Ninja Creami Strawberry Limeade Ice Cream
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Just in time for summer, this sweet and sour strawberry limeade ice cream is perfect for any warm day!
My absolute favorite drink at Sonic is a strawberry limeade. If you don't live near a Sonic Drive-In, it's basically a fast-food restaurant that stands out with their amazing drinks and ice cream. They offer possibly the largest variety of of drink flavors that I've ever seen.
I used to go with my dad and brother after school in elementary school when we were lucky. Of course I usually got milkshakes and didn't graduate to the amazing strawberry limeade until I was in high school. But once I did, I was hooked.
The strawberry limeade is essentially a lemon-lime soda base with lime juice and strawberries mixed in for a tasty drink. Like most other things in my life, I began to wonder if it was possible to make my favorite drink into a Ninja Creami ice cream.
Turns out it's not just possible, it's easy and creates an amazing Creami creation!
One of the most important parts of this strawberry limeade ice cream recipe is using fresh ingredients. You can definitely substitute the fresh strawberries for frozen strawberries if you want or need to. However, the fresh strawberries really help add a punch of strong flavor that I think can't be beat.
In this particular Ninja Creami recipe, we used fresh strawberries and a fresh lime. The flavor is fairly easy to recreate and after almost no time at all you'll have an amazing strawberry limeade ice cream!
So if you're looking for your next Ninja Creami summer obsession, grab some strawberries, a lime, a pint, and get spinning!
To Make Dairy-Free Strawberry Limeade 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!
- What if I want more strawberry flavor? If you want more cherry flavor, you can add more pureed strawberries or strawberry extract! However, you may end up having more leftover base, which you can pour in another pint or save for later.
- What do I do with the extra base liquid since my pint is already at the max fill line? Adding the extra liquid in the form of pureed strawberries may create extra liquid that won't fit in just one pint! You can either pour the liquid in another pint if you have enough, save it for later use, or enjoy it on the spot!
- 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)!
Strawberry limeade ice cream takes the classic Sonic drink and brings it to your ice cream bowl! This sour and sweet treat is delicious and will definitely keep you coming back for seconds.
To make this recipe in the Ninja Creami Deluxe, multiply all ingredients by 1.5
Note: 1 serving = 1 pint
- 1 tbsp Cream Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Lime Extract
- 1/2 tsp Strawberry Extract
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- Zest of 1 Lime (Approximately 2 tsp)
- Juice of 1 Lime (Approximately 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup Pureed Strawberries (Approximately 5 Strawberries)
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 1/2 tsp lime extract, 1/2 tsp strawberry extract, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
Take a lime and zest it entirely. When finished, cut the lime in half, and squeeze all of the juice into a small bowl.
Gather all of the lime zest (approximately 2 tsp) and add it to the cream cheese/extract/sugar mixture.
Gather all of the lime juice (approximately 1 1/2 tbsp) and add it to the mixture as well.
Using a food processor or blender, puree around 5 strawberries.
Measure 1/2 cup pureed strawberries and whisk it into the base mixture.
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 strawberry limeade 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 cherry limeade ice cream here.
Thank you for using the recipe!