This Ninja Creami Overnight Oats Ice Cream is what happens when breakfast leftovers accidentally turn into dessert. Blend your soaked oats, freeze the base, and spin, those jars in the fridge become creamy, scoopable ice cream instead of tomorrow’s problem.
This recipe started because I prepped way too many overnight oats. Tossing them felt wrong, so I ran one pint through the Ninja Creami… and yeah. It worked. Now I do this on purpose especially when I’m craving that açaí bowl or simple and creamy like banana ice cream or peanut butter ice cream.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Overnight Oats Ice Cream
- What Are Overnight Oats (and Why They Work Here)
- 🛒Ingredients
- Substitution and Additions
- How to Make Overnight Oats Ice Cream
- 🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- Flavor Variations to Try
- 👪Serving Size
- 🌀Tools You’ll Need
- Quick Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Fruity Recipes to Try
- Vanilla-Based Ninja Creami Ice Cream Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Overnight Oats Ice Cream
Why You’ll Love This Overnight Oats Ice Cream
- Uses leftover overnight oats — no waste, no extra prep
- Creamy, thick texture without heavy cream overload
- Oats + cottage cheese or yogurt blend smooth, not grainy
- Easy to customize with fruit, chocolate, or nut butter
- Somewhere between breakfast and dessert (eat it whenever)
- Made with basic pantry ingredients you probably already have
What Are Overnight Oats (and Why They Work Here)
Overnight oats are rolled oats soaked in milk or yogurt until soft — no cooking required. That soaking step is key. Once blended, the oats disappear into the base and give this ice cream a naturally thick, creamy texture.
When frozen and spun in the Ninja Creami, the result is cold, scoopable, and rich, not icy or chalky. Think oat-milk ice cream vibes, but better.
🛒Ingredients
This is just an overview—jump down to the full recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions!
- Half and half: Gives you that creamy, ice-cream texture without being too heavy. You can also check out my post on what half and half is and how to substitute it.
- Cottage cheese or yogurt: Adds protein and a natural creaminess that keeps your ice cream smooth.
- Sweetened condensed milk: A little goes a long way—it adds sweetness and helps the texture stay scoopable straight from the freezer.
- Rolled oats (soaked overnight): The base of it all. Soaking softens the oats so they blend into a smooth, rich mixture that works perfectly in the Ninja Creami.
- Brown sugar: Brings a cozy caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the oats.
- Vanilla extract: A simple flavor booster that ties everything together and gives that classic ice-cream vibe.
- Cinnamon: Optional, but it adds a warm note—especially nice if you’re making chocolate or spiced variations.
Substitution and Additions
- Swap half and half for whole milk + ¼ c heavy cream if you prefer richer texture, or a milk-alternative if you want a lighter version.
- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese for tang and thicker texture.
- Instead of brown sugar, try maple syrup or honey for a different sweet tone.
- Add cocoa powder (so you get chocolate overnight oats ice cream) or fruit purees (berries, banana) for flavor twists.
- Mix-ins: chopped nuts, chocolate chips, freeze-dried fruit, etc. (See more in the mix-ins guide).
How to Make Overnight Oats Ice Cream
- Soak the oats overnight: Combine rolled oats with milk or water in a jar or bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours) until soft and creamy.
- Blend everything together:
Add the soaked oats, half and half, cottage cheese, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and well mixed.
- Freeze flat: Pour the mixture into your Ninja Creami pint container. Freeze on a level surface for at least 24 hours until solid.
- Spin in the Ninja Creami: Remove from the freezer, place the pint in the outer bowl, and run the “Ice Cream” function. If it looks crumbly, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk and respin until creamy.
- Serve and enjoy: Scoop it up right away or mix in your favorite toppings—like fruit, granola, or chocolate chips.
🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- Crushed cookies or granola for crunch
- Fresh or freeze-dried fruit pieces
- Chopped nuts, nut butters, chocolate chips
- A swirl of caramel or fudge sauce
- Toasted coconut flakes or toasted oats
Flavor Variations to Try
- Chocolate: Add cocoa powder + splash of milk
- Berry: Blend in strawberry or mixed berry purée
- Banana: Add one ripe mashed banana
- Peanut butter: Swirl in before the Mix-In cycle
- Maple pecan: Maple syrup + toasted pecans
- Coffee: Instant coffee granules + chocolate flakes
👪Serving Size
This recipe is made for the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe (24 ounces) , yielding 4 servings per pint.
🌀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.
Quick Tips
- If your oats base feels too thick before freezing, add a small splash of milk or half and half so it blends and spins more smoothly later.
- After spinning, if the ice cream looks a bit crumbly or dry, don’t panic—just add a teaspoon of milk (or some leftover base), then hit “Respin” for that perfectly creamy texture. Check out Ninja Creami FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide perfect for when your texture isn’t quite right.
- Be patient and freeze the pint for a full 24 hours (or until completely solid) before processing. It makes all the difference in texture.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but it’s not ideal. Steel-cut oats stay chewy even after soaking and don’t blend as smoothly, so the texture can end up grainy. Rolled oats are best because they soften easily and give that creamy, pudding-like consistency that works perfectly in the Ninja Creami.
Yes! You can use maple syrup, honey, or allulose for sweetness, though the texture might be slightly icier.
A little, yes. Milk or almond milk will make the ice cream lighter and slightly less creamy. If you’re using almond or oat milk, try adding a bit of yogurt or a small spoon of nut butter to help boost the creaminess.
Soaking overnight really helps soften the oats and gives the ice cream its smooth texture. If you’re short on time, soak them in warm milk for at least 30 minutes — it’ll work in a pinch but won’t be quite as creamy.
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 Overnight Oats Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream maker
- 1 Ninja Creami 24 ounce container pint
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup cottage cheese or yogurt
- 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats soaked overnight in approx. ½ cup milk or water
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Combine the half and half, cottage cheese, brown sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix in the rolled oats (soaked overnight).1 cup half and half, ½ cup cottage cheese or yogurt, 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk, ¼ cup rolled oats, 3 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch cinnamon powder
- Blend the mixture with the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Pour into the Ninja CREAMi pint container and freeze on a level surface for ~24 hours.
- After freezing, spin in the Ninja CREAMi using the “Ice Cream” setting. If texture is dry/crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoon milk or liquid and re-spin.
- Add your mix-ins by digging a well in the centre of the pint, then process “Mix-Ins”.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Soak the oats first. This matters. Dry oats won’t blend smooth and can give you a gritty texture after spinning. Overnight is best, but at least 6 hours works.
- Blend until completely smooth. If you still see oat flecks, keep blending. A smoother base = creamier ice cream.
- Freeze the pint fully solid. Give it a full 24 hours on a level surface. A soft center is the #1 cause of crumbly results.
- Expect to Respin. Oat-based ice cream almost always needs one Respin. If it looks dry, add 1–2 tablespoons milk and spin again.
- Sweetened condensed milk helps texture. You can swap it, but the ice cream will freeze firmer without it.
- Add peanut butter, chocolate chips, or fruit only during the Mix-In cycle. Swirling them in earlier can mess with the spin.
- Too thick before freezing? Add a splash of milk before pouring into the pint so it spins more smoothly later.
- Best texture is right after spinning. If refreezing leftovers, let the pint sit out 5–10 minutes and Respin before serving.
- For a 16-oz pint: Cut all ingredients in half and follow the same steps.
Rose says
Tastes like my favorite overnight oats but in ice cream form — creamy, filling, and so fun to make. Hope you guys give it a try!