This Ninja Creami cottage cheese strawberry cheesecake ice cream is made with cottage cheese, cream cheese, strawberries, milk, and allulose, with crushed graham crackers folded in after spinning. The cottage cheese makes it lighter than my classic version and adds a little protein, and once it's blended smooth, you won't taste it. There are no gums or pudding mix.
For a richer version made with half and half and condensed milk, see my classic strawberry cheesecake ice cream. For more flavors like this, see all my cheesecake ice cream recipes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Ninja Creami Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Mix-Ins and Toppings
- Serving Size and Pint Size
- Tools You’ll Need
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Recipe FAQs
- More Strawberry and Cheesecake Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Why You'll Love This Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Tastes like strawberry cheesecake: Cream cheese brings the tang, and the graham crackers bring the crust.
- Lighter than the classic: Cottage cheese and milk replace the half and half and condensed milk in my original version.
- You won't taste the cottage cheese: Blending it alone first makes it completely smooth, so it adds creaminess without any cottage cheese flavor or texture.
- Sweetened with allulose: It keeps the base free of added sugar and stays softer in the freezer than most sugar substitutes.
- Real strawberry flavor: The strawberries are blended right into the base, so the flavor runs through the whole pint.
- No pudding mix or gums: The cottage cheese and cream cheese give it body without stabilizers.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cottage cheese: Full-fat gives the creamiest texture. Blend it on its own until completely smooth before adding anything else, so no curds end up in the pint. It's the same technique I use in my Rocky Road and strawberry protein froyo.
- Cream cheese: This is what makes it taste like cheesecake. Let it soften to room temperature first, since cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that don't blend out.
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen. If you use frozen, thaw and drain them first. Extra liquid makes this lighter base freeze icier. Frozen berries are often sweeter and more flavorful than out-of-season fresh ones.
- Milk: Whole milk gives the richest result, and 2% works fine. It thins the base so it blends and spins smoothly.
- Allulose: It stays softer in the freezer than most sugar substitutes, which helps keep a lighter base like this from freezing icy.
- Vanilla extract: It ties the cream cheese and strawberry flavors together.
- Graham crackers: Crushed into small pieces and added with the Mix-In setting at the end for the cheesecake crust.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Regular sugar instead of allulose: It works and the texture stays smooth. Allulose just keeps the base free of added sugar.
- More protein: Replace some of the milk with plain Greek yogurt. It adds protein and a little extra tang, which suits the cheesecake flavor. If protein is your main goal, my Ninja Creami protein ice cream gets about 52 grams per pint from a protein shake and cottage cheese.
- Blueberry version: Swap the strawberries for blueberries. This base works the same way. See my blueberry cheesecake ice cream for the full-sugar take.
- Blackberry version: Same swap with blackberries. My blackberry cheesecake ice cream is the full-sugar version.
How to Make Ninja Creami Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Blend the base. Blend the cottage cheese on its own for 20 to 30 seconds, until completely smooth with no lumps. Then add the softened cream cheese, strawberries, milk, allulose, and vanilla, and blend for another 30 to 45 seconds until smooth. Taste it: it should taste a little sweeter than you want the finished ice cream to be, since cold dulls sweetness.
- Freeze the pint. Pour the base into a Ninja Creami pint, keeping it below the max fill line. For a completely smooth, seed-free pint, strain it through a fine mesh strainer first. Cover with the lid and freeze on a level surface for 24 hours.
- Spin on Ice Cream. Let the pint sit on the counter for 2 to 3 minutes, then lock it into the machine and use the Ice Cream setting. If it comes out crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk and respin.
- Add the graham crackers. Once the ice cream is smooth, make a hole down the center, add the crushed graham crackers, and run the Mix-In setting.
- Serve. Scoop it right away for a softer texture, or refreeze for 20 to 30 minutes if you prefer firmer scoops.
Mix-Ins and Toppings
Mix-Ins and Toppings
Graham crackers are the classic, but these work well too:
- Strawberry jam swirl: Spoon a little into the hole after the final spin and swirl by hand. The Mix-In setting would blend it in completely, so swirling by hand keeps the jammy ribbons. Use a low-sugar jam to keep it lighter.
- White chocolate chips: Their sweetness plays off the tangy cream cheese. Chop them small and add them with the Mix-In setting. They add sugar, so a small handful goes a long way.
- Fresh strawberries: Best on top when you serve. Fresh fruit folded into the pint freezes into icy chunks.
- Honey graham crackers: Sweeter than plain grahams, for a more dessert-like crust. They add a little more sugar.
For more ideas and when to add each one, see my Ninja Creami mix-ins guide.
Serving Size and Pint Size
This recipe fills one Ninja Creami Deluxe pint (24 ounces) and makes 4 servings.
If you have a model with a 16-ounce pint, use two-thirds of each ingredient, which makes about 3 servings. 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: Blending the cottage cheese on its own until completely smooth is the step that decides the texture. 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 if you want a few pints in the freezer ready to spin.
- Fine mesh strainer (optional): For straining out the strawberry seeds before freezing, if you want a completely smooth pint.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- 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: Respin on the Ice Cream setting for the smoothest texture, or let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping. Respinning grinds up the graham crackers already in the pint, so add fresh ones and run the Mix-In setting again for crunch.
- How long it keeps: Best within 2 to 3 weeks. After that, ice crystals start to form.
Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Soften the cream cheese first. Cold cream cheese won't blend fully smooth. Thirty minutes on the counter or 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave is enough.
- Blend the cottage cheese on its own first. Blending it alone until completely smooth takes an extra 20 seconds and makes a real difference in the final texture.
- Taste before freezing. The cheesecake flavor should come through clearly in the base. If it tastes flat, add a small squeeze of lemon juice. It sharpens the cream cheese flavor without making it taste like lemon.
- Crush the graham crackers small. Large pieces don't spread evenly with the Mix-In setting. Small, irregular bits fold through the whole pint.
- Crumbly after spinning? Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk and respin.
- Icy texture? Usually from extra liquid. If you used frozen strawberries, drain them well after thawing.
Recipe FAQs
How is this different from your classic strawberry cheesecake ice cream?
The classic version is made with half and half, condensed milk, and sugar, so it's richer. This one uses cottage cheese, milk, and allulose instead, which makes it lighter. If you want the full-sugar version, see my classic strawberry cheesecake ice cream.
How much protein is in this recipe?
About 18 to 22g per pint, depending on your brands, or roughly 5g per serving. Most of it comes from the cottage cheese and cream cheese. For more protein, replace some of the milk with plain Greek yogurt.
Will I taste the cottage cheese?
No. Blended completely smooth and combined with the cream cheese, strawberries, and vanilla, it disappears. It adds creaminess, not flavor.
Is it sugar-free?
The base has no added sugar, since it's sweetened with allulose. The graham crackers do have sugar. For a fully sugar-free pint, use sugar-free graham crackers or leave them out.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Thaw them first and drain the extra liquid before blending, since this lighter base freezes icier with added water. Frozen berries are often sweeter than out-of-season fresh ones.
More Strawberry and Cheesecake Recipes
- Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: The classic version, richer, made with half and half and condensed milk.
- Ninja Creami Strawberry Protein Frozen Yogurt: Tangier and higher in protein, made with Greek yogurt.
- Ninja Creami Strawberry Banana Ice Cream: A simple fruit base if you want strawberry without the cheesecake.
- Ninja Creami Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: The same cheesecake idea with blueberries.
- Ninja Creami Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream: A slightly tangier berry version.
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 Cottage Cheese Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
This Ninja Creami cottage cheese strawberry cheesecake ice cream is made with cottage cheese, cream cheese, strawberries, milk, and allulose, with a graham cracker mix-in. It's a lighter take on classic strawberry cheesecake ice cream, with no gums or pudding mix, and you won't taste the cottage cheese.
Equipment
- Ninja Creami 24 ounce container pint
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Maker
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup allulose
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix-Ins
- Graham crackers crushed or broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, cottage cheese, cream cheese, milk, allulose, and vanilla extract to a blender.1 cup strawberries, ½ cup cottage cheese, 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup allulose, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, making sure it does not go past the max fill line.
- Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours, or until completely solid.
- Remove the pint from the freezer and place it into the Ninja Creami machine.
- Spin on the Ice Cream setting.
- Respin if the texture looks crumbly or powdery. Add a small splash of milk before respinning if needed.
- Add crushed graham crackers to the center of the pint.
- Use the Mix-In setting to evenly incorporate the graham crackers.Graham crackers
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Use softened cream cheese so the base blends smoothly without little chunks.
- Blend the cottage cheese well until no curds remain for the creamiest texture.
- If the ice cream is crumbly after the first spin, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk and respin.
- Add graham crackers only after spinning so they keep some texture.
- For stronger cheesecake flavor, use full-fat cream cheese.
- Fresh or frozen strawberries can work. If using frozen strawberries, thaw slightly before blending for easier mixing.
- Store leftovers in the pint container with the top flattened before refreezing.
- Re-spin leftovers before serving to bring back the creamy texture.
Tried this recipe?Leave us a comment below and share how it came out!
Michelle says
I have no fresh strawberries this week, is frozen ok to use or will it throw off the consistency?
Rose Sioson says
Yes, frozen strawberries should work just fine! I’d thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid so they don’t add too much extra water to the base. The texture may be slightly different from using fresh, but it should still turn out creamy and delicious.
Korine says
how long does this actually keep in the freezer before the texture starts going downhill, i wanna batch prep a few pints for the week
Rose Sioson says
You can definitely batch prep a few pints for the week! I actually recommend freezing the pints unspun and then processing each one when you’re ready to eat it for the best texture. If you refreeze leftovers after spinning, they may harden up again, but a quick Re-Spin usually brings back that creamy texture.