Ninja Creami black sesame ice cream is one of those flavors that sounds unfamiliar until you taste it, and then you wonder why you waited. Black sesame shows up all over East and Southeast Asian cooking but in ice cream it becomes something else entirely. Deeply nutty, rich, with a flavor that sits right at the edge of savory. The key is using black sesame paste, not just ground seeds. Paste gives you a smoother base that processes evenly and that signature dark color all the way through. You can use store-bought or make your own with my homemade black sesame paste.
If you're building out your Asian-inspired Creami lineup, my matcha mochi and red bean ice cream uses the same simple method and pairs really well with this one.
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What Is Black Sesame?
Black sesame seeds come from the same plant as white sesame but harvested at full maturity, which gives them a deeper, nuttier flavor with a slight bitterness that works in both sweet and savory cooking. You'll find them all over East and Southeast Asian desserts: Japanese mochi, Chinese tang yuan and Korean rice cakes. The flavor is almost chocolate-adjacent but earthier.
For this recipe, you want black sesame paste, not whole seeds. Paste blends smoothly into the base, gives you even flavor, and that deep dark color all the way through. You can find it at Asian grocery stores, online, or make your own with my homemade black sesame paste recipe.
Why You'll Love This
- 5 ingredients - Simple base, nothing complicated
- No cooking required - Just stir, pour, freeze, and spin
- Distinct, memorable flavor - Nutty, toasty, and a little savory at the edges
- Gorgeous color - That deep charcoal gray looks stunning in a bowl
- Works every time - The Ninja Creami handles the texture for you
Ingredients
- Black sesame paste is the one ingredient worth hunting down. It's not the same as tahini (which is made from hulled white sesame seeds and has a lighter, milder taste). Black sesame paste is darker, stronger, and more bitter. Asian grocery stores usually carry it, and it's easy to find online. Some brands are sweetened, so taste yours before adding and adjust the sugar in the recipe if needed.
- Whole milk plus heavy cream gives you the right fat ratio for a creamy, smooth result. Using all milk makes the ice cream icier. Using all cream makes it too dense to process well. This 2:1 ratio (milk to cream).
- Vanilla extract sounds like an odd addition to black sesame, but it rounds out the flavor and softens the slight bitterness. Don't skip it.
How to Make Ninja Creami Black Sesame Ice Cream?
- Mix the base. Add the whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, black sesame paste, vanilla extract, and salt to a bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the sesame paste is fully blended in. The base should look smooth and evenly dark gray.
- Freeze. Pour the mixture into your Ninja Creami pint container, staying under the max fill line. Add the lid and freeze on a flat surface for at least 24 hours.
- Spin. Remove the pint from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes. Place it in the Ninja Creami and run the Ice Cream cycle.
- Respin. Check the texture after the first spin. If it looks crumbly, powdery, or uneven, run the Respin cycle. Add 1 tablespoon of milk before respinning if needed.
- Serve. Scoop and serve right away for a softer texture, or freeze for 30 minutes if you want firmer, more classic ice cream scoops.
Variations
Toasted sesame swirl - Toast a tablespoon of whole black sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant, then stir them into the spun ice cream using the Mix-In function. Adds crunch and extra flavor.
Black sesame and white chocolate - After spinning, use Mix-In to fold in white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate. The sweetness of white chocolate plays off the slight bitterness of the sesame really well.
Black sesame and miso - Add half a teaspoon of white miso to the base before freezing. It deepens the savory quality of the ice cream and makes it more complex without tasting like miso soup.
Coconut black sesame - Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream. Gives it a slightly tropical edge and pairs naturally with the nuttiness of the sesame.
Black sesame and matcha - Reduce the black sesame paste to 1 tablespoon and add 1 teaspoon of matcha powder. The earthy bitterness of both ingredients works together and the color comes out really beautiful.
Serving Size
This recipe is made for the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe, yielding 4 servings per pint.
If you’re using a standard 16-ounce Ninja Creami pint instead of the Deluxe 24-ounce, just use two-thirds of each ingredient. Think of it as filling the pint about the same way. Just a little less of everything.
Tools You’ll Need
- Blender: Makes mixing ingredients effortless.
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Maker: The star of the show, perfect for creating creamy, smooth ice cream.
- Ninja Creami Pint Container: The pint container is essential for freezing and churning your ice cream mix.
Rose's Top Tips
- Whisk until the paste is fully dissolved. Black sesame paste can clump if the milk is cold. If you're having trouble getting it smooth, warm the milk slightly (not hot, just room temp or a little above) before mixing. The paste disperses much more easily.
- Freeze on a level surface. This sounds minor but it matters. An uneven pint freezes unevenly, which can make the Ninja Creami work harder and result in patchier texture.
- Let it sit before processing. Five minutes on the counter before spinning makes a real difference. A pint that's too frozen solid can strain the machine and result in chalky or uneven texture after the first cycle.
- Taste your paste first. Black sesame pastes vary a lot by brand. Some are sweetened, some are unsweetened, some are intensely bitter. Taste it before you build the base and adjust the sugar accordingly. This one step saves you from a batch that's too bitter or too sweet.
- Don't overfill the pint. Stay at or below the max fill line. Overfilling causes the ice cream to process unevenly and can make a mess.
Recipe FAQs
Asian grocery stores are your best bet. It's usually in the baking or condiments aisle. You can also order it online. Look for a product where the only ingredient is black sesame seeds, or black sesame seeds and a small amount of oil. Avoid anything with a long ingredient list or heavy sweeteners if you want to control the flavor yourself.
Whole seeds won't give you the same result. They won't dissolve into the base and can leave a gritty texture. If paste isn't available, blend black sesame seeds in a high-speed blender until they form a smooth paste, then use that.
This usually means the pint needed a little more thaw time before processing. Let it sit on the counter for 5 to 8 minutes next time, then re-spin. One re-spin almost always fixes it.
You can use oat milk or almond milk if needed, but the texture won't be as creamy. Full-fat coconut milk is the best non-dairy swap and gives good results. The fat content is what makes the texture smooth, so whatever you use, higher fat is better.
More Ninja Creami Recipes You'll Love
- Ninja Creami Matcha Mochi Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Thai Tea Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Ube Coconut Ice Cream
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 Black Sesame Ice Cream
Equipment
- 24 oz Ninja Creami Container Pint
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Maker
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons black sesame paste
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk the whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, black sesame paste, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl or large measuring cup until the sugar dissolves and the sesame paste is fully blended. The mixture should look smooth and evenly dark gray.1 cup whole milk, ½ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons black sesame paste, ½ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
- Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, making sure it stays below the max fill line.
- Cover with the lid and freeze on a flat, level surface for at least 24 hours.
- Remove the pint from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before processing.
- Place the pint into the Ninja Creami machine and run the Ice Cream cycle.
- Check the texture after the first spin. If it looks crumbly, powdery, or uneven, run the Re-spin cycle. Add 1 tablespoon of milk before respinning if needed.
- Serve right away for a softer texture, or freeze for 30 minutes if you want firmer, more classic ice cream scoops.
Notes
- Use black sesame paste, not whole black sesame seeds, for the smoothest texture and the best flavor throughout the ice cream.
- Taste your black sesame paste before mixing the base. Some brands are sweetened, while others are more bitter, so you may want to adjust the sugar slightly.
- If the black sesame paste clumps, warm the milk slightly before whisking. It should be room temperature or just a little warm, not hot.
- Freeze the pint on a level surface so the base freezes evenly and processes smoothly.
- Let the pint sit out for about 5 minutes before spinning to help prevent a chalky or crumbly texture.
- If the ice cream looks crumbly after the first spin, use the Re-spin cycle. Add 1 tablespoon of milk if needed.
- For a dairy-free variation, swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream. The texture will be slightly different but still creamy.
- Serve with toasted sesame seeds, mochi pieces, red bean paste, sticky rice, wafers, or cookies.
- Store covered in the Ninja Creami pint container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- After storing, let the pint sit on the counter for 5 minutes before scooping, or re-spin to bring back the creamy texture.
- Avoid refreezing more than once after spinning, since repeated freeze-thaw-spin cycles can hurt the texture.
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