Red Berry Milkshake in the Ninja Slushi

No more need to store tubs of vanilla ice cream, we make the liquid base with a whisk and the machine whips it up on its own. The result is much more consistent than with a traditional blender, because the Ninja Slushi paddle continuously aerates the milk. You get a very soft frozen drink, where the fruitiness of the strawberry or raspberry blends perfectly with the richness of the cream. The texture through the straw remains consistent until the very last drop, without any unwanted ice crystals.

Red Berry Milkshake in the Ninja Slushi

Recipe by Camille Roos

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: MilkshakeCuisine: Difficulty: Easy

Servings

4

people

Prep

10

minutes

Freeze time

35

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

A red berry milkshake, prepared directly in the bowl using milk and cream, without using commercial ice cream.

Ingredients

• 500 ml whole milk

• 200 ml heavy liquid cream (30% fat)

• 300 g red berry coulis (or blended fruit filtered through a sieve)

• 80 g granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• If using fresh or frozen fruit, blend them finely and pass them through a sieve to remove seeds, then set aside 300 g of this coulis.
• In a bowl or pitcher, vigorously whisk the whole milk, liquid cream, sugar, vanilla, and red berry coulis until the sugar is completely dissolved. The fat from the whole milk and cream guarantees the final creaminess of the milkshake.
• Pour this mixture into your Ninja Slushi bowl, checking that the level is well between the Min and Max lines to allow for optimal churning.
• Select the Milkshake program and let the appliance churn the preparation until it reaches a thick and velvety texture. The adjusted sugar ratio (10 to 12%) prevents the milk from crystallizing against the wall.

Banana and plant-based milk variant

Banana and plant-based milk variant : Replace the milk and cream with barista-style oat milk, and blend a ripe banana with the red berries to maintain the creaminess without lactose.

The importance of fat and sugar

To achieve this rich, coating texture without using commercial ice cream, everything relies on the balance of the liquid base. The whole milk and 30% liquid cream provide the essential fat for the mixture to aerate correctly under the action of the rotating paddle. Without this fat, the final texture would resemble a watery slush that is unpleasant in the mouth. The other crucial point is the sugar (here around 10 to 12% of the total volume). It acts as a natural antifreeze and prevents the dairy preparation from crystallizing into a hard block against the cooling wall. This is exactly the same principle of balance that I rigorously apply to my vanilla milkshake in the Ninja Slushi. If you find your seasonal red berries are already very sweet, you can slightly reduce the indicated amount, but I advise against removing it completely as it may strain the appliance’s motor.

Filtering the fruit: a small but essential step

Red berries, particularly raspberries and blackberries, are full of small seeds. In a traditional blender, they are pulverized at high speed, but in our machine, the paddle only churns the cold mixture without ever grinding the ingredients. If you pour simply crushed fruit into the bowl, these seeds will remain completely intact. They will disrupt the texture on the tongue and, above all, risk clogging your straws when serving. This is why I systematically take a few minutes to pass my fruit purée through a fine sieve before incorporating it into the rest of the milk. You can also buy a high-quality ready-to-use coulis in stores, simply checking its sugar content to adjust the base recipe. To vary the pleasures without needing to use a sieve, naturally melting fruit flesh also works very well, as in my banana milkshake recipe.

Do you prefer it with fresh strawberries or a forest fruit mix?

Frequently asked questions

Why is my milkshake freezing too much on the sides of the bowl?

This is usually due to a lack of sugar or fat. Make sure to use whole milk combined with cream, and do not lower the amount of sugar below the recommended ratio.

Can frozen red berries be used for this recipe?

Yes, just let them thaw slightly so you can blend them finely and filter them. The fact that they are still cold will also speed up the drink’s setting time.

The « Add Liquid » light comes on during churning, what should I do?

This happens if the mixture becomes too dense or compact. Simply add a splash of whole milk directly through the small top hatch to thin it out.