Rocky Road Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Blend milk, chocolate protein powder, cocoa, Greek yogurt, sweetener and salt until smooth, freeze the pint for a full 24 hours, then spin on Ice Cream and spin again with a splash of milk if crumbly. Fold in mini marshmallows and chopped almonds at the end. The pint carries about 35 g of protein from label values, about 9 g per serving across 4 servings.
Rocky Road Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream is the chocolate pint that eats like the ice cream truck classic. A rich cocoa and chocolate protein base spins thick and creamy, then mini marshmallows and chopped almonds go in at the very end so they stay soft and crunchy instead of freezing into rocks. About 35 g of protein per pint, and it tastes like dessert first.
Why you’ll love it
- Tastes like real rocky road ice cream, not like a frozen protein shake.
- About 9 g of protein per serving from label values, about 35 g per pint.
- Marshmallows stay soft and almonds stay crunchy with the right timing.
- Ten minutes of hands on work, then the freezer does the rest.
- A proper chocolate fix that still fits a high protein day.
Ingredient notes
Chocolate protein powder: the flavor and the protein. One scoop adds about 20 g of protein on most brand labels, and it builds the chocolate base instead of fighting it.
Cocoa powder: the deep chocolate note. Two tablespoons turn a milk chocolate base into a proper dark chocolate pint.
Greek yogurt: the texture ingredient. It adds about 6 g of protein per quarter cup from standard labels and keeps the pint thick instead of icy.
Milk: whole milk gives the creamiest spin. The milk adds about 10 g of protein per 1 1/4 cups from standard labels.
Marshmallows and almonds: the rocky road. Mini marshmallows stay soft and chopped roasted almonds stay crunchy, but only if they go in after the final spin.
The mix in timing that keeps everything soft
Add the marshmallows and almonds after the last spin, never before freezing. Marshmallows frozen into the base turn hard and chewy in a bad way, and almonds frozen into the base go oddly soft. Spin the chocolate base first, spin again with a splash of milk if it looks crumbly, then make a well in the center with a spoon, add the marshmallows and almonds, and fold them through gently. Two folds is enough. Overmixing crushes the marshmallows and turns the almonds dusty.
Variations
- Peanut butter rocky road: swap the almonds for chopped roasted peanuts and add a spoonful of peanut butter to the base.
- Mint rocky road: add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the base for a chocolate mint twist.
- Smores rocky road: fold in crushed graham crackers with the marshmallows.
- Double chocolate: fold in 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips with the marshmallows and almonds.
What we learned testing it
- Adding the marshmallows and almonds after spinning beat freezing them in the base clearly. The frozen in batch had hard marshmallows and soft almonds, while the late batch had soft marshmallows and crunchy almonds.
- Cocoa powder was the chocolate difference. Without it the pint tasted like sweet milk with protein powder, but with 2 tablespoons it tasted like real chocolate ice cream.
- Whole milk beat 2 percent for creaminess in this pint. The 2 percent version still worked, but the whole milk version scooped noticeably thicker.
Read how we test recipes.
Rocky Road Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream
Makes 1 pint (about 4 servings) · 24 hr 10 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Blender · Ninja Creami machine · Ninja Creami pint container with lid
Instructions
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Blend the chocolate base until completely smooth
Add the milk, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, Greek yogurt, sweetener and salt to a blender. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth, with no cocoa or protein powder lumps left. The base should look like a thick chocolate shake.
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Pour into the pint and freeze for 24 hours
Pour the base into your Ninja Creami pint container, staying below the max fill line. Smooth the top flat so it freezes level, snap on the lid and freeze for a full 24 hours. A shorter freeze gives a soft, uneven spin.
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Spin on Ice Cream, then spin again if crumbly
Load the frozen pint into the machine and run the Ice Cream setting for the full cycle. Chocolate protein bases often look crumbly after the first spin, so add a splash of milk and spin again once if needed. Stop when the pint looks thick and creamy.
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Mix in the marshmallows and almonds
Make a well in the center of the spun pint with a spoon, add the mini marshmallows and chopped almonds, and fold them through gently with two or three strokes. Serve right away so the marshmallows stay soft and the almonds stay crunchy.
Notes
- Keep the marshmallows and almonds out of the freezer entirely. They go into the spun pint at the very end, which is what keeps them soft and crunchy.
- Taste the base before freezing. Frozen pints taste a little less sweet than the liquid base, so it should taste just slightly too sweet.
- Chop the almonds small but not fine. Big chunks freeze into rocks against the cold ice cream, while dust disappears.
- If the pint is too firm to load, let it rest on the counter for 2 to 3 minutes before spinning, no longer.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Whole milk
- Use 2 percent milk instead. The pint will be a little thinner, so plan on the second spin with a splash of milk.
- Greek yogurt
- Leave it out and add an extra 1/4 cup of milk. The pint spins a little icier, but the chocolate flavor still carries it.
- Almonds
- Use chopped roasted peanuts or walnuts instead. Keep the pieces small so they stay pleasant against the cold ice cream.
Storage and make-ahead
The texture is at its best in the first few minutes after spinning. If you have leftovers, smooth the surface flat, put the lid back on and refreeze. Spin leftovers straight from the freezer on Ice Cream, adding a splash of milk if they look crumbly. The marshmallows firm up in the freezer, so eat refrozen leftovers within 3 days for the best texture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze the marshmallows into the base?
I do not recommend it. Marshmallows frozen into the base turn hard and chewy, and the almonds go oddly soft. Fold both in after the final spin for the classic rocky road texture.
Why is my chocolate pint crumbly after the first spin?
That is normal for protein bases. Add a splash of milk and spin again once. One extra spin turns almost every pint thick and creamy.
How much protein is in this pint?
These are label based estimates, not lab tested numbers, and they vary by brand. The pint carries about 35 g of protein in total, about 9 g per serving across 4 servings. Check your milk, yogurt and powder labels for your exact numbers.
Can I use large marshmallows?
Mini marshmallows work much better. Large marshmallows freeze into hard lumps that are unpleasant to bite, even when folded in after spinning.
Can I refreeze leftovers?
Yes, but the marshmallows will firm up in the freezer. Smooth the surface flat, refreeze, and spin again on Ice Cream with a splash of milk. The texture is best within 3 days.
