Ninja Creami Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
This chocolate strawberry ice cream combines rich cocoa flavor with fresh strawberries - like a chocolate-covered strawberry in ice cream form, made with clean ingredients.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 250kcal
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Ninja Creami Deluxe Ice Cream maker
- 1 Ninja Creami Pint Container
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder Dutch-process or natural
- ¼ cup hot water
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup cottage cheese full-fat
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup strawberries fresh or frozen, chopped
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Dissolve cocoa: In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water until completely smooth with no lumps. Let cool to room temperature (5-10 minutes).3 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¼ cup hot water
- Prep strawberries: If using fresh strawberries, hull and chop into small pieces (about ¼ inch). If using frozen, thaw completely and chop.½ cup strawberries
- Blend base: Add cooled chocolate mixture, half and half, sweetened condensed milk, cottage cheese, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds until completely smooth.1 cup half and half, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, Pinch of salt, ¼ cup hot water
- Add strawberries: Add chopped strawberries to the blender and pulse 2-3 times to break them up (don't blend smooth - you want visible pieces).½ cup strawberries
- Freeze: Pour mixture into Ninja Creami pint container (don't exceed max fill line). Freeze on a flat surface for 24 hours.
- Spin: Remove pint from freezer, take off lid, and place in outer bowl. Attach paddle lid and select Ice Cream.
- Respin if needed: If texture is crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons half and half or milk to a small well in the center and select Respin.
- Serve: Scoop immediately for soft-serve texture, or freeze 20-30 minutes for firmer scoops.
Notes
- Let cocoa mixture cool before blending to prevent curdling
- Pulse strawberries in, don't puree smooth - you want visible chunks
- Taste base before freezing - should be slightly sweeter than desired
- Chocolate ice cream often needs one respin for best texture
- Fresh strawberries give brighter flavor; frozen work year-round
- For 16-oz pint, use ⅔ of all ingredients
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g
