Name: Ninja Creami Cranberry Ice Cream
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 1 d 5 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cups whole milk; 2 Tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup cranberry sauce

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Need an easy holiday treat? Make cranberry ice cream in the Ninja Creami!

This delicious Ninja Creami cranberry ice cream is a cinch to whip up, creating a simple yet tasty holiday dessert.

overhead view of scoops of cranberry ice cream in a glass dessert cup

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When the holidays roll around each year, I can’t wait to enjoy so many different cranberry desserts!

I love making cranberry pie, cranberry bread, and of course, cranberry sauce.

And because I’m always looking for ways to use up leftovers after a big holiday dinner, I knew I had to try making ice cream with leftover cranberry sauce.

Because it’s so easy ot make homemade ice cream in the the Ninja Creami ice cream maker, I decided to make Ninja Creami cranberry ice cream.

It was such a good choice!

The end result was a creamy, frozen treat with a festive pink hue, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of tartness.

It’s on our list of the best Ninja Creami berry recipes, and once you try it, you’ll see why!

Ninja Creami pint container of homemade cranberry ice cream, with an ice cream scoop in it.

Making Cranberry Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami Machine

To make this ice cream, I used my Ninja Creami cherry chocolate ice cream as a base, only I used whole berry cranberry sauce instead of cherry pie filling.

I used homemade cranberry sauce, made with fresh cranberries. I like to make it with orange juice or apple cider as the liquid in my cranberry sauce, because that helps to enhance the flavor.

But you can make whatever recipe you prefer, or use the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner at Aunt Edna’s, or even pick up a can of whole berry sauce from the grocery store.

Either way, it’s a cool and creamy treat that makes a fantastic dessert this time of year–I love that it’s not too heavy, especially after a big holiday meal.

More Ice Cream Recipes with a Holiday Twist:

scoops of Ninja Creami cranberry ice cream served in a glass dessert cup

How to Make Ninja Creami Cranberry Ice Cream

It’s super simple to make a delicious treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth this holiday season!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Milk
Instant vanilla pudding mix
Heavy cream
Vanilla extract
Cranberry sauce

a glass dessert cup serving scoops of ninja creami cranberry ice cream in the foreground, with a pint container of the remaining ice cream in the background

How to Make it:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Mix dairy and pudding mix. In a small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk and instant pudding mix until combined.

Add in the heavy cream and vanilla extract, whisking until incorporated.

two photos; one shows milk and pudding mix in a glass measuring cup; the other shows vanilla extract and heavy cream added to the milk mixture.

Blend in cranberry sauce. Add your cranberry sauce to the mixture, then combine. I used an immersion blender to blend everything together well.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can try stirring really well, but I found the cranberries tended to sink to the bottom.

So to incorporate everything really well, the immersion blender was really helpful.

Transfer the mixture to a Ninja Creami pint container, being careful not to exceed the max fill line.

two photos; one shows whole berry cranberry sauce being added to the milk mixture. The other shows the blended ice cream base in a Ninja Creami pint container.

Freeze. Place your pint container onto a level surface in your freezer for at least 24 hours.

Spin. Remove the pint from the freezer and take off the lid. Place the pint into the outer bowl and secure the outer bowl lid.

Place bowl assembly into the Ninja Creami ice cream machine and lock into place.

Press the Ice Cream button and allow the cycle to complete.

two photos; one shows frozen base for cranberry ice cream in a ninja creami pint container; the other shows a woman's finger pointing to the ice cream button on the ninja creami ice cream machine

Check consistency. When the first spin is complete, remove the outer bowl from the machine and check the ice cream’s consistency.

If the texture appears crumbly, insert it back into the machine and use the Re-spin button to cycle it again.

If it’s still crumbly after that, add a tablespoon of milk and Re-spin once more.

overhead view of ice cream made from cranberry sauce in a ninja creami pint container

Notes and Adaptations:

I used homemade whole berry cranberry sauce. If you’d like, you can use canned whole berry sauce, which is readily available in grocery stores this time of year. I have not tried using canned gelled cranberry sauce, but it might work fine as long as it’s blended into the base really well.
Dairy-free desserts can be hard to find during the Christmas season, but this is an easy recipe to adapt. I recommend using coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and a nondairy milk (such as oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or almond milk) instead of dairy milk.
Feel free to add some chocolate chips or chopped pecans as a mix in if you’d like!
If you’re enjoying leftovers of this ice cream, I suggest letting the pint sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften before scooping.
This ice cream would also be a good base for a smoothie bowl–top with fresh fruit, granola, chopped nuts, or whatever you desire.
Be sure to check out our list of Ninja Creami accessories to get the most out of your machine!

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 1 pint

Ninja Creami Cranberry Ice Cream

This easy cranberry ice cream is the perfect Ninja Creami treat for the holidays!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 day

Total Time 1 day 5 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cups whole milk
2 Tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cranberry sauce

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, combine milk and instant pudding mix. Whisk to combine.
Add heavy cream and vanilla extract, then whisk to incorporate.
Add the cranberry sauce and mix into the liquid. An immersion blender is the best way to incorporate the berries (so they don't sink to the bottom).
Transfer mixture to a Ninja Creami pint container, being careful not to exceed the max fill line, and close the lid. Place the pint on a level surface in your freezer for at least 24 hours.
Remove pint from freezer and take off lid. Place pint container into the outer bowl and secure the outer bowl lid.
Place bowl apparatus into the Ninja Creami machine and lock into place. Press the Ice Cream button and allow the cycle to complete.
Remove the pint and check the texture of the ice cream. If it has a crumbly consistency, return the pint to the machine and use the Re-spin button to cycle it again. If it's still crumbly after that, add a tablespoon of milk and Re-spin once more.

Notes

I used homemade whole berry cranberry sauce. If you'd like, you can use canned whole berry sauce, which is readily available in grocery stores this time of year. I have not tried using canned gelled cranberry sauce, but it might work fine as long as it's blended into the base really well.
Dairy-free desserts can be hard to find during the Christmas season, but this is an easy recipe to adapt. I recommend using coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and a nondairy milk (such as oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or almond milk) instead of dairy milk.
Feel free to add some chocolate chips or chopped pecans as a mix in if you'd like!
If you're enjoying leftovers of this ice cream, I suggest letting the pint sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften before scooping.
This ice cream would also be a good base for a smoothie bowl--top with fresh fruit, granola, chopped nuts, or whatever you desire.
Be sure to check out our list of Ninja Creami accessories to get the most out of your machine!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 216Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Printable Ninja Creami Recipes

If you’d like some delicious printable Ninja Creami recipes, check out Tried and True: 35 Favorite Ninja Creami Recipes!

It contains some fantastic recipes, all in an easy-to-use printable format that you can download to your device.

Check it out here, or click the image below to learn more!

mockup of digital download printable Ninja Creami recipes

Be sure to save this recipe to your Ninja Creami board on Pinterest!