Ninja Creami Mixed Berry Ice Cream is what I make when I want all the berry flavor in one pint. Strawberries bring the sweetness, blueberries add a deeper berry flavor, and raspberries give it that little tart bite that keeps every scoop from tasting flat.
I’ve made plenty of single-fruit Creami recipes before, but this combo hits differently. It tastes bright, creamy, and very summer without needing anything complicated.
The best part is how easy it is. No cooking the fruit first. No saucepan. No waiting for anything to cool. Just blend the berries with cottage cheese, half and half, and sweetened condensed milk, freeze it, then let the Ninja Creami handle the rest. If you’ve ever wondered what half and half does in ice cream, I break that down too.
No pudding mix, no xanthan gum, and no extra fillers either. Just a simple berry ice cream that actually tastes like berries.
If you want, I can make it even tighter and add just one fruit-recipe interlink instead
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Works So Well
- What Does Mixed Berry Ice Cream Taste Like
- Fresh vs Frozen Berries
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitution and Additions
- How to Make Mixed Berry Ice Cream
- 🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- Flavor Variations You Should Try
- Serving Size
- Tools You’ll Need
- Rose's Tips for Success
- Recipe FAQs
- More Berry Ice Cream Recipe
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Mixed Berry Ice Cream
Why This Recipe Works So Well
- Three berries are better than one - Each berry contributes different flavors and colors
- Cottage cheese adds creaminess - Protein boost without affecting taste
- No cooking required - Fresh berries blend right in
- Fresh or frozen berries - Both work perfectly (I've tested both multiple times)
- Naturally vibrant color - Beautiful purple-pink from the berry blend
- Sweetened condensed milk - Balances tart berries and prevents ice crystals
- No pudding mix - Clean ingredients, real berry flavor
What Does Mixed Berry Ice Cream Taste Like
This ice cream gives you three berry flavors in one scoop. Strawberries add sweetness, blueberries bring a deeper berry flavor, and raspberries give it a bright tartness that keeps it from tasting too sweet.
The texture is smooth and creamy thanks to the cottage cheese and half and half. It feels rich without being too heavy, and the real berries make it taste fresh instead of artificial.
The color is usually a pretty purple-pink, depending on which berries stand out most.
Fresh vs Frozen Berries
Both work well here.
Fresh berries have the brightest flavor, but they cost more and need prep. Frozen berries are cheaper, easy to keep on hand, and great year-round. The flavor may be slightly less bright, but once blended and spun, the difference is pretty small.
My pick is fresh when berries are in season and frozen the rest of the year. If using frozen, thaw them first before blending.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Half and half - The creamy base
- Cottage cheese - Adds protein and creaminess without a cottage cheese taste
- Sweetened condensed milk - Adds sweetness and helps keep the texture smooth
- Mixed berries - A mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, fresh or frozen
- Vanilla extract - Enhances the berry flavor
- Salt - Balances sweetness and helps the fruit flavor pop
Substitution and Additions
- Half and half: Equal parts heavy cream + whole milk
- Cottage cheese: Greek yogurt (tangier) or cream cheese (richer, blend longer)
- Mixed berries: Any combination of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- Extra berry flavor: Add 1-2 tablespoons berry jam or preserves
- Dairy-free: Use full-fat coconut milk + coconut cream (skip cottage cheese)
- Sweeter: Add 2 tablespoons honey or sugar if your berries are tart
- Less sweet: Reduce sweetened condensed milk to ⅓ cup
How to Make Mixed Berry Ice Cream
- Blend the base. If using fresh berries, wash and dry them well. If using frozen, thaw completely and drain any extra liquid. Add the half and half, cottage cheese, sweetened condensed milk, berries, vanilla, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Freeze. Pour into your Ninja Creami pint container, staying below the max fill line. Cover and freeze on a flat surface for 24 hours.
- Spin and Respin. Place the pint in the outer bowl, lock on the lid, and run the Ice Cream function. If it looks dry or crumbly, add a splash of half and half or milk and run Respin.
- Serve. Enjoy right away for a softer texture, or freeze a little longer for firmer scoops.
🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
Mix-in Ideas
- Mini or white chocolate chips
- Crushed graham crackers
- Granola
- Chopped fresh berries
- Crushed freeze-dried berries
Topping Ideas
- Fresh berries
- Whipped cream
- Berry jam or compote
- Chocolate syrup
- Crumbled shortbread
- Lemon zest
For more ideas, check out the Ninja Creami mix-ins guide.
Flavor Variations You Should Try
- Berry Cheesecake: Add softened cream cheese to the base, then mix in crushed graham crackers after spinning.
- Triple Berry Lemon: Add lemon zest and a little lemon juice to brighten the berry flavor.
- Mixed Berry Chocolate Chip: Keep the base the same, then mix in mini chocolate chips after spinning.
- Berry Swirl: Use a little less berry in the base, then swirl in berry jam after spinning.
- Protein-Packed Berry: Swap the cottage cheese for vanilla Greek yogurt and add vanilla protein powder for extra protein.
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 Tips for Success
- Use ripe berries - Sweet berries = better ice cream
- Thaw frozen berries completely - Don't blend while still frozen
- Dry berries well - Excess water can make ice cream icy
- Blend until smooth - No chunks should remain
- Don't skip the salt - It brightens the berry flavors
- Adjust berry ratio - Use more of your favorite berry
- Taste before freezing - Should be sweet with slight tartness
- Freeze flat - Ensures even freezing
Recipe FAQs
No. The seeds blend small enough that most people don't notice them. If you're very sensitive to seeds, you can strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before freezing, but you'll lose some volume.
Absolutely. This recipe works with ¾ cup of any single berry - strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry. The mixed berry version just gives you more complex flavor.
This usually happens if: (1) frozen berries weren't fully thawed before blending, (2) berries had too much excess water, or (3) the ratio of berries to dairy is off. Try adding 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream and respin.
Not at all. Once blended with the berries and other ingredients, cottage cheese adds creaminess and protein without any cottage cheese flavor. You won't taste it.
Not recommended - too many berries and the ice cream gets icy instead of creamy. ¾ cup is the sweet spot for fruit-to-dairy ratio. If you want more berry flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons berry jam instead.
About 2 weeks in an airtight container. The texture is best within the first week. After that, you may need to respin to restore creaminess.
More Berry Ice Cream Recipe
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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 Mixed Berry Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream maker
- 1 Blender
- 1 Ninja Creami 24 ounce container pint
Ingredients
- ¾ cup half and half
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup mixed berries strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the half and half, cottage cheese, sweetened condensed milk, mixed berries, vanilla, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.¾ cup half and half, ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, ¾ cup mixed berries, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, making sure not to go past the max fill line.
- Cover with the lid and freeze on a level surface for 24 hours.
- Remove the lid, place the pint in the outer bowl, secure the outer bowl lid, and lock it into the machine. Select Ice Cream.
- If the texture looks dry or crumbly after spinning, add a splash of half and half or milk and run Respin.
- Serve right away for a softer texture, or freeze for 20 to 30 minutes for firmer scoops.
Notes
- Fresh or frozen berries both work. If using frozen, thaw and drain first.
- Blend until completely smooth before freezing for the best texture.
- Freeze the pint flat for a full 24 hours before spinning.
- If the ice cream looks crumbly after the first spin, add a splash of milk or half and half and run Respin.
- Serve right after spinning for a softer texture, or freeze for 20 to 30 minutes for firmer scoops.
- Berry seeds may still be visible after blending, and that is normal.
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