Scoop&Slush

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Caramel kissed cream with the sea salt held back for the mix in, so little salty pops land in every spoonful. Seaside stand energy, straight from the pint.

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Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Ninja CreamiPrep
5 minFreeze
24 hoursMakes
1 pint · 4 servings

Why you’ll love this

Sweet caramel cream with little salty pops hidden in every spoonful, so each bite swings between cosy and surprising; it tastes like a seaside candy shop in the best way. It suits sundae nights, warm pie on the side, and anyone who licks the salt off the pretzel first.

What you’ll need

A few simple ingredients for a big, delicious idea.

Cream cheese
Cream cheese
Granulated sugar
Granulated sugar
Caramel extract
Caramel extract
Heavy cream
Heavy cream
Whole milk
Whole milk
Sea salt
Sea salt

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ninja CreamiPrep 5 min24 hours

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Make the base

    Put the cream cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Add the sugar and caramel extract and whisk until the mixture looks like frosting, about 60 seconds. For a Deluxe pint, use 1½ tablespoons cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and 1½ teaspoons caramel extract.

  2. Whisk in the cream

    Slowly mix in the heavy cream and milk until fully combined and the sugar is dissolved. For a Deluxe pint, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1½ cups whole milk.

  3. Freeze the pint

    Pour the base into an empty pint, place the storage lid on, and freeze for 24 hours.

  4. Set up the pint

    Take the pint out of the freezer and remove the storage lid, then set the pint up in the machine. For a Deluxe pint, select TOP, FULL, or BOTTOM before choosing the program.

  5. Select ICE CREAM

    Select ICE CREAM and let the program spin the frozen base into ice cream.

  6. Add the sea salt

    With a spoon, create a 1½ inch wide hole that reaches the bottom of the pint. Add the sea salt to the hole (1½ teaspoons for a Deluxe pint) and process again using the MIX-IN program.

  7. Serve

    When processing is complete, take the ice cream out of the pint and serve immediately.

Nutrition guide

The nutrition scoop

Per serving · 1 of 4 servings from one pint

  • Fat 64%
  • Carbs 31%
  • Protein 5%

A happy middle: real treat flavor without going over the top.

Total fat 19 g
Carbohydrates 21 g
Protein 3 g
of which sugars 21 g
Saturated fat 12 g 61% daily value
Cholesterol 70 mg 24% daily value
Sodium 635 mg 28% daily value
Dietary fiber 0 g 0% daily value
Calcium 100 mg 8% daily value
Vitamin C 0 mg 0% daily value

Where the calories live

The heavy cream brings the biggest share of the calories here, about 57 percent of the batch, with the granulated sugar next in line.

The bright spot

Most of the flavor rides on the heavy cream, and the numbers stay in treat territory rather than meal territory.

Want a lighter scoop

Swap half the heavy cream for whole milk. The spin stays creamy and every serving lands noticeably lighter.

Estimated from the ingredients exactly as written, using standard reference values for each ingredient. Your brands and swaps will shift the numbers a little. Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Make it your own

  • Start with the base recipe, then swap one ingredient at a time.
  • Try a different topping after processing.
  • Keep notes so you can revisit your favorite combination.

Texture tips

  • A level, fully solid freeze gives the smoothest spin.
  • Freeze CREAMi bases level and completely solid.
  • For SLUSHi, check compatible liquids and minimum sugar requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the salt a mix in instead of going in the base?

Holding the salt back keeps it in distinct little crystals that pop against the sweet caramel, instead of dissolving into a uniformly salty base.

What are the Deluxe pint amounts?

For a Deluxe pint: 1½ tablespoons cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons caramel extract, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1½ cups whole milk, and 1½ teaspoons sea salt as the mix in.

What if the pint looks crumbly after the first spin?

Run the respin program once before adding the mix in. A very cold freezer often needs that extra pass for a smooth scoop.

Can I use table salt instead of sea salt?

Fine sea salt is the best swap because it disperses in small pops. Coarse flakes work too, but use a little less so no single bite turns harsh.