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When coming up with new recipe ideas gets tough, Alex and I turn to the one base flavor that will always be a winner: chocolate ice cream.
The fun part is playing around with different flavors that’ll go with the chocolate. This time, we decided to draw inspiration from a recent trip and create chocolate orange ice cream!
Before you say that chocolate and orange aren’t a good combo, think again. The sweetness of the orange actually plays extremely well with the chocolate!
And let’s be honest, pretty much anything can go with chocolate.
At the beginning of last year, Alex and I took a trip to New Zealand. Besides the amazing sights and fun experiences, one of our favorite things to do on vacation is try the local food.
We’ve found that some of the best places to see what locals eat on the go is at gas stations. I typically won’t buy snacks in a gas station at home, but there’s usually tons of fun options when abroad!
Candies, chips, you name it and the gas station probably has fun local versions to try. That’s where we found a candy that captured the great flavor we recreated in chocolate orange ice cream!
While I’ve never heard of it before traveling abroad, the candy we based this Ninja Creami recipe on is called a Joffa.
They’re these little orange candies coated in chocolate and they’re actually delicious. They reminded me of an orange Tic-Tac covered in chocolate, but with a fuller orange flavor.
To our surprise, we actually found Joffa cakes when we traveled to Ireland too! So maybe every other country knows chocolate and orange are a great combo and the U.S. just hasn’t figured it out yet. Hopefully, we’ll get there soon.
So even if you’re a bit skeptical about this amazing flavor combo, grab some orange extract, a Ninja Creami pint, and get spinning!
To Make Dairy-Free Chocolate Orange 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!
- Is there a way I can add more orange flavor? Yes! While we only use orange extract, feel free to add some orange zest or even fresh-squeezed juice from an orange to boost the flavor!
- What should I do if my ice cream is too soft after spinning? I’ve found that putting soft ice cream back in the freezer for a few hours typically makes the ice cream harder and lest like soft serve! It can be hard to wait a bit of extra time, but it’s worth the wait for perfect ice cream!
- 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 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)!
Ninja Creami Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
Description
Chocolate orange uses simple ingredients to combine two delicious flavors into one amazing ice cream pint!
To make this recipe in the Ninja Creami Deluxe, multiply all ingredients by 1.5
Note: 1 serving = 1 pint
Ingredients
Instructions
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 orange extract and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Whisk in 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
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, making sure 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 Chocolate Orange ice cream is ready to enjoy!
Note
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 Chocolate Baileys ice cream here.