Dairy free homemade ice cream just got tastier thanks to this delicious Ninja Creami Coconut Ice Cream recipe! Made with simple ingredients, like coconut milk & your favorite protein powder, this dairy free treat has a super creamy texture & is bursting with coconut flavor. Add a chocolate magic shell for the ultimate in dessert decadence!

I love using full fat coconut milk in my dairy free ninja creami recipes. The coconut cream layer makes for the most creamy ice cream. I'm a coconut lover, so I thought I'd try making a dairy free coconut protein ice cream. It turned out to be every bit the tropical creamy dessert of my dreams & I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!
If you're looking for different flavors of dairy-free ice creams you can make in your Ninja Creami Ice Cream Machine, you might enjoy this Protein Dole Whip, this Protein Rocky Road or this Protein Buncha Crunch Ice Cream. I also have recipes for Protein Watermelon Sorbet & Protein Vanilla Ice Cream, too!
Please note this post contains affiliate links.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is easy. Made in the ninja creami ice cream machine, it is a quick & easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
- It uses minimal ingredients. Not only is this recipe incredibly simple, but it only uses 4 ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
- It is delicious. If you love tropical flavors then you will love the taste of this creamy dairy free ice cream.
Dairy Free Coconut Ice Cream Ingredients
Coconut Milk. You will need to use full fat canned coconut milk for best results. I love using Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk.
Vanilla Protein Powder. My preference for all of my protein ninja creami recipes is to use Equip Foods Prime Protein because it gives the dairy free ice cream such a creamy texture, but you may use whatever kind of protein powder you prefer. A tip I will always give you is that it is very important to enjoy the flavor and texture of your protein powder. If you have a protein powder that is gritty or doesn’t taste great, it will make your protein desserts gritty & not taste great!
Medjool Dates. I use dates to add a little bit of sweetness to the ice cream base.
Coconut Flakes. This is optional to add to the ice cream base. If you're using, opt for unsweetened.
Coconut Ice Cream Step by Step Instructions
1. Make the ice cream base. Add the coconut milk, dates, protein powder & coconut flakes to a blender. Blend until smooth. You may find that a few small bits of the dates remain if your blender is not high speed; this is ok. You can strain them out or leave them in, it’s up to you.
2. Freeze the ice cream base. Pour base into the ninja pint container right up to the max fill line. Place storage lid on the container and freeze for a minimum of 8 hours. Ninja recommends at least 24 hours but I don’t have that kind of patience and find that 8 hours is plenty.
3. Mix the ice cream. Once the base is frozen, follow the instructions for placing the pint container in your Ninja Creami. For your first spin you will choose the Lite Ice Cream function.
4. Respin. Once the end of the cycle is complete, the next step is to respin the ice cream mixture in order for it to become super creamy. Generally after the first spin there are still some ice crystals on the ice cream so you shouldn’t skip the respin step. My best creami prep tip is to add about 2-3 teaspoon additional almond milk, just enough to cover the top of the pint, before you respin.
5. Optional: Make the Magic Shell. Chocolate & coconut go so well together & what's more fun than a magic shell?! Melt 1-2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 10 second increments until fully melted. Pour over the scooped ice cream in a bowl; the magic shell should harden almost immediately. Sprinkle with additional coconut shreds and enjoy!
Expert Tips, Tricks & Mix-In Ideas
- Ninja’s instructions state that you cannot use the “respin” feature followed by the “mix in” feature. I ALWAYS respin my dairy free ice cream, because it needs this in order to be creamy, and I use the mix in function after with no trouble.
- Before respinning, I recommend always adding a little bit more almond milk, or dairy free milk of choice. Just enough to almost cover the top of the pint container is perfect, about 2-3 tsp. This will help ensure the final result is super creamy.
- If you love tropical flavors try adding mix ins like diced mango or fresh pineapple.
How to store dairy free coconut ice cream
If you do not finish your pint in one sitting, smooth over the ice cream that is left in the container with the back of a spoon. Place the lid back on & freeze. You will need to run the leftovers back through the same steps in the Ninja Creami when you are going to enjoy it again. Note that if you added mix ins, the machine will end up pulverizing them!
If You Liked This Recipe You Might Also Enjoy
- Protein Dole Whip
- 3 Ingredient Viral Caramel Sauce - would make a delicious topping instead of the magic shell!
- Gluten Free Copycat Crumbl Cookies
- Vanilla Protein Ice Cream
- 3 Ingredient Protein Buncha Crunch
Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!
Dairy-Free Ninja Creami Coconut Protein Ice Cream
Equipment
- Blender
- Ninja Creami
- Ninja Creami pint containers
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups coconut milk full fat
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2 medjool dates for sweetness
- 2 tablespoon coconut flakes unsweetened
- 1-2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips optional for magic shell
Instructions
- Make the ice cream base. Add the coconut milk, dates, protein powder & coconut flakes to a blender. Blend until smooth. You may find that a few small bits of the dates remain if your blender is not high speed; this is ok. You can strain them out or leave them in, it’s up to you.
- Freeze the ice cream base. Pour base into the ninja pint container right up to the max fill line. Place storage lid on the container and freeze for a minimum of 8 hours. Ninja recommends at least 24 hours but I don’t have that kind of patience and find that 8 hours is plenty.
- Mix the ice cream. Once the base is frozen, follow the instructions for placing the pint container in your Ninja Creami. For your first spin you will choose the Lite Ice Cream function.
- Respin. Once the end of the cycle is complete, the next step is to respin the ice cream mixture in order for it to become super creamy. Generally after the first spin there are still some ice crystals on the ice cream so you shouldn’t skip the respin step. My best creami prep tip is to add about 2-3 teaspoon additional almond milk, just enough to cover the top of the pint, before you respin.
- Optional: Make the Magic Shell. Chocolate & coconut go so well together & what's more fun than a magic shell?! Melt 1-2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 10 second increments until fully melted. Pour over the scooped ice cream in a bowl; the magic shell should harden almost immediately. Sprinkle with additional coconut shreds and enjoy!
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