The Easiest Way To Give Your Homemade Ice Cream A Boost Of Protein

Ice cream is a popular dessert most of us treat as an occasional indulgence. Yet, with added protein, ice cream becomes more than just an after-meal treat. Protein-rich ice cream can also be consumed as a mid-morning pick-me-up or an afternoon snack. If you're new to the world of protein ice cream, you might initially assume a no-fuss shortcut for making custard ice cream is the way to go. After all, frozen custard includes more egg yolks than conventional ice cream. However, for a more simplified solution, all you need to do is add protein powder to your favorite homemade ice cream recipe.

Beyond serving as a super-convenient protein supplement, most protein powders blend well into moisture-rich foods such as ice cream. While the secret to successfully cooking with protein powder is using plant-based varieties, such as rice and pea, protein ice cream can be made with both plant and milk-based powders. As a matter of fact, choosing a dairy-rich powder primarily composed of whey or casein may result in a creamier, more satisfying consistency.

To successfully incorporate protein powder in homemade ice cream, include one or two scoops to the base ingredients of your recipe before blending. Consider using a flavored powder, such as chocolate or vanilla, or use an unflavored variety if your recipe already highlights a special flavor. That being said, even though adding protein powder to ice cream is fairly straightforward, depending on your specific recipe, you may need to make a few minor adjustments.

Truth be told, the base ingredients of your recipe coupled with the appliance you're using may affect the resulting consistency of your ice cream. For example, the Ninja Creami can blend and freeze both high- and low-fat ingredients into ultra-creamy delights while a standard ice cream maker, such as the Cuisinart ice cream maker, requires ample amounts of fat and sugar to make creamy, traditional ice cream.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to incorporate protein powder into homemade ice cream. For a more simplified process that welcomes versatility in your ingredient selection, make protein ice cream in your blender. Next to using milk, ice, and protein powder, feel free to use extra ingredients, such as frozen bananas, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt. Then, all you need to do is blend everything together, transfer the mixture to a standard loaf-sized pan, and freeze.

Whichever way you incorporate more protein into your next batch of ice cream, you can further upgrade your recipe's resulting flavor with one or two more specialty ingredients. For example, make homemade vanilla ice cream taste like it's from a creamery by using vanilla bean paste. If you're making chocolate ice cream, feel free to use a bit of cocoa powder or dark chocolate shavings for an extra-rich taste.