Tried salted caramel ice cream that tastes fake or flat? This version is creamy, rich, and made from real ingredients you probably already have.
I’ve been testing this salted caramel ice cream for a while now.
I wanted that classic caramel flavor—rich, creamy, and smooth. But the salted caramel syrup I had tasted artificial and weird.
It was sweet, but not in a good way. No real caramel color, and definitely no creaminess. It froze into a bland, icy block.
So I scrapped that and went DIY. Real cream, real salt, real flavor. Game-changer.
Try it on warm banana bread or sticky toffee pudding—it’s next-level.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This?
- 🍮 Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel Sauce (and Why It Matters)
- But What Exactly Is Salted Caramel?
- 🛒Ingredients
- How to Make This in the Ninja Creami?
- 🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- 👪Serving Size
- 🌀Tools You’ll Need
- Quick Tips
- 🤔 Your Questions, Answered!
- Related Recipes
- Ninja Creami Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Why You'll Love This?
- ✅ No weird stuff. No pudding mix, gums, or stabilizers here—just real ingredients.
- ✅ Ultra creamy. Thanks to cottage cheese and dulce de leche, it’s smooth and rich.
- ✅ That sweet-salty balance. Just enough sea salt to make every bite pop.
- ✅ Lower sugar than store-bought. But still tastes like a total treat.
🍮 Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel Sauce (and Why It Matters)
Caramel sauce is made by heating sugar, then adding butter and cream. It’s sweet, a little sticky, and great for drizzling.
Dulce de leche is made by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk. It’s thicker, creamier, and has a deep, milky flavor.
Even though this is a salted caramel ice cream, I prefer using dulce de leche as the base. It gives the ice cream a smoother, creamier texture—plus, it blends beautifully with cottage cheese and half & half. That’s the real secret here.
You can buy dulce de leche in a can . Or make it yourself by pressure-cooking a can of condensed milk for 30 minutes (label off, sealed can, submerged in water).
But What Exactly Is Salted Caramel?
Salted caramel just has salt added. That extra salt cuts the sweetness. It makes the flavor pop.
Basically, it’s caramel with a little edge. And yes, it’s delicious.
🛒Ingredients
This is just an overview—jump down to the full recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions!
- Half & Half – Combo of whole milk and heavy cream for balance.
- Dulce de Leche – Thicker and creamier than caramel sauce.
- Cottage Cheese – Boosts creaminess and protein—no gums required. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it! You can also substitute it with cream cheese.
- Vanilla Extract – Just a little for depth of flavor.
- Sea Salt – Balances out the sweetness and makes it “salted.”
Optional swap: You can use caramel sauce if that's what you have—just expect a thinner, slightly less creamy texture.
How to Make This in the Ninja Creami?
- Blend it all – Toss everything in a blender or food processor.
- Freeze it flat – Pour into a Ninja Creami pint container, freeze 24 hours.
- Spin – Use the ice cream button on the Ninja Creami machine. If it’s crumbly, add 1–2 tablespoon milk and hit respin.
- Scoop and enjoy – It’s that simple.
🍒Fun Mix-Ins and Topping Ideas
- 🍪 Crushed Biscoff Cookies – Adds crunch and spice, perfect match for caramel.
- 🧂 Flaky Sea Salt – Sprinkle on top after spinning for fancy vibes.
- 🥨 Salted Pretzels – Crunchy, salty, and perfect with caramel. Crush and mix in or use whole ones as a scoopable spoon.
- 🍫 Mini Chocolate Chips – Classic combo, melts just a little on top.
- 🥜 Chopped Pecans – Toasted is best. Adds a nutty crunch.
- 🧁 Whipped Cream – Lightens it up and makes it feel like dessert-dessert.
👪Serving Size
This Ninja Creami salted caramel ice cream recipe is made in the Ninja Creami Deluxe, so it yields about 4 servings.
🌀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 too crumbly, add 1–2 tablespoon milk, then respin
- Taste before freezing – Base should be slightly sweeter than you prefer
- Flatten your leftovers before storing so it’s safe to respin later
- To re-enjoy leftovers: thaw a bit, microwave on ice cream setting, or respin
- Used mix-ins like cookies or nuts? They’ll be blended unless you add post-spin
🤔 Your Questions, Answered!
Not exactly. Butterscotch uses brown sugar and usually no salt. Different vibe.
Caramel is just sugar cooked with cream or butter. Salted caramel adds a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Ninja Creami Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe
- 24 oz Ninja Creami Container Pint
- 1 Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1½ cup half and half
- ½ cup dulce de leche or caramel sauce
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Start by adding half and half, dulce de leche, cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and sea salt into a blender or food processor.
- Blend everything until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
- Pour the blended mixture into your Ninja Creami pint container.
- Freeze the pint on a flat surface for 24 hours so it sets properly.
- Once frozen solid, place the container into the Ninja Creami outer bowl, secure the lid, and lock it into your machine.
- Press the Ice Cream button and let it spin until it stops.
- If it turns out crumbly, add a splash of milk and hit the Respin button.
- When it’s smooth and creamy, scoop into a bowl or add mix-ins like salted pretzels, then spin again on the Mix-In setting.
Notes
- If too crumbly, add 1–2 tablespoon milk, then respin
- Taste before freezing – Base should be slightly sweeter than you prefer
- Flatten your leftovers before storing so it’s safe to respin later
- To re-enjoy leftovers: thaw a bit, microwave on ice cream setting, or respin
- Used mix-ins like cookies or nuts? They’ll be blended unless you add post-spin
Rose says
This one always hits the spot when I’m craving that sweet-salty combo! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do—let me know if you give it a try!