Name: Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream with Pudding Mix
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 1 d 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 4 TBSP dry instant chocolate pudding mix; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

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Making chocolate pudding ice cream in the Ninja Creami machine is an easy way to enjoy a chocolatey treat with minimal effort!

Did you know you can make Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream with instant pudding mix? It’s so simple!

three scoops of Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream made with instant pudding mix, served in a glass ice cream dish. A spoon and the Ninja Creami pint are in the background.

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I’ve been making homemade ice cream for many years, and while I love experimenting with different flavors, I almost always come back to the classics.

The wide appeal of a delicious vanilla or chocolate ice cream is for good reason.

They’re both good enough to enjoy on their own, but they also can serve as a blank canvas for a variety of toppings or mix-ins.

One thing I love about the Ninja Creami ice cream maker is the ability to customize recipes and techniques, so that you always have a few pints of ice cream in the freezer, ready to go.

Ever since I made Ninja Creami vanilla ice cream with pudding mix, I knew I had to try a chocolate version.

And that’s how this Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream made with pudding was born!

Ninja Creami pint container of chocolate ice cream that was made with instant chocolate pudding mix

Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami

In my opinion, the best Ninja Creami recipes are the ones that are easy to make.

I don’t want to worry about tempering egg yolks or tracking down obscure ingredients when I’m just trying to satisfy my sweet tooth.

And although there are several Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream recipes, I always prefer the simpler ones.

It’s ridiculously easy to make smooth, creamy chocolate ice cream from some instant pudding mix and a handful of other ingredients.

The great thing about the pudding mix is that it serves multiple purposes.

It adds chocolate flavor (instead of adding cocoa powder), provides sweetness for the ice cream base (instead of adding sugar), and it also serves as a stabilizer (no cream cheese necessary).

Plus, pudding mixes are super inexpensive to buy, which makes it easy to stock up and keep some on hand in your pantry.

The resulting texture is a silky smooth, creamy ice cream!

More Ninja Creami Recipes using Pudding Mix:

close-up side view of a dish serving scoops of Ninja Creami chocolate pudding ice cream.

How to Make Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream from Pudding Mix

It’s simple to create a delicious frozen treat with just a few ingredients.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Whole milk
Instant chocolate pudding mix
Heavy cream
Vanilla extract
Optional mix-ins as desired

overhead view of a ninja creami pint of chocolate ice cream, a serving dish with scoops of chocolate pudding ice cream in it, and a spoon.

How to Make it:

Dissolve the pudding mix. In a small bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together dry instant chocolate pudding powder and milk. Mix until the powder is dissolved.

two photos; one shows dry instant pudding mix added to milk in a large measuring cup; the other shows those ingredients whisked together.

Finish the base. Add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Transfer the mixture to a Ninja Creami pint container and close the lid.

two photos; one shows heavy cream and vanilla extract added to the mixture in the measuring cup; the other shows the mixed ingredients transferred to a Ninja Creami pint container.

Freeze. Place the pint container on a level surface in your freezer and freeze for at least 24 hours.

Spin. Remove the pint from the freezer and take off the lid. Place the pint in the outer bowl apparatus and close the outer bowl lid.

Place bowl assembly into the Ninja Creami ice cream machine.

Press the Ice Cream button to process.

two photos; one shows the frozen pint of pudding ice cream in a ninja creami bowl apparatus; the other shows the outer bowl in the ninja creami machine, with a woman's finger pointing to the ice cream button.

Check the consistency. Remove the pint from the machine and check the texture of the ice cream.

If it seems crumbly after running the ice cream function, you can insert it back into the machine and use the Re-spin function to spin it again.

If it’s still crumbly after that, add a tablespoon of milk and Re-spin again. This should give it the smooth consistency of a soft-serve ice cream.

two photos; one shows crumbly chocolate ice cream in a pint container; the other shows the same ice cream after the Re-spin function on the Ninja Creami, resulting in smooth soft ice cream.

Optional: Mix-in. If you’re adding any mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or chopped Oreo cookies, you can create a well in the ice cream that’s about 1/2-inch wide and extends down to the bottom of the pint.

Add your mix-in pieces to the well and insert the pint back into the machine.

Use the Mix-in function to incorporate the pieces into the ice cream, then scoop and serve.

Or skip the mix-in and add some fresh fruit and whipped cream for your very own sundae!

side view of a glass dish that serves chocolate pudding ice cream made in the Ninja Creami. The remaining pint and a spoon are in the background.

Notes and Adaptations:

With regular instant chocolate pudding mix, this homemade chocolate ice cream has a delicious chocolate flavor reminiscent of a Wendy’s chocolate Frosty, but a bit stronger. It’s not a super rich flavor, which I like. You can also try using dark chocolate pudding mix for a more intense flavor.
The vanilla extract enhances the flavor but does not overpower it. If you don’t have any on hand, you can omit it. Or, try vanilla bean paste instead if you’d like.
Need to make this dairy-free? Simply use coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and a nondairy milk (such as coconut milk, oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, etc.) instead of whole milk. You may need to use a blender to blend in the coconut cream.
For a sugar-free version, try this Ninja Creami sugar free chocolate ice cream recipe.
The leftovers of this ice cream are great for making a Ninja Creami milkshake!

overhead view of the top of a Ninja Creami pint filled with chocolate pudding ice cream. An ice cream scoop swirls the top of the ice cream, showing its creamy, silky texture.

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 1 pint

Ninja Creami Chocolate Ice Cream with Pudding Mix

This easy Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream is made using instant pudding mix, which creates a silky smooth treat!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 day

Total Time 1 day 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 TBSP dry instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together milk and chocolate pudding mix until the powder has dissolved.
Add heavy cream and vanilla extract, mixing to combine.
Pour mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container and close the lid. Transfer to a level surface in your freezer and freeze for at least 24 hours.
Remove pint from freezer and take off lid. Place pint into the outer bowl apparatus and secure the outer bowl lid. Place outer bowl into the Ninja Creami machine.
Use the Ice Cream function to process the pint of ice cream.
Remove pint from machine and check the consistency of the ice cream. If it appears crumbly, insert it back into the machine and use the Re-spin button to process it again. If it's still crumbly, add a tablespoon of milk and Re-spin again.
Optional: If you'd like to add a mix-in, create a well in the center of the ice cream that's about 1/2-inch wide and extends to the bottom of the pint. Add your mix-in pieces to the well, and insert the pint back into the machine. Use the Mix-in function to incorporate the pieces into the ice cream.

Notes

With regular instant chocolate pudding mix, this homemade chocolate ice cream has a delicious chocolate flavor reminiscent of a Wendy's chocolate Frosty, but a bit stronger. It's not a super rich flavor, which I like. You can also try using dark chocolate pudding mix for a more intense flavor.
The vanilla extract enhances the flavor but does not overpower it. If you don't have any on hand, you can omit it. Or, try vanilla bean paste instead if you'd like.
You'll use about half of a small box of instant pudding mix. You can either double the recipe to make two pints and use up all the pudding mix, or you can save the rest of the mix for another day.
I have not tested this recipe with sugar-free pudding, but I suspect it would work fine as long as you are still incorporating some fat in the base.
Need to make this dairy-free? Simply use coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and a nondairy milk (such as coconut milk, oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, etc.) instead of whole milk. You may need to use a blender to blend in the coconut cream.