Learn how simple it is to make chocolate ice cream in the Ninja Creami with this easy recipe.
You’ll love this easy Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream recipe–it takes minimal effort to enjoy a creamy, decadent treat.

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When I first started making homemade ice cream, I used an ice cream maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer.
That method has served me well for many years now. I’ve also made many no-churn ice creams, which don’t require an ice cream machine at all.
Both types of ice cream have been regular treats in my kitchen every summer.
But more recently, I invested in a Ninja Creami ice cream maker, which uses a different method for preparing cool and creamy frozen treats.
After making vanilla ice cream in the Ninja Creami, I knew I had to dive into a decadent Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream!
It’s one of the best Ninja Creami recipes, and I’m sure you’ll agree once you’ve tried it.
More Ninja Creami Recipes You’ll Love:
- Ninja Creami Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Chunky Monkey Copycat Recipe
- Ninja Creami Pineapple Sorbet
- Ninja Creami Nutella Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Rocky Road Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Pistachio Gelato
- Ninja Creami Vanilla Gelato
- Ninja Creami Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Peach Sorbet
- Ninja Creami Cherry Sorbet
- Ninja Creami Lemon Gelato
- Ninja Creami Blizzard Copycat Recipe
- Ninja Creami Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Ninja Creami Chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

Making Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami
Let’s start off by talking about how traditional ice cream is often made, then I’ll share how the Ninja Creami works.
Most of us are probably familiar with ice cream that’s made with a custard-style base. These ice cream bases are typically made with eggs, sugar, and milk, and cooked on the stove top to create a custard.
Then after the custard base cools in the fridge for a while, it’s churned in an ice cream maker.
This churning not only helps it freeze, but also aerates it and breaks up ice crystals, so it ends up nice and smooth.
Then there’s no-churn ice cream, where the sweetness is provided by sweetened condensed milk, and the creaminess is provided by fluffy whipped cream.
So it is an easy way to make egg-free ice cream that doesn’t require any cooking, and no special equipment!
The Ninja Creami reverses the traditional process of making ice cream! Instead of churning or whipping ingredients and allowing them to freeze, you prepare an ice cream base and freeze it for at least 24 hours.
Then you pop it into your Ninja Creami, which “creamifies” the base with one of seven settings, by finely chopping or shaving the frozen concoction.
I have to admit I was a little skeptical, since there’s no aerating or breaking up crystals prior to freezing.
It doesn’t have sharp blades, so it’s not considered a blender.
But to my surprise, the result is rich and creamy!

How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami
It’s really easy to make this simple chocolate ice cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. First, you’ll warm up the cream cheese in the microwave.
This gets it nice and soft (you can also let it soften at room temperature if you’d like).
Mix that with the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, to make a pasty mixture.

Add liquids. Next, you’ll add in the whole milk and heavy cream gradually.
I add a couple tablespoons at a time, mixing well, to avoid lumps and to help the sugar dissolve.
Continue stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint and secure the lid.

Freeze. Next, you’ll transfer the pint to a flat location in your freezer (you want it to freeze nice and level) and freeze for 24 hours.
Creamify. After 24 hours, remove the lid from the pint and insert into the bowl of the Ninja Creami.
Lock the lid and click the bowl into place.
Select the Ice Cream function and let the Ninja do the rest!

Re-spin if necessary. If your ice cream is crumbly after the first round of churning (which I find is common with chocolate ice cream), you can put it through a Re-Spin cycle.
If that doesn’t result in a nice, creamy texture, I like to add a tablespoon of milk and Re-Spin again, which usually does the trick.

Notes and Adaptations:
- You may be wondering why we add vanilla extract to chocolate ice cream. In this case, it won’t make it taste like vanilla, but will give it a rich and smooth flavor that pairs really well with the cocoa powder.
- I recommend using a good quality cocoa powder for this recipe, since that’s the only ingredient giving the ice cream a chocolate flavor.
- If you need to make this dairy free, you can use unsweetened oat milk instead of milk, unsweetened coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and vegan cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese.

Recommended Equipment:
Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream

For a rich and creamy, decadent treat, you'll love making this chocolate ice cream in your Ninja Creami!
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP (1/2 ounce) cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TBSP cocoa powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Add cream cheese to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds.
- Add sugar, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder to the cream cheese. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to mix together, until incorporated into a thick paste.
- In a separate measuring cup, combine whole milk and heavy cream. Gradually add this liquid to the sugar mixture (a couple tablespoons at a time to start), mixing well to combine. Continue until all liquid is added and the sugar has dissolved.
- Transfer mixture to a Ninja Creami pint. Close the lid and freeze for 24 hours on a level location in your freezer.
- After 24 hours, remove from freezer and take off lid. Add pint to the bowl of the Ninja Creami and secure lid. Insert bowl into machine, locking into place.
- Select the Ice Cream function, which will run for about 2 minutes.
- When the function is complete, unlock the bowl and remove lid. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If your ice cream is crumbly after processing, you can use the Re-Spin function to see if that helps the texture. If not, add 1 tablespoon of milk and Re-Spin again. This usually does the trick.
- If you need to make this dairy free, you can use unsweetened oat milk instead of milk, unsweetened coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and vegan cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese.
Recipe lightly adapted from Ninja Creami
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 296Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
More Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream Recipes
Want to be even more adventurous? Here are a few more varieties to try!
This Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream made with chocolate milk is a super simple recipe to make.
You can even make Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream with pudding mix, resulting in a rich and creamy treat that doesn’t require cream cheese.
And for those who need to avoid dairy, try this Ninja Creami dairy-free chocolate ice cream.
Need a guilt-free treat? This Ninja Creami chocolate frozen yogurt is a decadent dose of protein.
Last but not least, make this Ninja Creami frozen hot chocolate by using packets of hot chocolate mix!
Printable Ninja Creami Recipes
If you’d like some of our favorite Ninja Creami recipes in printable form, check out Tried and True: 35 Favorite Ninja Creami Recipes!
It contains loads of delicious options in a digital download.
Check it out here, or click the image below!
Be sure to save this recipe to your Ninja Creami board on Pinterest!

That recipe is the same one I see over and over. I’m going to temper in some egg yolks and reduce the milk. Then I’m going to try a batch with consensed milk and a yoke probable reduce the sugar or try powder sugar maybe. I can’t believe no one has improved the typical recipes. Bummer
Hi Dana! You can definitely experiment with different ingredients and see if you come up with a batch you like better! I personally prefer the ease of not having to deal with egg yolks, and haven’t made custard-based ice creams in many years because of that. But it’s certainly an option to try if you’d like! 🙂