Ninja Creami Carrot Cake Ice Cream
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When thinking about new ice cream flavors to make in the Ninja Creami, I always think of food, drinks, or other desserts that can be made into ice cream. One of my brother's favorite desserts is carrot cake, so I thought carrot cake ice cream would be a great flavor to try!
And, spoiler alert, the result is an extremely delicious ice cream you might not be able to put down.
Carrot cake typically contains spices and carrots and comes with a cream cheese frosting. As we try to stay true to the original carrot cake, we did put carrots in the ice cream. That means this pint of ice cream can count as a serving of vegetables right?
I'm sure I've heard that eating carrot (cake ice cream) helps improve vision. Either way, this carrot cake ice cream tastes just like someone crumbled up carrot cake and turned it into something creamy.
Now I've never been a huge fan of carrot cake because of the cream cheese frosting. I'll eat cream cheese on a bagel any day, but combining it with cake has never been my favorite choice. However, after using our special cream cheese mix-in for this ice cream, I will be giving the cream cheese + cake combination another try!
So if you're a fan of carrot cake or a bit skeptical like me, give this ice cream a try because it is so worth it!
To Make Dairy-Free Carrot Cake 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!
- Can I use a food processor for the carrots instead of a box grater? Absolutely! As long as the carrot pieces are tiny when mixed into the ice cream, the end result will be delicious!
- What do I do if my ice cream is very soft after mixing in the cream cheese mix-in? Since we are mixing in a soft cream cheese sauce, the ice cream might come out pretty soft after the mix-in. We put the ice cream back in the freezer for a few hours and it hardened right back up and was the perfect texture to enjoy!
- 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! We just grabbed two more last week because we wanted to make even more flavors!
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)!
Carrot cake ice cream combines carrots, spices, and a cream cheese swirl for a delicious treat that tastes just like the original cake!
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 Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Finely Grated Carrots
- 4 oz Cream Cheese (4 oz = 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
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, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Use a box grater to finely grate a carrot. Before measuring, pat dry with a paper towel to absorb some of the carrot's natural moisture. Once slightly dried, measure 1/4 cup finely grated carrots.
Whisk 1/4 cup finely grated carrots into the mixture until combined.
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.
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.
- Remove the pint from the machine and the outer bowl. The next step is making the cream cheese mix-in!
In a small bowl, combine 4 oz cream cheese and 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
Microwave the cream cheese mixture for 45 seconds, or until soft.
Take the already-spun pint of carrot cake ice cream and carve a hole down the center. Scoop in the cream cheese mixture.
Place the pint back into the machine and hit the "Mix-In" button. This will thoroughly mix the cream cheese flavor throughout!
If you want more of a swirl that is visible, simply mix the cream cheese into the pint with your hand.
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 carrot cake 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 Shirley Temple ice cream here.
Thank you for using the recipe!