Scoop into Summer: How the Ninja Swirl by Creami Revolutionizes Homemade Ice Cream with Soft Serve Perfection

The Ninja Creami made waves a few years back by taking features from $5,000 commercial ice cream makers and transforming it into an affordable home product costing under $200. While the Creami excels at creating sorbets, gelatos, and smoothie bowls, it still lacks the ability to make soft serve. With the introduction of the Swirl by Creami, Ninja may have developed the all-in-one ice cream maker for home use.

Design and Features

Instead of crafting a completely new and versatile machine, Ninja essentially added a soft serve component to the existing Creami design. A prominent handle was integrated, allowing users to experience the tactile feedback of dispensing their icy treat.

This may appear somewhat rudimentary from a design standpoint, but honestly, the Swirl isn’t designed to win any beauty contests. What truly matters is that it offers a clear and effective solution. When soft serve isn’t on the agenda, you can still use one of the included pint containers to make regular ice cream. However, achieving a smooth and airy texture can complicate the process slightly.

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The Ultimate Home Ice Cream Machine

Ninja Swirl by CREAMi Ice Cream and Soft Serve Maker

Although the Ninja Swirl costs more and is bulkier than the standard Creami, the capability to create soft serve along with nearly any other type of ice cream at home feels like a reality.

Pros

• Exceptional soft serve capabilities
• Enhanced ice cream settings
• Quieter operation
• Tactile dispensing handle

Cons

• Higher price than the original Creami
• Greater size and bulk
• No larger model available

$350 at Amazon

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$350 at Ninja

Along with the standard paddle lid, the Swirl features a distinct top necessary for creating soft serve. This version employs a new pint container equipped with a cleverly designed but somewhat complex dispensing nozzle. The twist cap at the bottom must remain closed for traditional scooped ice cream but open for soft-serve. Forgetting to seal it properly when freezing your ice cream mix could lead to issues, as the container won’t fit in the machine if not completely closed, resulting in wasted effort as you chip away at the stuck sections. Unfortunately, if soft serve isn’t on your agenda, you can’t use the classic Creami pints as they won’t fit (though similar to earlier versions, the Swirl’s lids and containers are dishwasher safe).

For those living in smaller apartments or kitchens, the Swirl’s size might be a concern. It’s approximately twice the weight and bulk of a typical Creami. Measuring 15.1 x 10 x 17.5 inches and weighing 20 pounds, finding a suitable storage spot could be crucial unless you have ample kitchen space.

Modes: The World is Your Ice Cream

One of the most impressive features of the Swirl is its versatility in making almost everything the Creami can, plus additional options. Besides the usual ice cream, lite ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and milkshake settings, it introduces new modes for frozen yogurt, fruit whip, frozen custard, and so-called Creamifits.

Most of these modes are easy to understand, but a few require further clarification. Fruit whips consist mainly of frozen fruits blended with sugar, creating a healthier sorbet-like dessert (similar to the delightful Dole whips). There’s also a dedicated mode for frozen custard, which is richer and creamier than traditional ice cream, often enhanced with extra egg yolks. This welcome addition is especially nice for those who miss frozen custard, as it is less common outside of certain U.S. regions. Lastly, Creamifit is a new concept for high-protein mixtures often incorporating whey, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt, turning workout shakes into delicious frozen delights.

When it’s time to prepare a batch, Ninja has streamlined the process by categorizing the functions into two primary types: one for regular scooped treats and another for soft serves. Notably, the smoothie bowl setting, present in older models, is absent here. However, this missing feature is not a significant drawback as the milkshake or Creamifit settings can serve as alternatives depending on the desired texture.

One enhancement from the original Creami is that Ninja has refined the Swirl’s blending settings, allowing you to achieve the desired texture without needing additional spins. My experience confirmed that this upgrade is effective; previously, I often needed a second run with the original Creami to achieve satisfaction, but the new model delivered consistent results for both soft serve and regular ice cream. Moreover, it operates quieter, although it still registers around 80 decibels from a distance of six feet. Compared to its predecessor, which peaked at about 82 decibels and would often send my young child fleeing the kitchen, this is a welcome improvement. You won’t want to watch TV nearby, but conversing is certainly more feasible.

Soft Serve: Tasting is Believing

If you’re able to manage the Swirl’s more intricate process, the results are genuinely rewarding. It can produce soft serve that rivals what you find at local shops or ice cream trucks; in fact, your creations could turn out even better since you control the ingredients. You can certainly follow tried-and-true recipes, but like the previous model, the true magic lies in the ability to experiment with various combinations while adhering to a few basic guidelines. That was exactly my approach in my first test batch.

As a parent, I actively seek ways to reduce food waste. Instead of discarding overripe strawberries and pineapple pieces at the week’s end, I diced them, added lime juice, and mixed with a third of a cup of sugar. After allowing the fruit to macerate, I placed them into the Swirl’s pint container and froze them overnight. The next day, I set the machine to the fruit whip mode, blended it, then switched to the soft serve lid before pulling down the lever. The outcome was exceptionally delightful.

The fruit whip’s consistency was wonderfully smooth with no noticeable ice crystals, delivering a burst of tropical flavors. The best part? It cost practically nothing as the ingredients would have likely been discarded in many households.

Next, I prepared a classic chocolate soft serve (using this recipe from Ninja’s Test Kitchen) since it’s my child’s favorite flavor. Instead of the standard whole milk, heavy cream, and cocoa powder, I utilized Fairlife chocolate milk. Not only does that increase the protein content, but it is also lactose-free. The result was an incredibly fluffy soft serve that had a near-marshmallow texture, delighting everyone in my family (even my lactose-intolerant wife). A classic treat, executed perfectly.

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Soft Serve Ice Cream Made Using the Ninja Swirl

A strawberry, pineapple and lime fruit whip made using the Ninja Swirl.

Following that, I experimented with a maraschino cherry soft serve by chopping cherries (preferably Luxardo) and mixing them with their syrup, Fairlife milk, and coconut cream. The Swirl’s soft serve setting is designed to incorporate plenty of air for a light, velvety texture, but I also added a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum for good measure. I blended the mixture as instructed, pulled down the handle, and voilà: a rich and dense but not overly heavy treat of cherries and cream.

Perhaps my most impressive creation was a matcha soft serve that has been the best I’ve ever tasted. My wife drinks matcha daily, and over the years, she has refined my palate to recognize poor-quality matcha instantly—like the ones used at Starbucks that taste like stale grass. By merging some quality ceremonial matcha with lactose-free milk and cream based on this recipe, I created a soft serve that surpassed anything typically available, especially since most ice cream shops lack substantial non-dairy selections.

Conclusion

Creating soft serve at home is often viewed as the elusive goal in the realm of desserts. Machines for churned treats have existed for years, with even one integrated into my grandmother’s kitchen counter. Yet, soft serve typically requires specialized and expensive machinery that most people can’t justify buying since they serve only a single purpose. Ninja has transformed this with the Swirl, which can produce delicious creations that can compete with store-bought options (and at a fraction of the price) while also being capable of making nearly any frozen dessert imaginable—all within one machine.

However, there are some downsides to the Swirl. To start, making soft serve results in roughly a quarter cup of ice cream getting lodged within various sections, like the area between the bottom of the pint and the nozzle. While not disastrous, it can be inconvenient if you’re attempting to minimize food waste by repurposing leftovers into a dessert. Additionally, the Swirl is large and hefty, retailing at $350, which is almost double the cost of the usual Creami.

My primary concern is that the Swirl lacks a larger capacity version like the original offered. A single pint of ice cream could serve a few people but for soft serve meant for a gathering, the Swirl’s 16-ounce containers necessitate running another batch. Given that the Swirl’s pints and lids come at a combined price of $35, this adds to the expense when entertaining. Although Ninja hasn’t confirmed if they plan to introduce a larger model, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do at some point. Therefore, if you’re interested in what the Swirl offers but need a machine with greater capacity, it may be wise to wait a while.

Lastly, as the Swirl was introduced just a short time after the original Creami, some customers might experience buyer’s remorse regarding the earlier model. I don’t share that perspective; the previous Creami remains a surprisingly adaptable and economical option that doesn’t occupy much kitchen real estate. The Swirl does add a significant new dessert capability, however, it also comes with increased costs and complexity. For anyone cherishing memories of enjoying a smooth, chilly ice cream cone on a scorching summer day (ideally after a round of mini-golf), the Ninja Swirl brings that nostalgic experience back home like never before.