You might have noticed from my recent recipes that I have acquired a Ninja Creami. Firstly, I must say that it proving to be worth the hype. Secondly, I’m here to extol the virtues of this easy and delicious Kombucha mango Ninja Creami recipe.
Kombucha mango Ninja Creami recipe
This delicious and easy recipe uses four ingredients: mango (tinned in syrup or fresh) kombucha, agave syrup and coconut yoghurt. In partnership with Remedy Kombucha, I used their mango passion flavour to add another layer of mango flavour. The result is a deliciously creamy Ninja sorbet that is full of flavour and perfect on a summer’s day (or, quite frankly, a winter’s night).
Important notes when using kombucha or carbonated liquid in a Ninja Creami
Kombucha is a live product and full of bubbles. As you will probably know if you have ever had the misfortune of freezing something bubbly in glass, gas expands as it freezes. This requires a little extra attention, but is easily overcome to create a delicious, refreshing kombucha Ninja Creami.
Firstly, it helps to allow a little gas to escape ahead of time. 5 or 10 minutes after cracking your kombucha open is a great time to get to work on your sorbet.
Secondly, blending the mixture requires consideration if you are using a NutriBullet or blender without a steam valve. The gases in the kombucha will create pressure in the blender, so you don’t want to blend it for long or it might explode. If you are using a blender without a valve, blend your mixture quickly and then open the blender to release the pressure. Nothing scary, just something to be aware of.
Thirdly, we need to under-fill the Ninja Creami tub to ensure that the gases have plenty of room to expand without exceeding the fill line for the Creami machine. About 1cm is plenty of space to allow this to occur.
Finally, we’re leaving the lid off while freezing (as always) to ensure that the gases have a place to escape. And that’s it! A few easy steps for a delicious kombucha ice cream.
Ingredient notes
As discussed, I have used Remedy Mango Passion kombucha for this recipe. It adds a beautiful tropical note to the sorbet that I absolutely love. It also adds a little bit of sweetness as Remedy contains erythritol and stevia. If you don’t have Remedy available where you live, you might need to adjust the sweetener to suit your kombucha.
I have tested fresh and canned mango in this recipe and both work nicely. If you use canned mango, prioritise the mango itself as opposed to the syrup. Of the cans I tried, most 425g cans yielded 250g mango cheeks.
If you end up with a little less mango than you anticipated, add more coconut yoghurt to replace the creaminess of the mango. I daresay you could also add another creamy fruit like banana.
If you have some xanthan gum lying around and want your kombucha sorbet to be extra creamy, add a pinch before blending (stir as you sprinkle it in to prevent it clumping up). Xanthan gum really does give sorbet a nice creamy finish.
Substitution options for your Kombucha mango Ninja Creami
I haven’t tested frozen mango or another fruit in this recipe. I don’t see why the frozen mango wouldn’t work, but I would recommend allowing it to defrost before blending if you have a blender without a valve for air to escape. This is because the gases from the kombucha build up as you blend. As such, the blending process needs to be quick and efficient.
If you don’t have agave syrup available, you could use rice malt syrup or even white sugar (although I recommend using 20g or 1 tablespoon only if you use white sugar). I don’t recommend omitting the sugar as it really helps create a creamy and slightly chewy (as opposed to icy) sorbet.
Another thing I wouldn’t recommend is a bold flavoured sweetener like maple syrup or honey. I think it would overpower the mango flavour here.
I haven’t tried any alternative sugars and have no experience with them. As such, I can’t offer any suggestions because I don’t know how they perform.
I used coconut yoghurt in this recipe for the tropical vibe and to keep it vegan. I also didn’t want anything too tangy throwing off the balance of the sorbet. If you like, I’m sure regular yoghurt or other yoghurts would work too. The purpose of the yoghurt is to add a cohesive creaminess to ensure the sorbet isn’t icy.
Tips for using a Ninja Creami
- If you are consistently getting powdery, icy results, your freezer might be too cold. The machine will struggle to get through rock solid ice. An easy solution is to freeze your mixture for less time.
- Freeze your tubs with the lids off to help ensure they don’t get a hump in the middle after they’re frozen. This can damage the machine, so we want to minimise it.
- I recommend blending your ingredients before using the machine. As they say in the booklet, the machine is not a blender. No point causing extra wear and tear when it’s not needed.
- Your mixture should taste a little sweeter than you would normally like in an ice cream. It tastes less sweet once frozen and processed.
- Having a creamy element and some fat ensures a creamy, non icy result. It also ensures the mixture doesn’t freeze into a rock solid block of ice that your machine will struggle to process.
- I haven’t been able to find much information on exactly how the Creami functions differ. I generally use light ice cream and ice cream only, as I have found them to be the most efficient. If anyone has any information on how they differ and if it’s more than just a marketing ploy, I’d love to know.
More Ninja Creami recipes
- High protein Ninja Creami (53g protein)
- Ninja Creami vanilla ice cream
- Ninja Creami vegan vanilla ice cream
- Ninja Creami strawberry ice cream
- Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream
- Ninja Creami cookies and cream ice cream (with a gluten free option)
- High protein Ninja Creami recipe e-book (including a high protein mango passionfruit sorbet)
Kombucha mango Ninja Creami
Ingredients
- 180 ml (¾ cup)* Remedy Mango Passion kombucha
- 250 g mango see notes
- 20-40 g (1-2 tablespoons)* light agave syrup
- 20 g (1 tablespoon)* plain coconut yoghurt
Instructions
- Open a 250ml can of Remedy Mango Passion kombucha and allow some of the bubbles to dissipate (opening it about 10 minutes before you start is even better). Set aside while you assemble the rest of the Creami.
- Combine the mango, agave syrup and coconut yoghurt in a blender, then add 180ml (3/4 cup) Kombucha. Drink the rest as a chefs treat.
- Blend the ingredients until combined. If you have a Nutribullet or a blender without a steam valve, ensure you just blend the mixture. The gas from the bubbles can easily build up and run the risk of creating too much pressure in your blender. Make it quick to avoid any explosions!
- Pour the blended mixture into your Ninja Creami tub. It should come up about 1cm or a little more beneath the fill line. This is important because the gases expand as the kombucha freezes. If you fill the mixture up to the fill line, it will be too much for the machine to blend.
- Place the tub in the freezer for 16-24 hours with the lid off.
- After freezing, the mixture should reach the fill line.
- Blend on light ice cream (I find I have to run the light ice cream setting twice to reach my ideal texture).
- If you have any leftovers, return them to the freezer with the lid on. Simply re-process the mixture when you are ready to eat the leftovers.
Notes
- You can use fresh or canned mango for this recipe. In Australia, a 425g can of tinned mango yields approximately 250g mango (the rest is syrup).
- If you are using canned, prioritise the mango cheeks as opposed to the syrup.
- If it transpires that you have a little less mango than you anticipated, replace it with equal weight coconut yoghurt. This will replace the creaminess of the mango.
- Agave syrup is lovely neutral sweetener. If you don’t have any, you can experiment with using rice malt syrup or even regular sugar. I would recommend using the lesser quantity if you use regular sugar.
- I recommend a neutral flavoured sweetener here so as not to overpower the mango.
- Using a sweetener really helps to create a creamy, slightly chewy (as opposed to icy) sorbet. I don’t recommend omitting it.
- If you have xanthan gum on hand, you can add a pinch to help create a creamy and smooth sorbet.
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