Whip Up Your Favorite Frozen Treats: The Ninja Swirl by Creami Redefines Home Ice Cream Making

The original Ninja Creami made waves a few years back by borrowing technology from $5,000 commercial ice cream makers and condensing it into a product priced under $200. While the Creami excels at creating sorbets, gelatos, and smoothie bowls, there’s still one classic frozen dessert it lacks the capability to produce: soft serve. Enter the latest family member, the Swirl by Creami, which may just represent Ninja’s zenith in home ice cream machines.

Design and features

Rather than develop an entirely new, multifunctional appliance, Ninja essentially enhanced the existing Creami by attaching a soft serve module. They also added a sizable handle, which allows you to enjoy the tactile experience of pulling it down to serve your frozen delicacy.

This approach might come off as rudimentary from a design standpoint, but let’s be frank: the Swirl won’t be taking any awards for aesthetics. However, it is a practical and effective solution. When you’re not using it for soft serve, you can easily whip up a batch of traditional ice cream using one of the two pint containers that come with the unit. That said, if you’re craving something light and airy, the process becomes a tad more intricate.

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The ultimate home ice cream machine

Ninja Swirl by CREAMi Ice Cream and Soft Serve Maker

Though the Ninja Swirl is pricier and bulkier than the traditional Creami, the convenience of soft serve and virtually every other variety of ice cream at home is a dream realized.

Pros

• Exceptional soft serve functionality
• Improved ice cream settings
• Quieter operation
• Tactile dispensing handle

Cons

• Higher cost compared to original Creami
• Larger and bulkier design
• No deluxe model available

$350 at Amazon

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$350 at Ninja

Along with the regular paddle lid, the Swirl features a unique lid necessary for preparing soft serve. The machine comes with a new pint container that includes a cleverly designed built-in nozzle for dispensing soft serve. It’s crucial to keep the twist cap on the bottom secured when making traditional scooped desserts, but to open it for soft-serve. Missing this step could make it difficult to remove the container since it won’t fit into the machine when it’s not sealed properly, leading to frustration as you chip away at the stuck parts. Additionally, if you don’t want to make soft serve, you can’t use the classic Creami pints due to incompatibility (though the Swirl’s lids and containers can still be cleaned in the dishwasher).

A challenge regarding the Swirl’s design arises for individuals residing in smaller spaces, as it is nearly double the weight and size of a standard Creami. Measuring at 15.1 x 10 x 17.5 inches and weighing 20 pounds, finding a suitable storage location can be a struggle unless you have ample space.

Modes: The world is your ice cream

One of the most impressive aspects of the Swirl is its capability to replicate and exceed the functions of the Creami. In addition to producing standard ice cream, lite ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and milkshakes, it introduces new settings for frozen yogurt, fruit whip, frozen custard, and unique Creamifits.

Most of these options are self-explanatory, but a few deserve clarification. Fruit whips consist mainly of frozen fruit blended with a bit of sugar, yielding a healthier option akin to sorbet (think delightful pineapple Dole whips). Additionally, having a specific mode for frozen custard is fantastic, as it is richer and creamier than regular ice cream due to the addition of more egg yolks. Since this treat is often hard to come by outside southern and Midwest regions, it’s a welcome feature. Finally, Creamifit refers to high-protein creations that typically contain ingredients such as whey, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt, effectively transforming workout shakes into frozen delights.

When you’re all set to create a batch, Ninja simplified the process by categorizing the machine’s operations into two essential segments: one for traditional scooped desserts and another for soft serve. The smoothie bowl setting, available in previous versions, is notably absent, but I found that the milkshake or Creamifit options served just as well depending on the desired texture.

Another upgrade from the original Creami is that Ninja improved the Swirl’s blending modes to ensure you achieve the desired consistency without requiring re-spinning. In my tests, it became clear that the company successfully addressed this issue. In many instances with the prior version, I’d have to put the ice cream back in for a second spin to achieve satisfaction, but that was not the case with the new model. This applies to both soft serve and traditional scooped desserts. Moreover, the Swirl is quieter; it operates at roughly 80 decibels from six feet away. While it remains relatively loud, this is a modest improvement compared to its predecessor (which clocked in around 82db), which would send my three-year-old fleeing the kitchen. Therefore, while you won’t want to have the TV on in the same room, it at least allows for conversation.

Soft serve: Tasting is believing

If you can manage the Swirl’s somewhat intricate process, the payoff is remarkable. It indeed produces soft serve comparable to local shops or ice cream trucks. In fact, one could argue that your creations might surpass store-bought versions, as you can control the ingredient quality. While you can certainly follow established recipes, the true delight of the Swirl is that as long as you adhere to basic instructions, you can creatively combine ingredients and still achieve delicious outcomes. That’s precisely what I did during my initial batch trial.

Like many parents, I strive to limit food waste. Rather than discarding older strawberries and pineapple chunks at the week’s end, I chopped them up, added a splash of lime juice, and mixed them with a third of a cup of sugar. After allowing the fruit to macerate, I simply placed it in the Swirl’s pint container and froze it overnight. The following day, I selected the fruit whip setting, blended it, then switched to the soft serve lid before pulling down on the handle. Wow, was it delicious.

The fruit whip’s consistency was incredibly smooth, lacking any sizeable ice crystals, with a flavor reminiscent of a tropical fruit medley bursting in my mouth. The best part? It cost almost nothing to create, as those ingredients would likely have otherwise gone to waste.

Next, I decided to make a straightforward chocolate soft serve using this recipe from Ninja’s Test Kitchen, as it happens to be my three-year-old’s favorite. Instead of the typical whole milk, heavy cream, and cocoa powder, I used Fairlife chocolate milk. This not only boosted the protein content but was also lactose-free. The result was an incredibly fluffy soft serve with a texture reminiscent of marshmallows that everyone in my family found delightful (including my lactose-intolerant wife). It was a classic 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 attempted another recipe by chopping maraschino cherries (preferring Luxardo, if available) and blending them with their syrup, Fairlife milk, and coconut cream. The Swirl’s soft serve function excels by incorporating air into the mixture, yielding a light and silky texture; just to ensure success, I added a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum to the mix. After blending everything, I pulled down the lever, and voilà: a rich yet not overly heavy cherries and cream delight.

However, perhaps my most satisfying endeavor was making a matcha soft serve that ranked among the best I’ve encountered. My wife enjoys matcha daily, which has turned me into a bit of a connoisseur myself. I can quickly discern when establishments like Starbucks use low-quality powder that tastes stale. I combined some high-quality ceremonial matcha with lactose-free milk and cream, using this recipe, which allowed me to create a soft serve with unparalleled taste and texture—something that’s typically hard to find, as many ice cream shops offer limited non-dairy selections.

Wrap-up

Creating homemade soft serve can seem like an unattainable goal. While machines that produce churned desserts have been available for many years, specialized soft serve equipment is often prohibitively expensive and limited to single-use. Ninja revolutionizes this with the Swirl, allowing users to craft delectable treats that rival store-bought versions for a fraction of the cost, while also handling nearly every conceivable type of frozen dessert—all within a single appliance.

That being said, the Swirl does face some drawbacks. First, the process of making soft serve results in around a quarter-cup of ice cream getting trapped within various components, such as the area between the bottom of the pint and the nozzle. While it’s not a significant issue, those trying to minimize food waste by repurposing leftovers may find it disappointing. Additionally, the Swirl’s size and bulkiness, combined with a price tag of $350, make it nearly double the cost of the standard Creami.

My biggest concern is the absence of a deluxe version of the Swirl, unlike its predecessor. A single pint of ice cream can serve a couple, but if you want to provide soft serve for a larger gathering, you’ll need to make a second batch given the Swirl’s 16-ounce capacity. With pints and lids pricing at $35 a pair, this adds to the overall cost if you plan to entertain. Although Ninja didn’t provide any information on whether a larger model is forthcoming, it seems likely that a deluxe option will eventually be released. If you’re interested in the Swirl’s features but prefer greater capacity, it might be wise to hold off for the time being.

The final point to consider is that with the Swirl launching only a couple of years after the original Creami, some users might experience buyer’s remorse regarding the first model. However, I disagree with this sentiment. The previous Creami remains an impressively adaptable device that’s budget-friendly and doesn’t dominate counter space in your kitchen. While the Swirl adds a significant but not absolutely vital dessert option, it also introduces greater expense and complexity. Yet for those who cherish the memory of enjoying a silky soft serve on a hot summer’s day (preferably after a fun mini-golf session), the Ninja Swirl is bringing that nostalgic experience right into your home like never before.