Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream
This Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream is made with just a few simple ingredients: fresh strawberries, condensed milk, sugar, milk and heavy cream. It’s creamy, sweet, and so refreshing with fresh strawberry flavor. I tested a few different versions of strawberry ice cream in my Ninja Creami, and this one turned out to be our favorite. Read on to see what worked best and why!
When strawberries are in season, we go through pints of them every week and making ice cream is one of our favorite ways to use them up. I wanted to see whether cooking the strawberries or using them fresh would make a difference in flavor, texture, and effort. So I tested both to figure out which one gives the best results in the Ninja Creami.
Testing Strawberry Ice Cream in Ninja Creami
I tested two methods: one with cooked strawberries and one using fresh strawberries. Here’s how they turned out.
Cooked strawberries
I simmered a whole pint of strawberries with sugar and lemon juice until they broke down into a thick, jammy puree. After cooling it completely, I mixed it with the rest of the ice cream base and froze it.
This version had the most intense strawberry flavor and a gorgeous, deep pink color. But honestly, cooking and cooling the berries felt like a bit of a hassle. And while I liked the strong strawberry taste, my kids thought it was a bit too much.
Fresh strawberries
I went with about 1.5 cups of chopped strawberries, sugar, and a splash of lemon juice, then let it sit until the fruit softened. This is called macerating, and it’s an easy, no-cook way to soften the strawberries and add flavor. I mashed the berries with a fork before mixing them into the base.
This ice cream had a perfectly balanced strawberry flavor – not too strong, not too mild. It was also less work, and safer for the Creami since whole frozen strawberries can damage the blade. This is the version we all loved the most.
If you’ve tried my Ninja Creami Vanilla Ice Cream, you’ll love how this strawberry version has the same creamy texture with a pop of real strawberry flavor.
★Just a heads up, when using the Ninja Creami, it takes about 15 to 24 hours from the time you make the ice cream mixture until it’s frozen solid and ready to churn and eat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
*Full measurements and printable recipe card are below.
- Fresh strawberries – I don’t see why you can’t use frozen here if you have them. Just thaw them before using.
- Sugar – just a few tablespoons to help breakdown the strawberries.
- Sweetened condensed milk – I like to use condensed milk as it adds sweetness plus creaminess.
How To Make Strawberry Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami
*Full measurements and printable recipe card are below.
Macerate the strawberries
Chop the fresh strawberries and mix them with sugar and lemon juice. Let them sit for about 20–30 minutes until soft and syrupy. Mash lightly with a fork.
Mix the base
Add the mashed strawberries, milk, cream, and condensed milk and mix together.
Freeze the base
Pour into a Ninja Creami pint container. Make sure it doesn’t go over the max fill line. Freeze flat for 24 hours.
Spin in the Ninja Creami
After freezing, insert the pint into the outer bowl, lock it in place, and use the “Ice Cream” setting. If it’s crumbly, add a splash of milk and “respin”.
Serving Ideas and Mix-ins
You can eat this straight up from the container but here are my ideas for you, to serve it pretty and more delicious.
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- I like to top my ice cream with strawberry puree or syrup and top with some white chocolate chips.
- You can mix in white chocolate chips, dried strawberries, cheesecake bits or whatever you fancy.
To add mix-ins, once you process your ice cream base, make a hole in the middle with a spoon, and drop your mix-in. Close and secure the container in the machine. Press “Mix-in” to process.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip macerating! It softens the berries and brings out more flavor without cooking.
- Avoid large fruit chunks as they can damage the blade.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temp for 5 minutes if it’s too hard to spin or run it under tap water.
- Want it creamier? Use a bit more heavy cream.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Ninja Creami Vanilla Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
- Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below. We love to hear from you!
Recipe
Ninja Creami Strawberry Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ninja Creami
Ingredients
- 1½ cup strawberry
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup milk
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse the strawberries and cut the stems off. Chop the strawberries and measure out 1½ cups.
- To a ninja creami jar, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, give it a good stir and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until strawberries become soft. Once they're soft, mash them with a fork.
- Pour in the condensed milk, whipping cream, milk and a pinch of salt. Mix everything together. Make sure it reaches the max level. If it doesn't reach the max level add a bit more heavy cream.
- Freeze the ice cream on an even surface for 24 hours.
- Fix the container in the machine and run the “ice cream” setting.
- If it’s crumbly run on “respin” setting.
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftover ice cream back in the freezer. Just be sure to level the top, so it’s ready to be processed again if needed. If you want to process it again later, simply use the “respin” function once more.Tips:
- Freeze without the lid.
- Smooth the top before churning if the top is not smooth.
- If there’re any ice crystals run the container under warm water to smooth it out.
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