Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami Recipe | Feasting on Fruit (2024)

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A dairy-free spin on the Ninja Creami trend! Rich vegan chocolate ice cream sweetened with dates, healthy and high-protein, ready in minutes!

So after seeing enough swirly instagram posts of Ninja Creami creations, I finally justified to myself and my husband that this magical machine was something we NEEDed in our lives. And I have used it almost every day since the box showed up, so I think I was right. Finding the right dairy-free ratios started out a little bumpy (literally), but after a few weeks I figured out a recipe to get consistently creamy results! It had to be:

  • CREAMY – not too icy or powdery (part of this is about technique too!)
  • High-protein – you’ll notice a common theme with Creami recipes and that is protein powder, which is part of why I wanted the machine in the first place. A bedtime snack that tastes like ice cream but also packs 30+ grams of protein? YES PLEASE. And yes it is possible to do with plant-based protein too
  • Healthy-ish – not too high in sugar or fat, I wanted that eat-the-whole-pint experience
  • Easy – prep every morning in just a few minutes easy
  • Dairy-free – almost every Ninja Creami recipe you’ll see on the internet starts with “fairlife milk”, so I wanted to bring a dairy-free option to the Creami recipe scene

I started with the classic: chocolate! With chocolate chips mixed in. But don’t worry, I have plenty more flavors in the works…

Creating The Perfect Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami

Just a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, one blender, and 8ish hours of chilling time. The Ninja Creami instructions do say “freeze overnight”, but I have found that if I pop it in the freeze by about 9am I am usually good to go by post-dinner Netflix time (8-9pm).

Dairy-Free Creami Ingredients

  • Cashew milk. Almond milk will work too, but cashew has a little extra creaminess that is even better here.
  • Coconut milk. Or coconut cream if you want it extra rich, you can sub with dairy-free yogurt or dairy-free creamer.
  • Chocolate protein powder. Your favorite brand or variety, I personally like Sprout Living Chocolate Maca Epic Protein.
  • Medjool dates. For natural sweetness, and a little extra thickness too
  • Cocoa powder. We want it extra chocolatey of course.
  • Vanilla and salt. Both add extra flavor balance and make it taste more like store-bought ice cream.

Ninja Creami Tips

  1. The RE-SPIN function! If there is one tip/secret/key I can give any new Ninja Creami owner, it’s the re-spin button on your machine. The first time you run almost any ice cream recipe, it’s going to come out powdery. But do not lose hope there! Just give it a little stir, add a splash of milk, and re-spin. Still not perfectly creamy? Re-spin again, this time without milk. And then add your mix-ins. It makes ALL the difference.
  2. Use enough fat. Yes we are going for a healthier ice cream, but you still need some fat/richness to get a creamy satisfying texture that isn’t icy. The majority of the base is cashew milk, which is mostly water, so you need the coconut milk for that extra fat. Or if you want to skip the coconut milk, add a tablespoon or two of nut butter.
  3. Sweeten with dates. I’ve made batches with maple syrup too, but blending in dates as the “sugar” adds extra thickness and creaminess too. Win win!
  4. Don’t over-fill your Creami cups. I stay a 1/4 inch or so below the max fill line even. You will still end up with plenty of volume, and it tends to blend better in my experience.
  5. Have fun with mix-ins! Once you get a go-to base recipe down, the fun part is MIX-INS. Chocolate chips, sprinkles, brownie chunks, cookie dough, m&ms, granola, endless possibilities…

More Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love

  • Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
  • SunButter Soft Serve
  • Watermelon Mint Ice Cream
  • Dairy-Free Rocky Road Ice Cream

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami Recipe | Feasting on Fruit (11)

Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami Recipe

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  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Chilling Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: ice cream
  • Method: frozen
  • Cuisine: american
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Description

A dairy-free spin on the Ninja Creami trend! Rich vegan chocolate ice cream sweetened with dates, healthy and high-protein, ready in minutes!

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
  2. Pour into a Ninja Creami container and freeze overnight.
  3. Process on the “light ice cream” setting, it will be powdery at this point.
  4. Add a splash of milk (preferably coconut) and “re-spin” once or twice as needed.
  5. Add mix-ins of choice, and process on the “mix-in” setting. Enjoy!

Keywords: dairy free, chocolate, ice cream, soft serve, vegan, high protein, snack, dessert, medjool dates

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami Recipe | Feasting on Fruit (12)

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Creami Recipe | Feasting on Fruit (2024)

FAQs

Can I use almond milk in Ninja Creami reddit? ›

For us, the basic recipe that works everytime is 4 parts milk (we use almond milk), 1 part heavy cream, half a packet of flavored pudding mix (we use sugar free), and sugar/splenda to taste (we use 1-2 tablespoons). You can get creative from there but that always yields a really good ice cream base.

Do you really need a ninja Creami? ›

If you are looking to experiment with making ice cream and sorbet with unconventional ingredients (and without having to make a custard base for ice cream), then the Creami might be useful. However, we found most results were crumbly and powdery, hardly like the creamy sorbet and ice cream we expected.

Why is my vegan ice cream so hard? ›

Ice creams that are lower in fat or sugar will create harder ice cream. Fat doesn't freeze, and sugar lowers the freezing temperature of the water in our mixes. So they both keep our ice cream soft.

How is dairy free ice cream made? ›

What is vegan ice cream made of? Vegan ice cream recipes often use coconut milk and nut milks in lieu of cow's milk. Xanthan gum is a thickener that helps ice cream gain a creamy texture, without the need for heavy cream and eggs.

Can you use non-dairy milk in ice cream maker? ›

Yes, it's dairy-free and vegan too (no eggs). Adding a little cornstarch to the coconut milk base, cooling then churning it before freezing, you're bound to make the best homemade vegan ice cream.

How do I substitute almond milk for cream? ›

Can Almond Milk Replace Heavy Cream? No milk (except for coconut milk) can replace heavy cream without the addition of a thickener, ideally a fat of some kind. To make a heavy cream substitute with almond milk, we recommend adding soaked nuts or vegan butter, or plain silken tofu to get the right texture.

Can you just put frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami? ›

You'll need berries – I chose to use frozen berries, but you can also use fresh ones. Because your CREAMi is delicate, I would slice up any big frozen berries (like strawberries). I filled up my Ninja CREAMI Breeze container with the frozen berry mix and then added water to get it up to the max fill line.

Why is my Ninja Creami not creamy? ›

- If your base is crumbly or powdery after processing, use the RE-SPIN program to make it smoother and creamier. Note: do NOT RE-SPIN if you will also be using the MIX-IN program, since running both after another program may over process ingredients.

What happens if you don't freeze Ninja Creami for 24 hours? ›

Texture is key: The 24-hour freeze time results in smaller ice crystals and enhances the dessert's creaminess. For the most creamy ice cream and smoothest sorbet, this matters! Otherwise, the texture may be more slushie-like.

What is the best non-dairy milk to make ice cream? ›

Kaminsky says that you'll get the best results from dairy-free counterparts that are higher in fat such as canned coconut milk. She typically uses almond milk as her base, but other non-dairy milks can work (steer clear of rice milk because it tends to be too watery).

Which dairy-free milk makes the best ice cream? ›

Cashew milk, like coconut, is a good base because of its higher fat content. But almond milk is still the No. 1 vegan milk choice among consumers, which makes it a popular choice for frozen desserts as well.

What is the best thickener for vegan ice cream? ›

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

What is ice cream without dairy called? ›

Updated: Jun 13, 2021. You might be surprised to learn that sorbet, Italian ice, sherbet, dairy-free ice cream and vegan ice cream are all different kinds of delectable, frozen treats.

What do you call an ice cream with no dairy products in it? ›

Sorbets. Sorbets are naturally lactose-free because they do not contain dairy. They're typically made from water and fruit juice or purée. Sherbets, on the other hand, will contain dairy in the form of dairy milk or cream, so be sure to inspect the label. Sorbabes' Jam'n Lemon sorbet packs zippy lemony notes.

What milk is used in dairy-free ice cream? ›

Dairy-less frozen desserts replace milk and cream with alternatives like coconut, soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk. Many other ingredients remain the same between the dairy and dairy-free versions. And, just like dairy ice cream, non-dairy ice cream can vary widely in terms of sugar, fat, and calorie content.

Can I substitute almond milk for heavy cream in ice cream? ›

Yes, more or less. If a recipe calls for full fat milk or cream and all you have is almond milk then you might not get the result you were hoping for. Remember it's not just the liquid, it's what's in the liquid that counts.

Can you use almond milk in a whipped cream dispenser? ›

You can but you'll need a thickener like xanthan gum, since almond milk doesn't have the necessary fat to be whipped like heavy cream.

What kind of milk for creami? ›

I recommend using whole milk for the creamiest texture. If you're dairy-free, I recommend using a milk that is higher in fat such as Oatly full-fat oat milk which is certified gluten-free. I do not recommend using 1 percent or fat-free milk, and heavy cream isn't necessary if you're using whole milk.

Can you make almond milk in Ninja? ›

As long as your soak your nuts first, any decent blender will work for making almond milk. I love my Vitamix but I've also used a Ninja blender with success. Blendtec would also be suitable and Kitchenaid has some powerful models as well.

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