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Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream in the Ninja Creami

Cherry chocolate ice cream in the Ninja Creami with a smooth dark chocolate base and dark cherry pieces swirled throughout. A Black Forest-inspired Creami recipe with ruby-red cherries and an easy mix-in step for a thick, scoopable texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Freeze 24 minutes
Total Time 59 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base and mix-ins
  • 1 cup chocolate milk Or use whole milk + 2 tablespoons cocoa.
  • 2 tbsp cocoa Use if using whole milk instead of chocolate milk.
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese Softened.
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp almond extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.33 cup frozen dark cherries Chopped for mix-in.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Blend the chocolate base
  1. Combine chocolate milk (or milk + cocoa), heavy cream, granulated sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth, 45-60 seconds, until no cream cheese lumps are visible.
  2. Scrape down and blend again for 10-15 seconds if needed so the base looks glossy and fully combined.
Freeze
  1. Pour the blended mixture into the Ninja Creami pint and cover, then freeze for 24 hours until solid and scoopable, with the surface fully set and opaque.
Process and fold in cherries
  1. Process the pint on the Ice Cream setting until churned, stopping once the texture looks thick and creamy; if it’s too stiff, re-spin with 1 tablespoon milk.
  2. Run the Mix-In function and fold in chopped frozen dark cherries until they’re evenly distributed with visible ruby pieces throughout.
Serve
  1. Top with a fresh cherry and serve immediately for the best contrast of dark chocolate base and bright cherry bits.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, soften the cream cheese fully before blending and blend until absolutely lump-free. After freezing, keep the processed pint covered in the freezer for up to 1 week; expect some texture firming. You can freeze the unprocessed base/pint for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge briefly only if your unit struggles to spin. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream with a high-fat dairy alternative (or add 1–2 tbsp more sugar to help it churn evenly).