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This Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream combines real strawberries, creamy cheesecake flavor, and crunchy Golden Oreos or graham crackers for a dessert that tastes like strawberry cheesecake in ice cream form. The combination of blended strawberries, freeze-dried strawberries, and fresh berries creates strawberry flavor in every bite, and the addition of vanilla protein powder makes it a little more satisfying than your average scoop.
Some strawberry cheesecake ice cream recipes end up tasting more like vanilla ice cream with strawberries mixed in then actual strawberry cheesecake ice cream. If I’m making strawberry cheesecake ice cream, I want strawberry flavor in every bite along with enough cheesecake flavor and crunch to actually remind me of cheesecake.
If you love strawberry cheesecake flavors, be sure to try my Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats.
Strawberry Cheesecake Flavor in Every Bite
The strawberry cheesecake flavor comes from more than just the strawberries blended into the base. By layering strawberries throughout the recipe, you get strawberry flavor in every bite while still preserving the creamy cheesecake flavor and crunchy cheesecake crust that make strawberry cheesecake so good.
Here’s what makes it worth making:
- Strawberry flavor in every bite. Fresh strawberries blended in, freeze-dried strawberries mixed in, and fresh berries on top create a much stronger strawberry flavor than using strawberries alone.
- Higher in protein. The vanilla protein powder blends seamlessly into the base, adding protein without making the ice cream taste chalky or overly sweet.
- Real cheesecake flavor. The combination of cream cheese and pudding creates the creamy, tangy flavor that makes this taste like strawberry cheesecake instead of simply strawberry ice cream.
- The perfect cheesecake crunch. Golden Oreos or graham crackers add the buttery crunch you’d expect from a cheesecake crust and create a great contrast to the creamy ice cream.
Ingredient Notes
While the ingredient list is simple, a few key ingredients help create the strawberry flavor, cheesecake tang, and crunchy texture that makes this recipe stand out.
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Whipped cream cheese: This is what gives the ice cream its cheesecake flavor. Whipped cream cheese blends easily into the base, but regular cream cheese can also be used if softened first.
- Pudding mix: Instant pudding mix helps create a creamy texture and enhances the cheesecake flavor. Vanilla works well, but cheesecake pudding mix makes the cheesecake flavor even stronger. I use sugar-free pudding mix.
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries both work. The strawberries are blended directly into the base so every bite has real strawberry flavor instead of relying solely on mix-ins.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: This is one ingredient I wouldn’t skip. The freeze-dried strawberries were the ingredient that surprised me most while testing this recipe. They add so much concentrated strawberry flavor that the ice cream tastes noticeably more like strawberry cheesecake rather than vanilla ice cream with strawberries mixed in.
- Golden Oreos or graham crackers: These add the crunchy cheesecake crust texture. Golden Oreos create a sweeter dessert, while graham crackers offer a more traditional cheesecake flavor.
How to Make Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
The best thing about Ninja Creami protein ice cream is how easy it comes together!
- Add the milk, vanilla protein powder, cream cheese, pudding mix, and strawberries to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the Ninja Creami pint container, cover with a lid and freeze for 24 hours on a flat surface. Make sure not to overfill the container.
- After 24 hours, remove the lid and place the pint container in the Ninja Creami machine. Run 1x on lite ice cream mode.
- Make a small hole in the center of the ice cream all the way to the bottom and add the freeze dried strawberries and golden oreos or graham crackers. Run on mix-in mode 1x.
Jamie’s Tips
The Key to the Best Ninja Creami Texture
- Don’t automatically respin. After the first spin, the ice cream may still look slightly crumbly. If you can easily smooth it out with a spoon, move directly to the mix-in step. In my experience, the mix-in cycle smooths the ice cream further, while an extra respin can make it softer than necessary.
- Don’t overfill the pint. Overfilling can affect how evenly the ice cream processes.
- Add the mix-ins all the way to the bottom. When creating the center hole for the mix-ins, make sure it reaches the bottom. This helps distribute the cookies and strawberries more evenly throughout the ice cream.
- Finish with toppings. Enjoy the ice cream with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed graham crackers for even more strawberry cheesecake flavor.
Storage and Respin
Store any leftover ice cream in the Ninja Creami pint container with the lid securely attached. Return it to the freezer and enjoy within 1 week for the best flavor and texture.
When you’re ready to enjoy it again, the ice cream will likely be frozen solid. Simply place the pint back into the Ninja Creami machine and run it on the Re-Spin setting until smooth and creamy.
If the ice cream seems dry or crumbly
Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk before re-spinning. This helps restore the creamy texture without making the ice cream icy.
If the ice cream is already smooth
You may not need additional liquid. Re-spin once and check the texture before adding more milk.
More Ninja Creami Protein Recipes
If you’ve made and loved this Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Ninja Creami Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix
- 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries, sliced
Mix-ins
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- Golden Oreos or graham crackers, for topping
- Fresh strawberries and whipped cream, for topping
Instructions
- Add milk, vanilla protein powder, cream cheese, pudding mix and strawberries to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into Ninja Cream pint container, cover with lid and freeze for 24 hours on a flat surface. Make sure to not overfill.
- After 24 hours, remove lid and place pint container into Ninja Creami machine. Run 1x on lite ice cream mode. Note: It may be a tiny bit crumbly after one spin, but if you’re able to easily smooth it out with a spoon I recommend moving on to the next step because the mix-in step will smooth it out further. You can re-spin it but the ice cream will be softer.
- Make a small hole in the center of ice cream all the way to the bottom and freeze dried strawberries and golden oreos/graham crackers. Run on mix-in mode x1.
- Enjoy with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and crushed graham crackers on top.
Notes
- Don’t skip the freeze-dried strawberries. They add concentrated strawberry flavor without adding extra liquid.
- Freeze for 24 hours. Freeze the pint on a completely level surface.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Food photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé.
