I’m so excited to finally share this recipe I’m not even going to bother adding text to this post. NO WORDS.
OK, fine, some words:
This is easy. This is good. This is ridiculously budget friendly, and I want you to try and get back to me ASAP. No more “I wish I lived in <insert country X> where they have <insert healthy ice cream brand>” complaints from y’all!
PS, you don’t have to use an ice cream machine but it does make it a bit more creamier. I have a traditional ice cream machine but I’m seriously considering buying this one from Dash 😲
You can try the techniques below to make amazing soft-serve on demand using simply an ice cube tray.
OK, make this and let me know!
PS, if you like this, also try the chocolate version!
Small-batch Vanilla Protein Ice Cream
High protein healthy ice cream made at home! Can be vegan
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 78kcal
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Ice cream machine / ninja creami (optional) see notes how to get around
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (nut) milk (120 g) I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup water (120 g) you can sub a ripe banana and avoid the sweetener below
- 1 tbsp nut/seed butter (16 g) sub other fat source such as neutral oil, (coconut) cream, (plant) butter, cream cheese / df alternative
- 1-2 tbsp sugar or granulated sweetener (12-24 g) adjust to taste, I used lakanto sweetener
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (30 g) not unsweetened, I used whey protein but you can use plant-based
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum optional, but will make your ice cream extra creamy
Instructions
- Add everything in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Churn in an ice cream machine per machine instructions. See notes if you don't have an ice cream machine.
- Eat like you would light ice cream, thaw for 5-10 min before scooping, etc. Keep any leftovers frozen for reasons that be obvious 🙂
Notes
- How to make this without an ice cream machine: Make the cream from step#1 and pour it into ice cube molds, refreeze. When ready to consume take however many cubes you want and blend it into soft serve. It is AMAZING.
- Alternatively, freeze and churn by hand: Make the cream from step#1 and pour it into a container and freeze for a few hours, taking it out every 30 min to churn by hand to prevent ice crystals forming. Enjoy!
- Or use a Ninja Creami: Whisk together the ingredients (a hand frother works great). If using banana, whisk all the liquid together and chop the banana in. Freeze overnight. Let thaw in room temperature for 5-10 minutes and spin on the light ice cream setting. Respin if necessary. Add mix-ins if you desire. Enjoy!
- This recipe makes a whole pint. The nutrition information is based on unsweetened almond milk and 1 tbsp Lakanto sweetener.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 0.2mg
OMG I had to make this immediately after seeing it on reddit. Like, right away. I used double chocolate flavoured whey protein with crunchy peanut butter and mixed it by hand – it was SO GOOD. Snickers flavour goodness with so much proteinnnn! Can’t recommend this enough!
i’m so glad and thank you so much for the review! i love your flavor combo! i have to make this and stir in some chopped peanuts and shaved chocolate, with caramel sauce! YUM!!
Thank you for this. It was a big hit in my household. We used ice cube trays then blended in the food processor.
i’m so glad and thank you so much for leaving a review! i gotta try that ice cube tray thing, i’ve been churning and churning ice cream — it’s exhausting 🙂
I made a double batch to try out the hand churn and the ice cube methods, and the ice cube method is by far superior! I think they even take around the same amount of time, and the food processor soft serve is a way better texture. I’m curious: is there nut butter in the recipe mainly for the fat content? I’m wondering if this can be swapped out with half and half, whipped cream, etc if wanting no nut butter flavor, also if it could be switched to PB powder. I’m excited to try different things out. Anyways thank you so much for this recipe! I can now make low cal high protein ice cream at home without a Creami! I’ll be trying (and reviewing of course!) your chocolate ice cream next.
Hi Brittny! So happy to read your review! I love this ice cream. Yes the nut butter is only for fat content which reduces ice crystal formation. I would recommend any fat source, you can use whole milk for the liquid, 2 tbsp cream cheese, or coconut cream, etc. the possibilities are endless! I don’t recommend PB powder for this because it’s fairly low fat. It could be a nice flavoring agent otherwise though. You should try it!
Let me know how the chocolate ice cream turns out! We love it with the banana added instead of additional sweetener. <3