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For all of my fall-lovers out there, this one’s for you.
Our original pumpkin pie ice cream recipe has been one of our most popular recipes (even after the fall season ended)! If there’s a flavor I can’t get enough of, it’s pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin seeds; you name it, I love it.
So when brainstorming other ways we could use the pumpkin puree we have in our fridge from making the pumpkin pie ice cream, we came up with one of my new favorite Ninja Creami ice cream recipes: pumpkin cheesecake ice cream!
I have to be up-front and honest and say I’m not a fan of cheesecake. However, this pumpkin cheesecake was one of the best flavors we have made.
Maybe it’s the pumpkin-lover in me, but I could not put this pint down. The combination of cheesecake with the pumpkin really makes this ice cream stand out.
It did take Alex and I a bit of time to figure out how to make cheesecake ice creams. To come up with new flavors, we’ll sometimes walk up and down the grocery store aisles and look for inspiration.
This is a great idea, but don’t do it when you’re hungry or you might end up buying too many goodies (which happens to us when we get too excited about all of the potential flavors we can make)!
We stumbled upon the instant pudding section, saw the cheesecake flavor, and knew it would be perfect.
While there are many types of cheesecakes out there, why not combine the best flavor (pumpkin) with it? The best part is, the pudding mix is typically fat-free and sugar-free, so it doesn’t add a lot of heft to the ice cream recipe.
So grab a pack of pudding mix, some pumpkin puree, and get spinning!
To Make Dairy-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake 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 much of the Jell-O instant pudding mix should I use? For 1 pint, you only need half of the pudding packet (which comes out to around 2 tablespoons.
- Should I add any pumpkin spice to the ice cream? Personally, I think the pumpkin puree brings the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor to the recipe, but feel free to tweak the recipe as you want! We wanted to make sure there was a good balance between the pumpkin and the cheesecake where they didn’t overpower one another. Pumpkin spice may make it a little more pumpkin-y than cheesecake-y, but if that’s what you’re looking for, go for it!
- 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 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!
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!
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 Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
Description
Pumpkin cheesecake ice cream combines the flavors of pumpkin and cheesecake in a perfect balance using pumpkin puree and Jell-O instant pudding mix.
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, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Add in 2 tbsp cheesecake pudding powder and 3 tbsp pumpkin puree. Whisk thoroughly, ensuring everything is mixed together.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream.
The mixture may be slightly chunky from the cheesecake pudding thickening up, but keep stirring until the mixture is smooth throughout. If you cannot stir in the chunks, you can always cook it over low heat on the stove for a few minutes.
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 pumpkin cheesecake 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 pumpkin pie ice cream here.