Are you obsessed with the trendy strawberry matcha ice cream but don't want to spend $10+ on a restaurant scoop or store-bought pint? This homemade ice cream recipe gives you gorgeous green & pink swirls with the perfect balance of earthy matcha & sweet strawberries for a fraction of the cost!
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This one's for all my green tea & seasonal strawberry lovers! With this simple recipe, you can make creamy, Instagram-worthy strawberry matcha ice cream whenever the craving hits!
I can't get over how easy it is to make scoop shop-quality ice cream at home with my Ninja Creami! This strawberry matcha flavor is a new favorite, but I've also been enjoying lemon blueberry cheesecake ice cream with it!
I love that you only need a few ingredients. Especially if you're using flavored kefir. I partnered with Lifeway Kefir on this recipe because their strawberry kefir tastes amazing and creates the best creamy texture! Their kefir is great in my peach ice cream and cookies & cream ice cream recipes, too.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The flavor combination is unique and refreshing - slightly savory matcha balanced with sweet, fruity strawberries.
- It's so much more affordable than buying it from ice cream shops (and you get way more!)
- The colors are absolutely stunning - vibrant green and pink swirls that look like edible art!
- You can make both flavors separately if you prefer them on their own.
- It uses simple ingredients you can easily find, including kefir for extra creaminess and probiotics.
- The Ninja Creami makes the texture incredibly smooth and creamy every time.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make both ice cream flavors:
Ingredient Notes:
- Frozen strawberries are what I use because I always have them on hand, but fresh strawberries work, too!
- Lifeway's lowfat strawberry kefir has a wonderful strawberry flavor that isn't overly sweet. Plus, it's 99% lactose-free, gluten-free, and packed with probiotics!
- Culinary-grade matcha powder works really well in this recipe, which is great because it's less expensive than ceremonial matcha! Matcha Love's Japanese Culinary Matcha is my go-to.
- 2% milk gives the right balance of creaminess without being too heavy.
- Heavy cream makes the matcha base extra rich and smooth.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- I think I nailed the sweetness in these ice creams, but everyone's taste buds are different (and so are the brands of matcha & strawberry kefir)! Taste test the liquid mixture before freezing to see if you want to add any extra sugar.
- Only have skim or 1% milk on hand? Use what you have, but substitute ¼ cup of the milk for heavy cream.
- Only have whole milk in your fridge? Dilute it with a splash of water.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Equipment
Be sure you have the following on hand before getting started:
- 2 Ninja Creami pints - You'll need two separate pints since we're making two different flavors
- Ninja Creami machine (regular or Swirl version both work!)
- An immersion blender or food processor to crush the strawberries
- Fine mesh sieve to strain the matcha mixture and remove any lumps
How to Make Strawberry Matcha Ice Cream
Step 1: Heat the strawberries in the microwave until warm and soft (60-90 seconds). Mix in the sugar while blending the strawberries with an immersion blender or food processor until it's mostly smooth (some strawberry bits are okay).
Step 2: Pour the strawberry mixture into a Ninja Creami pint and then stir in the strawberry kefir really well. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Step 3: Heat the milk in the microwave until warm (30-60 seconds). Mix in the matcha and sugar really well. You want to get rid of any clumps, but don't make it too frothy.
Step 4: Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a separate Ninja Creami pint. This step will prevent any leftover matcha clumps from getting into your ice cream!
Step 5: Stir the heavy cream into the matcha mixture, then cover and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Step 6: Once both pints are completely frozen, take them out and remove their lids.
Step 7: One at a time, run each pint through the Lite Ice Cream setting (rinsing the paddle lid between flavors). If either looks crumbly after the first run, do the Re-Spin setting until smooth and creamy.
If you're using the regular Ninja Creami, you can stop here and enjoy them separately or scoop them together!
Step 8: If you're using the Ninja Creami Swirl, place about half of the strawberry ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Press the remaining strawberry ice cream to one side of the pint (make sure it's divided halfway across the swirl spout). Then, carefully scoop the matcha ice cream into the other half of the pint. Secure the swirl lid, place in the dispenser, and swirl into a cone or dish!
Ninja Ice Cream Tips
- Strain that matcha! Even if you think you whisked it perfectly, running it through a sieve removes any tiny lumps.
- Don't skip the heating step. Warming the strawberries and milk helps the sugar and matcha dissolve much better than trying to mix them into cold liquids.
- Tap out air bubbles. Before freezing, gently tap the pints on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
- Freeze completely. Make sure both pints are frozen for at least 8 hours. I usually make mine the night before I want to serve them.
- Store flavors separately. If you have leftovers, store the remaining strawberry and matcha ice creams in separate containers. This way you can "Re-Spin" each ice cream without having the colors mix into a brownish color.
Common Questions
These ice creams haven't been tested with a regular ice cream maker, but please let us know in the comments if you try it!
Culinary-grade matcha works perfectly for this recipe and is more budget-friendly than ceremonial grade. I like using Matcha Love's Japanese Culinary Matcha. Save the fancy ceremonial stuff for drinking!
Storage
Store any leftover ice cream in separate Creami pints or freezer-safe containers in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. I recommend storing the strawberry and matcha flavors separately to maintain their distinct tastes and colors.
Re-serving: If your leftover ice cream gets too hard, you can run it through the Re-Spin setting in your Ninja Creami to restore that creamy texture! Or, you can let it sit at room temperature until soft enough to enjoy.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Matcha Ice Cream (Ninja Creami Recipe)
Equipment
- 2 Ninja Creami pints
- Ninja Creami Swirl or Regular
- Immersion blender or food processor recommended
- Scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
Ingredients
Strawberry Ice Cream
- ¾ cup (108 g) frozen strawberries fresh works too
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups (300 g) Lifeway Lowfat Strawberry Kefir
Matcha Ice Cream
- 1 cup (240 g) 2% milk see notes below for other options
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) culinary matcha
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) heavy cream
Instructions
Strawberry Ice Cream
- Heat the strawberries in a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup (2-cup capacity) or bowl until warm and mushy (60-90 seconds).¾ cup frozen strawberries
- Add the sugar and blend with an immersion blender (or in a food processor) until mostly smooth. Some small strawberry chunks are okay.2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pour the mixture into one of your Ninja Creami pints, and then stir in the strawberry kefir really well.1¼ cups Lifeway Lowfat Strawberry Kefir
- Gently tap the pint on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Then cover with its lid and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Matcha Ice Cream
- Heat the milk in a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup (2-cup capacity) or bowl until warm (30-60 seconds).1 cup 2% milk
- Whisk in the matcha and sugar really well. You want the sugar to dissolve, but not let the matcha get too frothy.2 tablespoons culinary matcha, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve (to remove any matcha clumps) into your second Ninja Creami pint, then stir in the heavy cream.½ cup heavy cream
- Gently tap the pint on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Then cover with its lid and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Ninja Creami - Regular
- Once both pints are frozen, take them out of the freezer and remove the lids.
- One at a time, run each pint through the Lite Ice Cream setting of your Ninja Creami. If it looks crumbly after, then run it through the Re-Spin setting until smooth.Rinse and dry the paddle lid between flavors.
- If you're using the regular Ninja Creami, stop here and enjoy the flavors scooped together!
Ninja Creami - Swirl
- To swirl these flavors together, you'll need to combine them into one pint, divided equally at the swirl spout.
- Place about half of the strawberry ice cream into a separate freezer-safe container. Press the remaining strawberry ice cream to one side of the Creami pint.
- Carefully scoop matcha ice cream into the other side of the Creami pint. Be sure to fill any gap between the ice creams.
- Secure the swirl lid, place the pint in the swirl dispenser, and pull the lever to swirl the ice cream into a cone or dish!
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