Ninja Creami Black Forest Ice Cream (High Protein, Low Calorie)

Indulge in this Ninja Creami Black Forest Ice Cream with flavors of rich chocolate and juicy fresh cherries. It’s creamy, full of flavor, low in calories, low-carb, and high in protein for the perfect guilt-free treat.

Flavoring

What makes this Ninja Creami black forest ice cream so delicious is that it is rich in flavor. To achieve this, it’s important that you use the Dark Chocolate Royal Atkins Shake or a pre-mixed protein shake that is dark chocolate. Since the process of freezing your ice cream can mute the flavors, using a dark chocolate shake will ensure the chocolate flavor is prominent.

I also use the Chocolate Fudge pudding mix, which is richer in flavor. I also add cocoa powder. I use Hershey’s because I like the flavor, which reminds me of a chocolate bar, but you could also use a dark chocolate Ghirardelli cocoa powder.

The key here is that you want to avoid milk chocolate and incorporate dark, richer chocolate flavors to ensure your ice cream is flavorful.

Stabilizers

All Ninja Creami ice creams need ingredients to stabilize the mixture and make it nice and creamy (not icy). This is especially true if you are using low-fat ingredients. For this ice cream, the dark chocolate royal protein shake, pudding mix, and optional collagen all work as stabilizers, creating a creamy, firm ice cream.

Tips & Tricks

• After doing for first spin on the ice cream setting, it is completely normal for the ice cream to look a little powdery, like in the picture shown above on the left side. For this recipe, you’ll just add an extra tablespoon of the chocolate protein shake, a teaspoon of agave (optional), and give the ice cream a re-spin.
• Add any additional sweetener when you go to do the re-spin. Give the ice cream a little taste after the first spin. If you think it’s not sweet enough for your taste, add an additional teaspoon of agave, monk fruit, or your preferred sweetener.
• To adapt a standard Ninja Creami recipe (16 oz pint) for the Deluxe model (24 oz tub), you should increase the recipe by 1.5 times. 
  

Sweetener

This black forest ice cream will be sweet from the use of the protein shake, pudding mix, and additional monk fruit sweetener. I accidentally used sugar-free chocolate fudge pudding mix in this recipe and did not even notice the difference. However, I always recommend giving the ice cream a taste after the first spin and adding any additional sweetener when you go to do the re-spin.

Optional Toppings

If you don’t mind adding a few calories and really want your ice cream to resemble a traditional Black Forest Cake, you can top it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of shaved chocolate. I actually meant to do this for the pictures, but completely forgot, so maybe I will update these photos on my next batch!

Alternatives

• You can make this recipe using any type of sweetener; these are just my preferences to get the most natural flavor while keeping the ice cream low-calorie. I am not a fan of the aftertaste left by most sugar alternatives.
• In order to achieve a rich, chocolatey flavor, be sure to use dark chocolate flavors.
• Feel free to use any pre-made dark chocolate protein shake you’d like.
• You can also use chocolate milk instead of a protein shake, but you will then need to add a dark chocolate cocoa powder, and you may need more than a tablespoon.
• You can use frozen cherries instead of fresh. I recommend letting them thaw a bit before adding.

More Ninja Creami Ice Cream Recipes

All of my Ninja Creami recipes are designed for maximize flavor while still being low in calories and high in protein. I try to find a happy medium and experiment with different ingredients to achieve the perfect balance.