I recently developed an incredibly good Ninja Creami sticky date ice cream recipe (and an equally good vegan version). The success of that ice cream prompted me to wonder whether I could replicate the result for a protein based ice cream. I did (obviously) so today I am sharing this Ninja Creami high protein sticky date ice cream recipe.
Ninja Creami high protein sticky date ice cream
This Ninja Creami sticky date ice cream contains 5 simple ingredients. Regular dates, baking soda, boiling water, whey protein isolate and milk are all that you need for a delicious high protein treat.
Much like a regular sticky date pudding, we’re breaking the dates down by chopping them and then adding baking soda and boiling water. These ingredients work together to break down the dates and give that classic sticky date flavour.
All that’s left to do is add the milk and protein before stirring and freezing. A simple dessert-like protein treat that couldn’t be easier to make.
A note on the protein powder
The protein powder you choose is critical to success in this recipe. This is not sponsored, but I use Bare Blends vanilla bean whey protein isolate. It is low FODMAP, has a short ingredient list and is sweetened with stevia only.
Ice cream is finicky when it comes to sugar content. If you add too much sugar, your ice cream will not solidify and you’ll have a slushy mess that doesn’t set properly.
Because this ice cream contains a decent amount of dates (and thus sugar) it is important to choose a protein without excessive sugar. In fact, you really want a protein that is either unsweetened or uses stevia only (and not too much of it) for this recipe.
This is sticky date ice cream, so it needs to contain a good proportion of dates. You cannot subtract the sugar from those dates without taking away an essential flavour component of the ice cream.
Quirks of whey protein isolate
I thought this warranted a little explanation because whey protein can be a bit finicky to work with.
Something I have noticed when using whey protein isolate is that it fluffs up enormously when blended. Not all the time, but in certain situations and recipes it becomes very voluminous.
This presents us with a dilemma. Even finely chopped dates don’t get fully incorporated by the Ninja Creami and they tend to sink a little. This means that you can be left with a small layer of dates in your ice cream.
So! You have two options. Firstly, you can chop the dates finely and leave the ice cream unblended. This will give you bigger chunks of date and maybe a layer of dates down the bottom.
Secondly, you can blend the cooled date mixture with the milk before whisking in the whey protein. This way you avoid the pitfalls of blending whey protein isolate and blend the dates into the liquid mixture.
To end this section on a positive note, though: whey protein isolate creates a fantastic chewy texture in ice cream. Low fat ice creams can be icy or lack that creamy, voluminous mouthfeel of tradition ice cream. Ice cream made with whey protein isolate avoids those pitfalls – it has a delightfully good texture.
Substitution notes
I have not tested any protein powders other than Bare Blends vanilla whey protein isolate at this stage. I highly recommend that you choose a protein with only stevia as the sweetener for best results. As discussed above, too much sugar in ice cream stops it from ever freezing and you will have more of a cold milkshake consistency. Stevia does not impact the freezing of the ice cream like sugar does.
I haven’t tried any plant based proteins here. They are generally very sweet, so again I would proceed with caution. If you wanted to use a plant based protein, I would probably recommend using an unsweetened one. You can then add up to 25g maple syrup to create a sweet ice cream.
I have only tested full fat lactose free milk in this recipe. I am sure other recipes will work, but this is all I have tried.
I haven’t tested Medjool dates in this recipe. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work, but I haven’t tried it. Regular dates are low FODMAP in serves of 30g per person and up to 46g per person. After this, they contain moderate amounts of sorbitol and fructan. So, this Ninja Creami protein ice cream is low FODMAP in serves of 3-4 depending on your tolerance. This is why I chose regular dates.
More healthy Ninja Creami recipes
- High protein Ninja Creami recipe
- Ninja Creami raspberry sorbet
- High protein matcha and strawberry Ninja Creami ice cream
- Cucumber, avocado and lime Ninja Creami sorbet
- Mango and kombucha Ninja Creami sorbet
Ninja Creami high protein sticky date ice cream
Ingredients
- 100 g regular pitted dates, finely chopped
- 3-5 g baking soda (see notes)
- 100 g boiling water
- 300 g milk of choice (I used full fat lactose free milk)
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract, to your tastes
- 30 g whey protein isolate with minimal sweetener (I used Bare Blends vanilla flavour) see notes
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped dates in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Sprinkle over the baking soda and pour over the boiling water. Stir to combine, then set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, transfer the dates to your high powered food processor. Add the milk, salt and vanilla if you are using it. Blend to your desired consistency). We're not blending the whey protein with the liquid because it becomes too frothy and the Ninja Creami machine struggles to process all the excess froth.
- Return the mixture to the bowl and add the whey protein isolate, whisking as you add it. Whey protein can clump easily so make sure you whisk well.
- Pour the mixture into the 470ml Ninja Creami tub and freeze with the lid off for 16-24 hours.
- When you are ready to eat, process the ice cream using the light ice cream button. Re-spin if needed to create a light and airy ice cream consistency. Serve immediately and return any leftovers to the freezer with the lid on.
Notes
- Personally, I think the slight saltiness from the baking soda is a key flavour in sticky date pudding. Use 3g if you’d prefer a more subtle baking soda flavour and 5g if you like that classic sticky date note.
- The baking soda breaks down the dates to make them more blendable and soft. It’s a key part of the recipe and I have not tested it without. You cannot substitute baking powder for baking soda.
- As mentioned in the body of the post, ice cream does not do well when you have added too much sugar. Sugar prevents the mixture from freezing and it will be more akin to a cold milkshake than an ice cream. Because this recipe contains sugar in the form of dates, it is critical that you don’t add too much sugar to it. This means that high sugar (this includes some artificial sugar varieties) based protein powders will not work here.
- If you don’t have a protein powder sweetened lightly with stevia, I recommend using a completely unsweetened recipe. You can add 25g of maple syrup to this recipe to replace the sweetness.
- I have only tested whey protein isolate in this recipe. It is low lactose, low FODMAP and gives excellent body, creaminess and thickness to a protein ice cream. I haven’t tested any plant based alternatives at this stage.
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