Two Ingredient Protein Ice Cream

By Anna Sward

"Hi Protein Chef! It's getting really hot where I live right now, and I am really craving ice cream! Is there a way to make protein ice cream without using an ice cream machine? Thanks!" - Jason

I used to think you needed an ice cream maker to make ice cream. I spent years wishing I had an ice cream maker, bookmarking exotic homemade ice cream recipes, and adding ice cream makers to my Amazon.com cart, only to then remove them. After buying a waffle maker and a juicer, I couldn't justify the purchase of another kitchen appliance.

One day it dawned on me: I could make ice cream without a machine! I mean, what do ice cream makers do? They churn a cream-based mixture for a long time while cooling it. I thought, "I can do this by churning the mixture myself! By just placing it in the freezer, taking it out to give it a churn, sticking it back in, giving it another churn, and repeating, I'll get an ice-cream-like consistency".

So, I tried it. The result? Spectacular! The ice cream was smooth, creamy, cold, and absolutely perfect for a hot summer day. What's also great about protein ice cream is that it's unbelievably easy to make. All you need is time and two—yes, two—ingredients: Greek yogurt and protein powder.

Here's a recipe to get you started:

Ingredients

• 1 big tub of 2% Greek Yogurt (roughly 500 g)
• 1/2 cup of Cellucor Marshmallow & Peanut Butter Whey Protein Powder

Directions

1. In a large Tupperware container—ideally square shaped for the increased surface area—mix yogurt with the protein powder until you get a smooth mixture.
2. Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto the Tupperware. The thinner the layer, the faster it will chill.
3. Place in freezer for an hour.
4. After an hour, take it out, and give it a churn. Mix your protein-packed mixture with a spoon or, better yet, a fork to break up potential clumps. Stick it back in the freezer for 30 minutes.
5. Complete Step 4 a few more times until the mixture reaches your preferred consistency.
6. Remove the ice cream from the freezer, get a scooper out, and serve yourself a bowl of healthy ice cream!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size Recipe serves 2-3

Amount per serving

Calories 511

Total Fat13g

Total Carbs22g (3 g sugar)

Protein76g

 Protein Ice Cream PDF (314 KB)

Notes ///

1. Consider melting a square or two of dark chocolate and pouring that on top of the ice cream. It'll congeal on impact, creating a delicious chocolate shell.
2. You can make this recipe with casein too. If you do, be sure to use a bit over 1/4 cup of casein, since it will absorb a lot more of the moisture from the yogurt than the whey does.
3. Try this with different flavors of whey, and consider adding some extra flavoring to the mixture. Cinnamon or vanilla pods would mesh well with this ice cream.
4. To heighten the banana flavor, mush a ripe banana in with the yogurt and whey.
5. You could use 0 percent Greek yogurt to make this too. However, bear in mind that 2 percent—or even full-fat—yogurt will yield a creamier batch.