Root beer floats were a childhood staple. So when I started thinking about what I hadn't tried in the Ninja Creami yet, root beer ice cream felt like an obvious next step.
My first attempt used actual root beer soda mixed straight into the base. The result? Icy texture and barely any root beer flavor once frozen. Not it.
So I ordered a root beer extract from Amazon, swapped it in, and yeah... that was it. Same nostalgic flavor, but colder, creamier, and scoopable instead of sippable. If you're into fun, nostalgic flavors like this, my Ninja Creami butterbeer ice cream is worth trying next.
Jump to:
- Why You're Going to Love This One
- Ingredients
- Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
- How to Make Ninja Creami Root Beer Ice Cream
- 🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- Make It a Root Beer Ice Cream Float or Sundae
- Serving Size
- Tools You’ll Need
- Quick Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Recipes to Try Next
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Root Beer Ice Cream
Why You're Going to Love This One
- That classic root beer float flavor, but scoopable
- No pudding mix, no gums... just real ingredients you can actually read
- Only 6 ingredients, and you probably already have most of them
- Creamy, smooth texture every spin
- Easy to turn into a full root beer float or ice cream sundae.
- Kid-approved and hits straight in the nostalgia for the adults
Ingredients
Here's what goes into the base:
- Whole milk or 2% - whole milk gives you the richest result, but 2% works fine if you want to keep it a little lighter
- Heavy cream - this is what gets you that smooth, scoopable texture; don't skip it
- Granulated sugar — dissolves cleanly without throwing the flavor off
- Root beer extract* — the star of the show; look for LorAnn or Watkins at Target or on Amazon
- Vanilla extract — rounds out the root beer flavor and adds that classic float-style sweetness
*On the root beer extract: a little goes a long way. The flavor intensifies as it freezes, so what tastes mild in the base usually comes through just right when spun.
Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
- Dairy-free: Swap the whole milk for full-fat oat milk or coconut milk, and use coconut cream in place of heavy cream. The texture will be slightly different but still creamy.
- Lower sugar: Use a 1:1 sugar substitute like Lakanto or Swerve. Avoid liquid sweeteners here since they can affect freeze texture.
- More root beer flavor: Bump up to ¾ teaspoon extract if you want a bolder punch. Taste your base before freezing; it should taste noticeably root-beer-forward since the flavor mellows a little after freezing.
- Vanilla swirl: Prep a second pint of plain vanilla and layer them together after spinning for a root beer float effect right in the pint.
How to Make Ninja Creami Root Beer Ice Cream
- Blend. Add the milk, heavy cream, sugar, root beer extract, vanilla extract, and salt to your Creami pint or a blender. Whisk or blend until the sugar is fully dissolved. It should look smooth and slightly creamy, not frothy. Give it a quick taste. You want it to read as clearly root beer-flavored at this stage.
- Freeze. Pour the base into your Ninja Creami pint up to the max fill line. Seal it and place it in the freezer on a level surface for at least 24 hours.
- Spin. Pull the pint from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 2 to 3 minutes before installing. Lock it into your Ninja Creami bowl and select the Ice Cream function.
- Respin. If the texture looks crumbly after the first spin, don't panic. That's normal. Just hit Respin once and it'll come together into something smooth and scoopable.
- Scoop and Serve. Scoop right away for a soft-serve consistency, or pop the pint back in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes if you like it a little firmer.
🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
Once you've made the base ice cream, the mix-in slot opens up a lot of fun options:
- Crushed vanilla wafers - adds a root beer float-style cookie crunch
- Hot fudge swirl - a chocolate drizzle runs surprisingly well against root beer flavor
- Maraschino cherries - classic float topping, works perfectly chopped and folded in
- Caramel ribbon - sweet-savory note that plays up the vanilla undertone
- Crushed pretzels - salty contrast if you want to go the sweet-savory route
Make It a Root Beer Ice Cream Float or Sundae
This is where it gets fun. Once your pint is spun, you've got a few directions to take it:
Root Beer Ice Cream Float: Scoop one or two generous scoops into a tall glass and pour cold root beer soda over the top slowly. The ice cream will foam a little... that's exactly right.
Root Beer Ice Cream Sundae: Scoop into a bowl and top with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel, and a cherry. Classic, no notes.
Root Beer Freeze (Blended): Add a scoop to your blender with about ½ cup of root beer soda and blend until thick. It lands somewhere between a milkshake and a slushie, which is a very good place to be.
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.
Quick Tips
- Dissolve the sugar fully before freezing. Undissolved sugar can create a gritty texture after spinning. A quick 30-second whisk or a minute in the blender does it.
- Level pint in the freezer. If the base freezes at an angle, the Creami blade can hit it unevenly. A flat surface makes a big difference.
- Don't overfill. Leave a little space at the top of the pint. Overfilled pints can make the lid hard to seal and mess with the spin.
- One respin is usually all you need. If it's still crumbly after two spins, the base may have been underfrozen. Next time, go the full 24 hours.
- Root beer flavor brands vary. LorAnn's root beer flavor is strong and true-to-taste. If you're using a different brand, start at ¼ tsp, taste, and adjust before freezing.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but it's tricky. The carbonation evaporates during mixing and freezing, and the sugar content in soda throws off the balance. Extract gives you reliable, consistent flavor without the guesswork. If you want to experiment with soda, use about ½ cup in place of an equal amount of milk, taste the base, and expect slightly icier results.
The most common culprits are not enough fat in the base, freezing for less than 24 hours, or skipping the respin. Make sure you're using heavy cream (not half and half or milk only), and give it the full freeze time. One respin usually corrects any remaining texture issues.
Yes. Use a 1:1 sugar substitute like Lakanto or Swerve granulated. Avoid liquid sweeteners for this recipe since they affect how the base freezes.
Yes. Use full-fat oat milk or full-fat coconut milk in place of the whole milk, and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. The texture will be slightly softer but still creamy and scoopable.
It really does. The vanilla and root beer extract together land almost exactly where a float does, just in ice cream form. If you want that extra float effect, just pour a little root beer soda over the top when serving.
More Recipes to Try Next
If you liked this one, here are a few more worth trying:
- Ninja Creami Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream - another classic flavor with a fun, nostalgic vibe
- Ninja Creami Marshmallow Ice Cream - sweet and fluffy, great for float-style serving
- Ninja Creami Salted Caramel Ice Cream - if you want to go the sundae route next
- Ninja Creami Basic Vanilla Base Recipe - a reliable base to master before you start experimenting
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 Root Beer Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Pint Container 24 ounces
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream maker
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk or 2%
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon root beer extract LorAnn or Watkins recommended
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the milk, heavy cream, sugar, root beer extract, vanilla, and salt to a bowl or Ninja Creami pint.1 ½ cups whole milk or 2%, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon root beer extract, 1 pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk well until the sugar is fully dissolved. Don’t rush this part or the texture can turn a little gritty.
- Pour into the Creami pint, staying below the max fill line.
- Freeze on a level surface for at least 24 hours.
- Remove the pint from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place the pint in the Ninja Creami and run the Ice Cream cycle.
- If the ice cream looks crumbly or powdery, use Respin once. Add 1 tablespoon of milk before respinning if it still looks dry.
- Scoop right away for soft-serve texture, or refreeze for 20 to 30 minutes for firmer scoops.
Notes
- Root beer extract is strong. Start with ½ teaspoon, then increase next time if you want bolder flavor.
- Whole milk gives the creamiest texture, but 2% works too. It may spin slightly icier.
- Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved before freezing for the smoothest scoop.
- For a root beer float vibe, top with whipped cream or a splash of cold root beer right before serving.
- Add mix-ins only after spinning, using the Mix-In cycle.
- This recipe is for a 24oz standard pint.
- For a standard 16 oz pint, use 1 cup milk, ⅓ cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup sugar, ⅓ teaspoon root beer extract, ⅔ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt.
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