This chocolate protein shake ice cream uses a ready-to-drink shake as the base for a Ninja CREAMi dessert. Cocoa deepens the flavor, while a small amount of cream cheese and sugar adds body. One standard pint makes two portions; it needs a full day in the freezer before processing.
Tips for chocolate protein shake ice cream
The estimate uses one 11.5-fl-oz Premier Protein chocolate shake with 30 g protein, not a powder scoop. Other bottle sizes and formulas change the result. Use softened cream cheese and blend out every lump. The tablespoon of sugar helps the frozen texture; a zero-calorie sweetener is not an equal texture substitute.
Helpful equipment: a Ninja CREAMi machine. Check the size and features for your kitchen before buying.
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Makes 2 servings. One serving: one-half of the entire processed pint, including the reserved liquid and any specified mix-ins. Prep 10 minutes; cook 0 minutes; total elapsed time 1455 minutes including at least 24 hours freezing.
Chocolate Protein Shake Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 bottle chocolate protein shake 11.5 fl oz
- 1 oz regular cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp 2% milk reserved for processing
Instructions
- Blend the protein shake, cream cheese, cocoa and sugar until completely smooth. Refrigerate the separate 1 tablespoon milk until processing time.
- Pour the smooth base into one compatible standard 16-fl-oz (473 mL) Ninja CREAMi pint. Keep below its MAX FILL line; chill any excess separately rather than overfilling. Cover and freeze upright on a level surface for at least 24 hours at 0°F or below.
- Follow your model’s assembly and safety instructions. Process the flat, fully frozen base on LITE ICE CREAM (LIGHT ICE CREAM on some models). This is written for standard NC300-series pints, not a Deluxe or Swirl container. Do not process a tilted frozen block, loose ice cubes or a solid block of unblended fruit.
- If crumbly after the first cycle, add the reserved 1 tablespoon liquid and RE-SPIN. If already creamy, stir in that tablespoon instead so the listed ingredient amount remains the same. Do not add unlimited liquid; further additions change the estimate. Divide the entire finished pint into two equal portions.
Storage and meal prep
Freeze prepared pints covered at 0°F or below. Use within 2 weeks for best quality. Flatten leftover dessert, cover and refreeze promptly; process again according to your model’s instructions when fully frozen. Do not use MIX-IN as the initial processing program. Keep dairy or soy ingredients refrigerated at 40°F or below before preparation and do not leave the mixture out more than 2 hours. Texture depends on your freezer, machine and ingredient brands.
More practical ideas
Try peanut butter yogurt dip for another option. See how we estimate recipe nutrition for more help.
About the nutrition
Estimated nutrition includes every listed ingredient divided into 2 equal servings. Brand substitutions and extra sides change the result. This development draft has not been kitchen-tested.