Protein Ice Cream

Turn your protein shake into ice cream with this easy and healthy recipe. This 200 calorie Protein Ice Cream packs over 20 grams of protein per serving and is made in a blender with just five ingredients.

Homemade protein ice cream

It’s 2024 and you walk into any grocery store. Already at the entrance, a magic protein salad catches your eyes. It must be good stuff after all, everyone buys it. Such a shame that it costs a fortune. You then go down all the way to the dairy section and stumble upon protein milk, protein pudding and even protein Greek yogurt. Wow, same ingredients, same protein content and…twice the price. What a scam!

But it is the freezer area that triggers impulsive purchases. Outside it’s scorching hot, and that protein ice cream has just 400 calories for the whole pint. Worth the bank loan, such an investment.

This is a thing of the past, my dear friend.

Time to stop buying expensive protein icecream and make your own. At home, with just four simple ingredients and a blender. Trust me, it tastes better Ben and Jerry’s or Halo Top protein ice cream!

Why you will love this protein ice cream recipe

It’s May and it starts getting quite hot here in Spain. That level of heat where all you wanna do is to put your head in the freezer and stay there for the day. Or rather, that level of heat where all you wanna do is to open the freezer and take out ice cream. Scoop after scoop, it’s time to get more.

Tired of expensive protein gelato full of nasty ingredients, I turned to homemade protein ice cream. Ever since making it for the first time, I knew this would have become one of my favorite recipes ever. I love it, and you will love it too because…

The ingredients

You only need four basic ingredients to make protein ice cream at home. What’s more, this recipe is incredibly versatile, so that you can adapt it to your needs and preferences.

• Frozen bananas. Use peeled and sliced frozen bananas, the riper they are, the sweeter the ice cream. As it essential for a good consistency, there are no real substitutes for frozen banana.
• Protein powder. I recommend whey protein powder because it produces smoother and creamier ice cream without tasting grainy. But you can also use vegan protein powder or casein.
• Greek yogurt. This recipe works best with thick yogurt such as Greek yogurt, either nonfat or full-fat. Substitute with Skyr, quark, thick coconut yogurt or any dairy-free alternative from a thick texture.
• Nut butter. For the best taste prefer almond butter or cashew butter, they are sweet and delicate. You can replace with peanut butter, or use sunflower seed butter or tahini for a nut free recipe.

Which is the best protein powder for ice cream?

Although this recipe can be made with any type of protein powder, whey is the best option. Whey protein powder produces smoother and creamier ice cream that has a good consistency without grains. The reason is that it mixes very well and does not absorb plenty of moisture. In contrast, vegan protein powder and casein are highly absorbent and tend to make ice creams grainy.

But nothing holds you from making ice cream with vegan protein powder or casein. Just bear in mind that you may need to adjust the consistency of the mixture with more yogurt or with a tablespoon of milk.

With respect to flavor, this recipe works best with vanilla, chocolate or unflavored protein powder. Of course you can use other flavors such as cinnamon crunch, brownie or even toasted coconut. But I highly suggest picking simple flavors or your gelato may taste artificial.

6 different protein ice cream flavors

Here are five ways how you can customize this recipe to and make your favorite ice cream flavor at home.

• Chocolate ice cream protein treat. Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and serve with chocolate chips on top, if you wish. Or try my chocolate cottage cheese protein ice cream!
• Vanilla protein ice cream. Select vanilla protein powder, or add half a teaspoon vanilla extract to the protein icecream base.
• Protein strawberry ice cream. Replace one banana with half a cup of frozen strawberries. Or use frozen blueberries and make a blueberry treat.
• Cookie dough ice cream. Use peanut butter as your nut butter of choice and stir in some chocolate chips before serving.
• Cookies and cream ice cream. After blending, crush in some Oreos or any sugar-free alternative.
• Mint chocolate chip protein ice cream. You can either use mint flavored protein powder, or blend in a hint of mint extract. After this simple swap, stir in the low cal protein ice cream base some chocolate chips.

How to make protein ice cream in a blender

Blend. Place sliced frozen bananas, protein powder, Greek yogurt and nut butter into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. This should take around 3 to 5 minutes. When it reaches a soft serve consistency, your ice cream is ready.

Serve. Scoop the ice cream into two bowls, crush in some nuts if you want and serve right away or pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment. Cover and place in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Recipe tips

• Make ice cream with whey protein powder. It produces a smooth and creamy consistency without making your gelato thick and grainy.
• Opt for almond butter, cashew butter or tahini. In comparison to peanut butter, they have a less strong, delicate taste.
• Replace one of the bananas with your favorite frozen fruit. I recommend frozen strawberries, blueberries, frozen mango and frozen pineapple.
• Use a powerful food processor and mix at high speed. This way all ingredients will blend completely without lumps.
• Be creative and add some extra ingredients. Cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chocolate chips…The sky’s the limit!

FAQ – Frequently asked questions

More high protein desserts

• Chocolate protein ice cream
• 3 ingredient chocolate protein mousse
• Protein edible brownie batter
• Protein cookie dough
• Protein shake recipe
• Greek yogurt protein brownies
• Pumpkin cookie dough
• Frozen protein dessert

Blog post with the kind support of Nadine Primeau for creation of visual content.