.
If it’s your first time using the original Ninja Creami machine or Ninja Creami ice cream maker, you’ll love how straightforward it is to craft creamy-texture ice creams with a soft serve or lite ice cream feel, all with just the touch of a button.
Jump to Your Favorite Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Flavor
Low-Carb Choc Mint Protein Ice Cream — A cool, chocolate-mint classic with sugar-free chocolate chips.
Salted Caramel Latte Protein Ice Cream — Creamy café latte with salted caramel vibes, minus the sugar crash.
Lemon Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream — Zesty, creamy, and guilt-free dessert in a pint.
Banana Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream — The perfect post-workout combo of banana and peanut butter goodness.
Maple Walnut Protein Ice Cream — Cozy maple sweetness meets crunchy walnuts for autumn in every bite.
“Half Baked” Protein Ice Cream (Healthy Ben & Jerry’s Style) — All the cookie dough and brownie bites, with extra protein and less sugar.
Chunky Monkey Protein Ninja Creami Ice Cream — Banana, nuts, and chocolate chunks combine for a creamy protein punch.
1. Ninja Creami Vanilla Protein Ice Cream Recipe (Perfect With Protein Pancakes)
By the way, here is the recipe for the protein pancakes in case you want to try the combo.
Fluffy Low-Carb Protein Pancakes.
Ninja Creami Vanilla Protein Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-cream milk or oat milk whole milk — gives creamier texture and traditional ice cream feel
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt adds creaminess and a bit of tang
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder try using low carb and sugar free option with at least 24g of protein per serving
- 2 teaspoons monk fruit or stevia sweetener to taste
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Blend the full-cream milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy using a blender or immersion blender. If using immersion (stick) blender, you can blend directly in the pint container.
- Pour the ice cream base into your Ninja Creami pint container, making sure not to exceed the max fill line.
- Seal the pint container with an airtight lid and freeze on a level surface for at least 24 hours until completely solid to create a good solid base.
- Place the frozen pint container into your Ninja Creami machine and process using the “Ice Cream” setting (one-touch program).
- After the first spin, check the texture. If it’s crumbly or too icy, add a splash of full-cream milk and run the Re-Spin cycle until you achieve a creamy consistency.
- Optionally, create a small hole in the center of the ice cream and add your favorite mix-ins like sugar-free chocolate chips or chopped nuts. Use the Mix-In function to incorporate.
- Serve immediately for the best creamy texture or store in an airtight container in the freezer for later.
Notes
Nutrition
And Here Are 7 More Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream Flavors You Can Try (The Half Baked One Is My Fave)
Here are my favorite Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes that I want to share with you. Some of them have a vanilla base like the half baked one and lemon cheesecake for example. And some are completely different flavors all together. Recipe for each flavor is below. Don’t forget to let me know in the comments below which one you are going to try first and share your feedback once you’ve tried it. I’d love to hear from you.
2. Low-Carb Choc Mint Protein Ice Cream
Protein: 13g | Carbs: 5g | Fat: 4g | Sugar: 1g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
Chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
1–2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate chips (mix-in)
How to make it:
Blend vanilla base ingredients, swapping in chocolate protein powder and adding peppermint extract.
Freeze in Ninja Creami pint and process on Ice Cream setting.
After first spin, add chocolate chips into center and use Mix-In function.
Re-spin with splash of milk if needed for creamy texture.
3. Salted Caramel Latte Protein Ice Cream (Low-Carb)
Protein: 13g | Carbs: 4g | Fat: 5g | Sugar: 1g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
Salted caramel or vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp almond butter
1–2 tsp instant espresso powder
Pinch extra sea salt
1–2 tbsp sugar-free caramel chips (optional mix-in)
How to make it:
Blend vanilla base with salted caramel/vanilla protein powder, almond butter, espresso powder, and salt.
Freeze and process in Ninja Creami on Ice Cream setting.
Add caramel chips after first spin, use Mix-In function.
Re-spin with splash of milk if needed for smooth latte creaminess.
4. Lemon Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream (Low-Carb)
Protein: 12g | Carbs: 4g | Fat: 4g | Sugar: 1g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
2 tbsp light cream cheese
Zest of ½–1 lemon
1–2 tbsp lemon juice
1–2 tbsp low-carb vanilla wafer crumbs (optional mix-in)
How to make it:
Blend vanilla base with cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.
Freeze and process on Ice Cream setting.
Mix in vanilla wafer crumbs after first spin using Mix-In function.
Re-spin if needed for creamy cheesecake style.
5. Banana Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream
Protein: 14g | Carbs: 16g | Fat: 7g | Sugar: 8g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
1 small ripe banana
1–2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1–2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts (mix-in)
How to make it:
Blend banana and peanut butter into vanilla base until smooth.
Freeze and process on Ice Cream or Lite Ice Cream setting.
Add chopped peanuts after first spin using Mix-In function.
Re-spin with splash of milk if needed for creamy texture.
6. Maple Walnut Protein Ice Cream
Protein: 12g | Carbs: 9g | Fat: 6g | Sugar: 5g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
2 tbsp cottage cheese
1–2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or sugar-free substitute)
¼ tsp extra vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (mix-in)
How to make it:
Blend vanilla base with cottage cheese, maple syrup, and extra vanilla.
Freeze and process on Ice Cream setting.
Fold in walnuts at center after first spin, use Mix-In function.
Re-spin if needed for creamy maple-walnut texture.
7. “Half Baked” Protein Ice Cream (Healthy Ben & Jerry’s Style)
Protein: 16g | Carbs: 16g | Fat: 8g | Sugar: 7g
Ingredients (base + mix-ins):
Chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp cottage cheese
2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
2–3 tbsp protein cookie dough bites. (See recipe)
2–3 tbsp protein brownie chunks
How to make it:
Blend vanilla base with chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, cottage cheese, and heavy cream.
Freeze and process on Ice Cream setting.
Mix in cookie dough bites and brownie chunks after first spin. Follow this cookie dough recipe to make a high-protein, low-carb cookie dough.
Re-spin if needed for chunky, creamy texture.
8. Chunky Monkey Protein Ninja Creami Ice Cream
Protein: 17g | Carbs: 18g | Fat: 9g | Sugar: 10g
Ingredients (add to vanilla base):
1 small ripe banana
Use whole milk or preferred milk in base
1–2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
1–2 tbsp chopped walnuts
How to make it:
Blend banana with vanilla base or mash banana directly in pint and whisk.
Freeze and process using Ice Cream or Lite Ice Cream settings.
Add chocolate chips and walnuts after first spin, use Mix-In function.
Re-spin with splash of milk if needed for creamy texture.
Tips for Making the Best Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream
These recipes work best when blended for 5-10 minutes until smooth, processed with your Ninja Creami machine using the ice cream base setting, and allowed to harden into solid bases before the first spin.
If you find the ice cream a bit crumbly after the first spin, a splash of milk and an extra spin will help bring back that creamy texture we all crave.
For those who love varieties beyond soft serve or lite ice cream, mixing in ingredients at the center of the ice cream after the first spin using the mix-in function creates a professional, restaurant-quality finish.
Choose protein powders from the Ninja Creami community favorites that focus on clean ingredients with less sugar and no artificial additives, guaranteeing a healthier option for your family and fitness goals.
I hope these Ninja Creami protein ice cream recipes inspire you to experiment and enjoy a creamy vanilla base that’s as flexible as your favorite protein shake. All these recipes fit into clean eating and active living lifestyle—and they show that meeting your protein intake goals can be delicious and satisfying with the click of a button and a few smart ingredients in your pint container.
Check out the bottom of this post for links to other favorite Ninja Creami recipes to take your dessert game to the next level!
