Ninja Creami Chickpea Ice Cream (no bananas!)
Do you remember the first time you tried a black bean brownie? Depending on the recipe, you were either disgusted or amazed. I think it’s so fun to eat something decadent WHILE also eating super healthy foods. Beans are a superfood in my opinion, and one of the best ways to get protein, fiber and tons of micronutrients.
I work for PlantWhys, and Ali, who founded it, is an absolute inspiration. She works really hard to add to the PlantWhys YouTube channel every week, and recently shared this chickpea ice cream on her website and Instagram. She made it in an ice cream maker, and I adapted it to work for a Ninja Creami.
Some people don’t like bananas in their frozen treats. It sounds really rough. But at least I have this epic new solution for them!
I made this chickpea ice cream and was floored by the texture. So creamy and NOT bean-y! And not one hint of banana flavor since they’re not in there.
I wouldn’t lead y’all astray here and fool you into trying something gross.
If you have a Ninja Creami (or any other ice cream maker would work), you have to try this! Borrow a friend’s Ninja Creami if you want to test one out.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker or Ninja Creami, make this Snickers Nice Cream! It’s my favorite treat and you only need a blender!
Ninja Creami Chickpea Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (1.5 cups cooked chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup almond butter or peanut butter
- 1.5 cups soy milk
- 3/4 cup dates
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (can be omitted if desired)
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients together until smooth, with lots of mini pieces of chocolate chips. If you prefer, stir in the chocolate chips at the end so they remain whole, or do a mix-in after you crami the ice cream.
- Pour into the Ninja Creami containers. You'll get about 1 and half, or you can just make one and eat the rest unfrozen as "cookie dough." Freeze for 24 hours, or at least 8 hours until it's hard.
- Spin it in your ninja creami. If it's dry at all after the first run, add a little more soy milk and re-spin. Add the chocolate chips now or nuts, coconut, etc. for a mix-in if you like.
- Enjoy! Don't tell anyone the main ingredient until AFTER they've tasted it. 🙂 Then watch their shock to learn it's beans. Ha. So fun.
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What setting did you spin it on? Lite ice cream?
I just spin it on the regular ice cream spin. But maybe lite would be better? I have never used that setting!
I couldn’t find the planywhys YouTube video making this icecream. Could you please link it Faith?
Looks like she didn’t make this recipe on a video, oops! She has an almond milk ice cream on a video, but the chickpea ice cream is just a recipe she shared.
You didn’t mention if the chickpeas should be drained and rinsed, which I did. Is that what you intended?
Also, I’m thinking that blending the chips until smooth with everything else would kind of make them disappear so I stirred them in at the end. I’ll know more tomorrow when I Creami it. The recipe actually made two full pints so I only stirred the chocolate chips into one and I’ll probably do a peanut mix-in with the other one.
Hi Judy! How did it turn out? Yes, I forget to specify if beans should be drained and rinsed because it’s automatic to me. You can blend in the chocolate chips for a chocolate flavor or do the mix-in.
Surprisingly, very good!!! Thanks for the recipe!
It is surprising, right?!
Can almond milk be used? That’s what I always have on hand.
Yes, it won’t be AS creamy but still good! Soy milk has a lot more fat and protein and makes the creamiest smoothies and nice cream.
Would it work without the Ninja which I don’t have? Can’t I just freeze it after blending like I do with banana nice cream?
I think it’s worth a try! An ice cream maker of some sort would probably produce better texture, but if you have a good blender and a little extra milk, it should work!