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Our blueberry ice cream is back and better than ever! As blueberry season is coming up, we wanted to share a revamped version of our previous blueberry flavor. To spice it up, we decided to add lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
The result: scrumptious lemon blueberry ice cream!
I’ve found through our ice cream-making process that adding lemon to an ice cream flavor really brings out a great flavor and taste. With this in mind, adding lemon to our blueberry ice cream recipe was an easy leap. Alex and I bought an entire bag of lemons at the grocery store last weekend, so we were definitely looking for ways to use them besides cooking!
This lemon blueberry ice cream uses a almost a whole lemon, so we may just have to make six more pints of ice cream to use the rest of our lemons (definitely a great idea).
Blueberry season is about a month away, so I wanted to make sure you had this recipe in hand and ready to go with your Ninja Creami!
Using store-bought blueberries turned out delicious, so I can only imagine the great flavor that would come from using fresh-picked blueberries. Plus, picking your own blueberries is a fun way to get outside and load up on blueberries. You can even snack as you pick (even though this is typically advised against, but they’re just so hard to resist).
Either way, feel free to use hand-picked or store-bought berries in this lemon blueberry ice cream recipe, and you’ll be in for a real treat with this Ninja Creami ice cream recipe!
To Make Dairy-Free Lemon Blueberry 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!
- How can I add more blueberry flavor? If you want to up the blueberry flavor, add some blueberry extract to the mixture (at the same step as the vanilla extract). I recommend adding 1 tsp. We liked the subtle blueberry flavor our ice cream had and didn’t feel it needed the extract, but if you’re into blueberries, give it a go!
- Should I use fresh or frozen blueberries? You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries! If using fresh fruit, the ice cream may not come out as hard. However, if you like softer ice cream or follow our tip about re-spinning below, it shouldn’t be a problem! I would also like to note that we used fresh blueberries and the ice cream wasn’t too soft. If using frozen blueberries, make sure to microwave them before mixing into the ice cream. Hard, frozen fruit can damage the machine or the blade.
- Can I skip the lemon zest if I just have lemon juice? Sure! The lemon zest adds a good zing of lemon flavor, but it’s not necessary if you’re already using the lemon extract and lemon juice. It just might have a little less lemon flavor than planned.
- 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)!
Ninja Creami Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream
Description
This lemon blueberry ice cream takes the delicious flavor of blueberries and combines it with a delightful zing of lemon flavor for one of the best Creami treats we've made so far. If you have any leftover blueberries sitting around and don't have a plan on how to use them, be sure to use them in this ice cream!
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 lemon extract and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Place 2 tbsp blueberry jam in a small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. This will soften the jam and allow it to mix better.
Combine the 2 tbsp of blueberry jam with the cream cheese/extract/sugar mixture. Whisk until combined.
In a mortar and pestle, grind up 1/4 cup fresh blueberries. This will crush them and make sure the blueberry juice is released. If you do not have a mortar pestle, I'm sure a food processor would work (I haven't tried it, it's just my best guess).
Whisk the blueberries into the mixture until combined.
Add in zest from one lemon and 2 tsp lemon juice. Whisk until everything is thoroughly mixed together.
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 lemon blueberry 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 original recipe for blueberry ice cream here.