This is my go-to when I want a light meal that still feels like a treat. Each serving of this Ninja Creami high protein vanilla ice cream has 17g of protein, so a bowl actually holds me over.
The protein comes from cottage cheese and protein powder. The cottage cheese also gives it body, so it spins up creamy instead of chalky, and you won't taste it once it's blended smooth. There are no gums or pudding mix.
If you'd rather skip the protein powder and keep the calories as low as possible, my low-calorie vanilla ice cream uses a similar oat milk and cottage cheese base. For more flavors, see all my high-protein ice cream recipes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Additions
- How to Make Ninja Creami High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
- Mix-Ins and Toppings
- Flavor Variations to Try
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Serving Size and Pint Size
- Tools You'll Need
- Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Recipe FAQs
- More Vanilla Ice Cream Variations
- More Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Flavors
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
Why You'll Love This High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
- 17g of protein a serving: Cottage cheese and protein powder both contribute, so you get more protein than either one would give alone.
- Creamy, not chalky: The cottage cheese gives the base body, which keeps the protein powder from turning the texture chalky or grainy.
- No pudding mix or gums: The texture comes from the cottage cheese, not from stabilizers.
- No added sugar: Monk fruit does the sweetening, so the protein isn't coming with a lot of sugar.
- Easy to change up: Swap in chocolate protein powder for a chocolate pint, or try the flavor variations further down.
- Meal prep friendly: Blend a few pints at once and keep them in the freezer, ready to spin.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cottage cheese: It adds protein and gives the base body, which keeps the protein powder from turning the pint chalky. Blend it until there are no curds left, because any lumps in the base will still be there after spinning.
- Protein powder: Vanilla keeps the flavor classic, but chocolate or other flavors work too. The type matters: whey tends to blend smoother, while plant-based powders can thicken the base and turn a little grainy. Powders with lots of fillers can also make the texture gummy.
- Oat milk: The main liquid. It's light and blends easily with the protein powder. The cottage cheese still makes this a dairy recipe, so it isn't dairy-free.
- Vanilla bean paste or extract: Paste gives you the black specks and a deeper vanilla flavor. Extract works fine too.
- Monk fruit sweetener: Sweetens the base without added sugar. Protein powders vary in sweetness, so taste the base before freezing and adjust. Cold dulls sweetness, so it should taste slightly sweeter than you want.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Milk: Fairlife milk adds even more protein and is lactose-free, but it isn't dairy-free. Unsweetened almond milk works but is thinner, so expect an extra respin. Carton coconut milk works too. Canned coconut milk is much richer and higher in fat.
- Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese: It's still high in protein, with a tangier flavor. Blend it smooth like the cottage cheese.
- A different sweetener: Stevia or an erythritol blend both work. For a softer pint, use allulose, which is what my sugar-free vanilla ice cream uses.
- More protein: Powdered peanut butter adds protein and flavor with little fat. Adding more protein powder works too, but past a point the pint gets dense and chalky, so add it a little at a time.
- Dairy-free: The cottage cheese makes this a dairy recipe. My dairy-free vanilla ice cream is made with coconut milk and oat milk.
How to Make Ninja Creami High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
- Blend the base. Add the cottage cheese, protein powder, oat milk, vanilla, and monk fruit sweetener to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, with no cottage cheese curds and no clumps of protein powder.
- Freeze the pint. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint, keeping it below the max fill line. Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours, until solid.
- Spin on Lite Ice Cream. Place the frozen pint in the machine and use the Lite Ice Cream setting. Protein bases often come out crumbly on the first spin.
- Respin. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk and respin. Protein ice cream usually needs one or two respins to turn smooth.
- Serve or add mix-ins. Scoop and serve it plain, or use the Mix-In setting to add any of the ideas below.
Mix-Ins and Toppings
- Sugar-free chocolate chips: Add them with the Mix-In setting after spinning, chopped small so they spread through the pint instead of sinking.
- Chopped nuts: Almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Toast them first for more flavor. They also add a little extra protein.
- Fresh berries: Blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. Add them on top when you serve, since fresh fruit can freeze into icy chunks inside the pint.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: Adds texture without added sugar. Toast it for a nuttier flavor.
- Peanut butter swirl: Spoon it in after spinning and swirl it through with a spoon. It adds a little protein and a lot of flavor. For more protein with less fat, use powdered peanut butter mixed with a little water.
Flavor Variations to Try
Blend into the base before freezing:
- Chocolate: Swap the vanilla protein powder for chocolate. It's the easiest variation, since nothing else in the recipe changes.
- Peanut butter: Blend in powdered peanut butter, or use a peanut butter–flavored protein powder. Both add flavor without the extra fat of regular peanut butter.
- Pumpkin spice: Add a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree and cinnamon. Pumpkin adds liquid, so the pint may need an extra respin.
- Berry: Blend in a handful of frozen berries. They add natural sweetness, so taste before adding all the monk fruit.
Add after spinning:
- Cookies and cream: Crushed sugar-free cookies with the Mix-In setting. For the full version, see my cookies and cream ice cream.
- Almond Joy: Chopped almonds, unsweetened coconut, and sugar-free chocolate chips with the Mix-In setting. My Almond Joy ice cream has the full recipe.
- Salted caramel: Drizzle sugar-free caramel over the top and add a pinch of flaky salt.
- Affogato: Pour a shot of hot espresso over a scoop. My affogato post on Deliciously Rushed covers it.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: Blend a few pints at once and keep them in the freezer. Spin one whenever you want it.
- Storing leftovers: Keep the ice cream in the pint with its storage lid. Smooth the top flat with a spoon before refreezing so it doesn't freeze into a dome, which makes the next spin uneven.
- Serving stored ice cream: Protein ice cream refreezes hard. Respin on Lite Ice Cream with a splash of oat milk for the smoothest texture, or let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping.
- How long it keeps: Best within 2 to 3 weeks. After that, ice crystals start to form.
Serving Size and Pint Size
This recipe fills one Ninja Creami Deluxe pint (24 ounces) and makes 4 servings, with 17g of protein each.
If you have a model with a 16-ounce pint, use two-thirds of each ingredient, which makes about 3 servings with the same protein per serving. The steps and settings stay the same. Either way, keep the base below the max fill line on the pint, because an overfilled pint won't spin properly.
Tools You'll Need
- Blender: The cottage cheese and protein powder both need to be fully blended, with no curds or clumps, or the pint turns grainy. A high-powered blender gets there fastest.
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe: This recipe is sized for the Deluxe's 24-ounce pint. Other models work too, using the two-thirds conversion above.
- Extra pint containers: Worth having for meal prep, so you can keep a few pints in the freezer ready to spin.
For the rest of my equipment, see my Ninja Creami tools list.
Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Expect to respin: Protein ice cream almost always comes out crumbly on the first spin. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk and respin, once or twice, until smooth.
- Chalky or grainy texture? Either the protein powder didn't fully blend or the cottage cheese still had curds. Blend the base longer next time. If it keeps happening, try a different protein powder, since powders with lots of fillers turn chalky or gummy.
- Taste before freezing: Cold dulls sweetness, and protein powders vary in how sweet they are, so the base should taste slightly sweeter than you want the finished ice cream to be.
- Pint rock solid? If the frozen pint is very hard, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before the first spin.
- Too hard after storing? Respin it with a splash of oat milk, or let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping. For problems beyond this recipe, see my Ninja Creami troubleshooting guide.
Recipe FAQs
How is this different from your low-calorie vanilla ice cream?
They start from a similar oat milk and cottage cheese base. This one adds protein powder, which brings it to 17g of protein a serving but also raises the calories. If keeping calories as low as possible matters more to you, my low-calorie vanilla ice cream leaves the protein powder out.
What setting should I use for protein ice cream?
Lite Ice Cream is my go-to for this recipe, since protein bases are lower in fat and sugar than regular ice cream. Gelato also works if you want a slightly denser texture.
What's the best protein powder for Ninja Creami ice cream?
One with minimal fillers. Whey tends to blend smoothest, while plant-based powders can thicken the base and turn a little grainy. Vanilla keeps the flavor classic, but any flavor you like works.
How can I add even more protein?
Use Fairlife milk instead of oat milk, swap the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt, or blend in powdered peanut butter. Adding more protein powder works too, but too much makes the pint dense and chalky, so add it a little at a time.
Does the base really need to freeze for 24 hours?
Yes. A shorter freeze leaves the center softer than the edges, and the pint spins up icy and uneven. Twenty-four hours makes sure it's frozen solid all the way through.
More Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Flavors
Did you try this recipe?
Share how it turned out in the comments below, and if you loved it, share it on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram.
Thank you! - Rose
Ninja Creami High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
This Ninja Creami high protein vanilla ice cream has 17g of protein a serving, made with cottage cheese, protein powder, oat milk, and monk fruit. There are no gums or pudding mix. Spin it on Lite Ice Cream and expect a respin or two for the smoothest texture.
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream maker
- 1 Blender
- 24 ounces Ninja Creami Container Pint
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Cottage cheese
- 2 scoops Protein powder
- 2 cups Non-Dairy Oat milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean paste or extract
- 3-4 tablespoon Monk fruit sweetener
Instructions
- Add the cottage cheese, protein powder, oat milk, vanilla, and monk fruit sweetener to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, with no cottage cheese curds or protein powder clumps.⅔ cup Cottage cheese, 2 scoops Protein powder, 2 cups Non-Dairy Oat milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean paste or extract, 3-4 tablespoon Monk fruit sweetener
- Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, keeping it below the max fill line. Cover with the lid and freeze on a level surface for 24 hours, until solid.
- Remove the lid, place the pint in the outer bowl, and lock it into the machine. Spin on the Lite Ice Cream setting.
- If the ice cream looks crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk and respin. Repeat once more if needed.
- Serve right away, or use the Mix-In setting to add chocolate chips, nuts, or other mix-ins.
Notes
- Pint size: This recipe is sized for the Ninja Creami Deluxe's 24-ounce pint. For a 16-ounce pint, use two-thirds of each ingredient.
- Protein powder: Use one with minimal fillers. Whey tends to blend smoothest, while plant-based powders can turn a little grainy. Changing powders may change the protein per serving.
- Blend completely: Any cottage cheese curds or protein powder clumps left in the base will still be there after spinning.
- Respinning: Protein bases usually need one or two respins. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk before each respin if it's crumbly.
- Sweetness: Protein powders vary in sweetness, so taste the base before freezing and adjust the monk fruit. It should taste slightly sweeter than you want the finished ice cream to be.
- Storage: Smooth the top flat and freeze leftovers in the pint with the lid on, for up to 2 to 3 weeks. Respin before serving, or let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes.
- Dairy: The cottage cheese makes this a dairy recipe, even with oat milk.
- Nutrition: Protein and calories don't include mix-ins or toppings.
Tried this recipe?Leave us a comment below and share how it came out!
Rose says
I’m so excited to share this High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream with you all! 🎉 It’s creamy, delicious, and packed with protein—perfect for a sweet treat that also fuels your day. I’d love to hear what you think! Did you try it plain, or add any fun mix-ins? Let me know in the comments!