Ninja Creami Cherry Garcia - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

Do you really have to wait 24 hours for Ninja Creami? ›

Ninja recommends freezing Creami bases for 24 hours, but we've had success with 8 to 12 hour freezing times, too. In our experience, freezing bases for 24 hours or longer usually meant they'd be very chalky on the first run through the Creami and require multiple respins.

Why is my Ninja Creami ice cream crumbly? According to the Ninja Creami recipe pamphlet, the base comes out crumbly when it's too cold. The re-spin function was designed to address this. Simply re-install the pint and spin it again.

If you're finding that your Ninja Creami Ice Cream has a greasy taste, it's likely due to a high butterfat content in your ice cream mix.

Can I use frozen fruit in the Ninja Creami? Yes, you can. But, frozen fruit either needs to be thawed out before using, blended with the other ingredients, or have a liquid, like dairy added to the pint to fill in all of the gaps. You cannot only use frozen fruit as it could damage the machine.

Keep in mind that the NC300 model of the Ninja Creami appears to be discontinued—Walmart is currently the only authorized retailer selling it in new condition. That said, if you want a convenient way to make ice cream at home it'll do the job. If you want a more sophisticated machine, check out the Ninja Creami Deluxe.

The Ninja Creami can still process through that, and your ice cream will still have a nice, creamy texture. Just be sure to fill your pint at or below the max fill line, which leaves some room for expansion at the top of the pint. Then, after the first spin, it should be more level on top.

If you are making traditional ice cream in your Ninja Creami and it's coming out crumbly, it is likely because there isn't enough fat, sugar, or fiber in your mixture to make it not freeze as hard. Or perhaps it's just that your freezer is too cold.

Flatten the top of your frozen treat with a spoon or spatula before refreezing. If the treat is soft after re-freezing, just scoop and enjoy it. If it is hard, process it again on the program you used to make it.

Sure you have to wait that long with an ice cream machine anyway, but if you want a smoothie bowl, "nice" cream, and even sorbet, those are things that you could immediately whip up in a blender if you have the right frozen ingredients.

While you can use gums like guar gum or other thickeners and stabilizers, one of the easiest ways to improve the ice cream texture and add flavor at the same time is to use your favorite instant pudding mix. You can use sugar-free pudding mix or regular to make your Ninja Creami sweet treat.

What to do with leftover Ninja Creami? ›

The best way to store Ninja Creami leftovers is to smooth out the mixture so it's flat and stick it back in the freezer. When you're ready to enjoy it again, run it on the same setting as before and follow the later instructions to get the correct consistency.

It's also important to note that this is not a blender. You can't throw some ice cubes or frozen fruit into the machine to make a smoothie. Everything you make with the Ninja Creami Deluxe must be prefrozen solid in the provided pint container.

Short answer: Yes, that 24-hour wait is typically necessary. However, it can sometimes depend on your freezer's temperature and the ingredients used in your recipe.

Fill an empty CREAMi® Deluxe Pint to the MAX FILL line with 3 cups fruit chunks. Next, cover fruit with 1 cup liquid from the can to the MAX FILL line. If a smaller yield is desired, use a smaller can and fill below the MAX FILL line. Place storage lid on Deluxe Pint and freeze for 24 hours.

Pour mixture into an empty CREAMi™ Pint. Add cola and stir with a spoon to combine and eliminate the carbonation. Place storage lid on pint and freeze for 24 hours.

With that being said because the ingredients are already frozen, the CREAMi takes mere minutes to work its magic. It's ready in about five minutes, whereas most ice cream machines need about 15 or 20 minutes of churn time.

After your first spin, sometimes you open it and find that your ice cream is crumbly or powdery. Don't stop now. Just add a tablespoon or two of liquid and spin on respin. If your ice cream has been in the freezer a long time or your freezer is extra cold, you may even have to repeat the respin several times.

I recently found success with adding food grade vegetable glycerin to some of my Ninja Creami pints and found that the glycerin has helped keep the ice cream soft enough to scoop after refreezing the leftovers.

The Ninja Creami is so popular because it claims to be able to make ice cream out of anything—including ingredients that are far from a custard or ice cream base.