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Pineapple upside down cake is a delicious cake that contains both pineapples and cherries. I’ve actually only had it once, but it’s a dessert that stuck with me because of the amazing flavor.
One of my favorite things about the Ninja Creami is that anything can be turned into ice cream – even cake! For that reason, Alex and I decided to make pineapple upside down ice cream!
Pineapple upside down ice cream is one of the most refreshing Creami ice creams I’ve come across. It’s right up there with orange creamsicle and lemon cookie ice cream. The pineapple with a hint of cherry is just such a light flavor, it’s hard to stop from eating the whole pint!
We used the actual pineapple upside down cake as our inspiration for this Ninja Creami ice cream recipe. We used a can of crushed pineapple and some maraschino cherries, which stays pretty true to the actual cake recipe.
The flavor from the crushed pineapple shines through in the ice cream without being chunky, which is good for eating the ice cream after it has been frozen!
Pineapple may not be my favorite flavor profile, but that didn’t stop this from being one of my favorite ice creams!
So even if you’re not a huge pineapple fan, give this pineapple upside down ice cream a try!
To Make Dairy-Free Pineapple Upside Down 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 fresh or frozen pineapple instead of canned pineapple? Sure! I would suggest pureeing the fresh pineapple so it easily mixes throughout the ice cream base. Or if using frozen, thaw a bit and crush/puree. Having large chunks of frozen fruit in the ice cream may damage the Creami blade, so it’s best to have crushed or pureed pineapple.
- Can I use something besides maraschino cherries? Yes! We used 1.5 tablespoons cherry pie filling for a take on this recipe and it still tasted delicious! The cherry flavor is meant to be just a hint, and we found that either option provides the right amount of flavor without overpowering the pineapple or being too strong.
- 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 Pineapple Upside Down Ice Cream
Description
Pineapple upside down ice cream brings the great flavors of pineapple upside down cake to your ice cream bowl! The pineapple and cherry flavors are perfectly balanced to create a refreshing and tasty Creami treat.
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 vanilla extract and 1/3 cup light brown sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Strain a can of crushed pineapple to separate the crushed pineapple from the pineapple juice. Try to get out as much juice as possible.
Portion out 1/3 cup crushed pineapple and add to the ice cream base mixture. Whisk until combined.
If applicable, de-stem 6 - 8 maraschino cherries and slightly crush them.
Mix in the cherries and as much of the cherry juice as possible into the ice cream base. Whisk until everything is 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.
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 pineapple upside down 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 blueberry ice cream here.