Protein Ice Cream

Protein ice cream is one of the greatest tools in the healthy eating toolbox. Whether you have the world’s worst sweet tooth (me), have high protein goals that are difficult to reach without protein powder (me), or want to save money by avoiding the fancy healthy ice cream products (also me), making your own protein ice cream is the way to go.

All the recipes below have five ingredients or less and incorporate micronutrient packed fruits. But don’t worry, they’re still super creamy and satisfy those ice cream cravings.

Things to know about making protein ice cream:

• If a recipe calls for vanilla protein powder and cocoa powder, you can just use chocolate protein powder. I prefer the taste of vanilla protein with added cocoa over any chocolate protein powder I’ve ever had. Not to mention, you can use vanilla protein powder for just about any recipe. But going from chocolate protein to vanilla, on the other hand, is pretty much impossible.
• You can use any liquid for these recipes. I typically use unsweetened almond or cashew milk since they have 25-30 calories per cup. If you have the calories available, using whole fat milks will make a thicker protein ice cream.
• Many of the protein ice cream recipes below use frozen fruit as base ingredients. While the recipes are themed to that particular fruit, you can usually get away with substitutions for similar fruits. For example, mango could be swapped for pineapple, blueberries could be swapped for other berries, and you could even reduce carbs in a recipe by swapping an avocado for a banana.
• You won’t see instructions under each protein ice cream recipe because they’re all the same. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. 

And as one final note on making your protein ice cream, you can adjust the consistency to your preference by increasing/decreasing the liquid ingredients. If you’d like a thicker ice cream that can be scooped like the blueberry mango, use very little liquid. And if you like the frosty consistency of the piña colada protein ice cream, add more liquid. Gradually add it in and don’t be afraid to stray (slightly) from the recipe to make it work for your ingredients.

Blueberry Mango Protein Ice Cream

I’ve seen some call this recipe the best protein ice cream they’ve ever made. And who am I to disagree? In terms of consistency, it’s unbelievably creamy for the ingredients and virtually nonexistent fat content.

• 1 C (140g) Frozen Blueberries
• 1 C (140g) Frozen Mango Chunks
• 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1/2 C Unsweetened Almond Milk

Strawberry Protein Ice Cream

Ready to open up a world of protein ice cream possibilities?

• 1 ½ C (210g) Frozen Strawberries
• 1 scoop (34g) Vanilla Protein Powder
• 3-4 ounces Diet Soda
• 1 Tbsp Stevia or 0-Cal Sweetener (optional)
• Fat-Free Whipped Topping (optional)

Macros: 200 Calories, 24g Protein, 23g Carbs, 1g Fat

Diet soda say whaaaat? This is by far the most asked about protein ice cream ingredient, and I guess it does seem strange. The diet soda works like a semi leavening agent and creates a fluff effect in the ice cream. Seriously, ya just gotta try it.

I typically use Diet Dr. Pepper, but you can use any diet soda. In the photo above, I crumbled a bit of graham crackers on top. You could turn this into a strawberry cheesecake protein ice cream by adding a tablespoon of sugar free, fat free cheesecake pudding mix to the ice cream.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Protein Ice Cream

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana triplet is the most underrated flavor tandem out there. For real real, it’s just so darn tasty.

•  1 large (110g) Frozen Banana
• 1 scoop (34g) Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1 Tbsp (6g) PB2 or Powdered Peanut Butter
• 1 Tbsp (5g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 C Cashew Milk (less liquid = thicker ice cream)

Macros: 265 Calories, 27g Protein, 37g Carbs, 2g Fat

If you have the fat available, you could swap the PB2 for a tablespoon of real peanut butter to make this protein ice cream extra creamy. Depending on the size of your banana and the consistency of your protein powder, you may want to start with 1/4 C liquid and add as needed.

Piña Colada Protein Ice Cream (Frosty Consistency)

If you’ve seen this recipe before, it’s because I originally developed it for Stronger U. If you’re unfamiliar with Stronger U, they’re the best nutrition coaching company on the globe, having helped over 10,000 people lose more than 100,000 pounds at this point. Disclaimer: I currently serve as their Chief Deliciousness Officer so I’m a bit biased.

• 1 scoop (34g) Protein Powder
• 1 C (140g) Frozen Pineapple Chunks
• 1 Tbsp (7g) Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• 1/4 C (60mL) Unsweetened Almond Milk

Macros: 262 Calories, 26g Protein, 29g Carbs, 4g Fat

By now you’re starting to see the power of frozen pineapple and mango, right? They’re extremely versatile, work really well with other fruits and ingredients, and make protein ice cream actually creamy without fat. S’magical.

What’s Next?

If you try any of these recipes, I want to know. Be sure to tag Mugs for Muscles on Instagram in your protein ice cream re-creations. And if you’re on Pinterest, I always appreciate the shares there. I’ve even made a cute image perfect for Pinterest below.

Also, if you’re looking for a sweet treat to make without a blender, check out this 3-ingredient protein fluff. Or if you’d like to learn more about making real (not-so-healthYy) ice cream, check out our recipe for no churn cookies and cream ice cream.