Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream
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Strawberry ice cream is a perfect, fruity treat for any day of the year. Strawberry ice cream always seems like the forgotten sibling of chocolate and vanilla. But it definitely shouldn't be! While vanilla and chocolate have fantastic flavors, strawberry packs quite the fruity punch.
When brainstorming new Ninja Creami recipe ideas, Alex and I thought of the classic three flavors first - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry.
While the Ninja Creami recipe book already has a strawberry ice cream recipe, we wanted to put our own spin on it and try to make it better!
To do this, we added some strawberry preserves and strawberry extract into the mix and the result was pure deliciousness! Thankfully, we were able to use the same base as our lemon cookie ice cream, we just had to swap extracts and add the strawberry preserves in.
If you want to add fresh or frozen strawberries to the recipe below, feel free to throw them in as a mix-in or as part of the base! We used a handful of fresh strawberries as a mix-in to give it that extra strawberry flavor, and it turned out great.
We also included a drop of red food coloring to give it a pink strawberry color, but that is completely optional.
Even without the fruit, this strawberry ice cream recipe will be a great Ninja Creami ice cream recipe you'll keep making in your Ninja Creami pints!
To Make Dairy-Free Strawberry 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!
- Should I use fresh or frozen strawberries? You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries! If using fresh, the ice cream may not come out as hard. However, if you like soft serve or follow our tip about re-spinning below, it shouldn't be a problem! If using frozen strawberries, make sure to microwave them before mixing into the ice cream. Hard, frozen fruit can damage the machine or the blade.
- 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)!
This strawberry ice cream uses strawberry extract and strawberry preserves to pack a delicious, fruity punch! Try this strawberry ice cream recipe to discover a creamy treat that will leave you with a smile!
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 Strawberry Extract
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp Strawberry Preserves
- 1 handful Fresh Strawberries
- 1 drop Red Food Coloring (Optional)
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 strawberry extract and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Place 2 tbsp strawberry preserves in a small bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. This will soften the preserves and allow them to mix better.
Combine the 2 tbsp of strawberry preserves with the cream cheese/extract/sugar mixture. Whisk until combined.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream.
(Optional) Whisk in a drop of red food coloring until the mixture is the desired color.
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 it's time for mix-ins! Carve a hole in the ice cream and drop in a handful of fresh strawberries. Place the pint back into the Ninja Creami machine and select "Mix-In".
Now your strawberry 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 orange creamsicle ice cream here.
Thank you for using the recipe!