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Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami

Cherry chocolate ice cream in the Ninja Creami with a dark, cocoa-flecked base and chopped dark cherries folded in for a Black Forest-inspired swirl. Freeze overnight for a scoopable texture, then re-spin and mix in cherries for ruby-red bites.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
freezing 24 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cherry chocolate ice cream base
  • 1 cup chocolate milk Use whole milk if preferred.
  • 2 tbsp cocoa Use if using chocolate milk instead of cocoa? Keep as written: chocolate milk + 2 tbsp cocoa.
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese Soften first for easy blending.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
Cherry mix-in
  • 1 1/3 cup frozen dark cherries Chop before folding in using the Mix-In function.

Equipment

  • 1 Ninja Creami

Method
 

Blend the base
  1. Blend the chocolate milk (or milk + cocoa), heavy cream, granulated sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt until smooth, with no cream-cheese lumps visible.
  2. Pour the smooth chocolate base into the Ninja Creami pint container, spreading it evenly so the surface looks level before freezing.
Freeze
  1. Freeze the pint for 24 hours until fully solid, with the center no longer soft when you tilt the container.
Process into ice cream
  1. Process on the Ice Cream setting, then check the texture; re-spin for 1 more cycle while adding 1 tbsp milk if needed to loosen.
Add cherries and serve
  1. Use the Mix-In function to fold in the chopped frozen dark cherries, so you see ruby-red pieces distributed throughout the dark chocolate base.
  2. Top with a fresh cherry and serve immediately for the best contrast of cool chocolate and bright cherry pieces.

Notes

For the creamiest result, make sure the base is completely smooth before freezing and keep the pint fully frozen before you run the Ice Cream setting. Store leftovers covered in the freezer up to 2–3 days; re-process on the Ice Cream setting if it hardens. Freezing after processing: yes, up to 1 month for best texture. Dietary swap: for dairy-free, use full-fat oat milk and coconut cream plus dairy-free cream cheese, then follow the same process (texture may be slightly softer).