Ninja Creami Black Forest Ice Cream
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By now, you've probably realized one of our favorite pastimes is turning classic desserts into delicious Ninja Creami ice cream recipes. Our next favorite we've made this way is black forest ice cream (based on black forest cake)!
Black forest cake is a traditional cake typically associated with the Black Forest in Germany. It consists of a chocolate sponge cake layered with whipped cream and cherries (and typically filled with rum). How could that not be good when it's turned into ice cream?
Alex and I spent the entire month of April 2022 in Germany and one of our goals was to visit the Black Forest and eat traditional black forest cake.
We spent a day in Freiburg (a town on the edge of the Black Forest) and searched every cafe we walked by for Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which is German for black forest cake. Try pronouncing that with a straight face to a local without pointing to the menu so they actually know what you're asking for.
We ended up trying two different types and it was interesting how vastly different they were. The first was chocolate cake with a cherry filling in the middle and topped with whipped cream and a sour cherry. All of the cherries were rum-soaked and had a very strong flavor, while the chocolate cake was surprisingly light.
The second cake (our personal favorite), had rum-flavored whipped cream layers, sweet cherries, and a delicious chocolate cake base.
So as someone who's had real black forest cake, I'm going to say I this ice cream is a great mirror of the classic dessert!
If you don't like rum or want to make a non-boozy ice cream, simply leave the rum out of the recipe and you'll still have a delicious treat!
So grab your Ninja Creami and get ready to make some Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte ice cream!
To Make Dairy-Free Black Forest Ice Cream, Use the Following:
- 1 tbsp vegan cream cheese for 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 cup oat milk for 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup cream of coconut for 3/4 cup heavy cream
First Time Using the Ninja Creami or Looking for Tips?
While the Ninja Creami is a machine with only 7 (or 11) buttons, it can still be intimidating! Here are a few tips and tricks Alex and I have picked up since beginning our ice cream journey with the Ninja Creami!
- When I make the ice cream, the ice cream mixture goes over the max fill line - what should I do? Since the cherry pie filling from the can has a bit of liquid in it, it can increase the liquid in the ice cream recipe. All you have to do is fill to the max fill line and dump the rest of the liquid out!
- Can I use maraschino cherries in the recipe? Sure! You can substitute the cherry pie filling for a handful of finely chopped maraschino cherries (maybe put them in the food processor or use a mortar and pestle to ensure they'll mix throughout the ice cream). You can also use the juice from the maraschino cherry jar instead of the grenadine, but make sure you still use at least 1 teaspoon!
- If I put the pint back into the freezer, do I need to mix the ice cream up again before enjoying? Surprisingly, no! When using the typical base ingredients (whole milk, heavy cream), re-spinning is probably best to get the ice cream back to its original creamy consistency after freezing. However, we have found when using oat milk and cream of coconut, our first spin leaves the ice cream very creamy (almost like a soft-serve texture). After putting it in the freezer for 24 hours after this original spin, the ice cream is the perfect texture to enjoy without re-spinning! My suggestion is see how the texture is without a re-spin, and re-spin only as necessary!
- What button should I use to spin my ice cream? This all depends on the consistency you’re going for! Each button operates the machine at varying speeds. For thicker concoctions (like ice cream), the ice cream button is best. However, if using eggs in the recipe (like a gelato), use the gelato button! The sorbet button is best used with fruit mixtures. For example, if mixing a can of pineapples in heavy syrup, use the sorbet button to make a delicious fruity creation! Overall, it’s something you can experiment with to find your personal preference for your ice cream consistency!
Looking for More Ninja Creami Recipes?
If you’re on the hunt for more Ninja Creami recipes, be sure to grab one of our recipe e-books, Top 25 Ninja Creami Recipes ($2.99), or the great value of over 50 recipes in Ninja Creami Cookbook: Ice Cream & Gelato Edition! Each includes favorites such as cake batter gelato, red velvet ice cream, Shirley Temple ice cream, and many more!
If you’re like us and are running out of ice cream storage containers, grab a two-pack of Ninja Creami pints to keep your freezer full with all of your ice cream creations!
Or if you don’t have a Ninja Creami and are on the fence about getting one, check out my honest review!
Do You Want to Make Your Own Ninja Creami Cookbook?
If you want to make your own version of a Ninja Creami cookbook, check out our Ninja Creami Recipe Page Template! Besides the fun design, it has space to write the spin setting, number of servings, ingredients, directions, and notes (everything a Creami recipe needs)!
Black forest ice cream is based on the classic black forest cake. The cherry and chocolate flavors (plus a pop of rum) combine for a decadent and delicious ice cream!
To make this recipe in the Ninja Creami Deluxe, multiply all ingredients by 1.5
Note: 1 serving = 1 pint
- 1 tbsp Cream Cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Cherry Pie Filling
- 1 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp Grenadine
- 1 tbsp Captain Morgan Spiced Rum (Optional to spike)
Place 1 tbsp cream cheese in a medium bowl and microwave for 5-10 seconds. If the cream cheese was in the fridge, these 5-10 seconds in the microwave will help soften it up to mix well with the other ingredients.
Combine cream cheese with 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp grenadine, 1 tbsp Captain Morgan Spiced Rum (optional to spike) and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Whisk in 1/2 cup cherry pie filling.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream.
Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, ensuring it does not go over the max fill line. There will probably be more ice cream mixture than needed, so dispose of the rest (or save it for next time) after filling the pint to the fill line.
Freeze the pint for 24 hours, ensuring it is placed on a flat surface in the freezer.
After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer, and plug in your Ninja Creami machine! Time for the magic.
Remove the lid from the pint and grab the Ninja Creami outer bowl. Place the pint securely into the outer bowl and cover with the lid. Once the lid is on, place the outer bowl into the machine, twisting to the right until it locks into place. Press the "Ice Cream" button and (try to) wait patiently for the creamy treat coming your way.
Once the process is finished, press and hold the button on the left side of the Creami to twist the bowl to the left and remove it from the machine. Twist the lid off of the outer bowl and remove the pint.
Now your black forest ice cream is ready to enjoy!
If you don't like following recipes, don't worry - you can customize it however you want! We personally use oat milk and coconut cream to avoid most of the dairy, and it's some of the best ice cream we've ever had.
If you liked this recipe, check out our recipe for orange creamsicle ice cream here.
Thank you for using the recipe!