Club Benefits
We've all heard about the viral Ninja Creami, right? For those who haven't, it's Ninja's beloved ice cream maker. People rave about it, and it has often sold out online with so many people wanting a taste of this appliance. We reviewed the Ninja Creami and loved it, having rated it 4 stars out of 5, mostly for the fact that it's so convenient and easy to clean. But it makes customizing ice cream flavors so simple.
Well, that's what we thought — it turns out that people are using this machine for making more than ice cream. One TikToker, in particular, has divided the internet with a video of them making hummus in their Ninja Creami. And we have so many thoughts.
Is it actually chickpea ice cream? Does it melt when it reaches room temperature? Does the missing tahini make a difference? Here's what we think — and what the 150+ commenters had to say about this bold move.
Chickpea ice cream or hummus?
You're going to want to scroll through the comments on this video, mostly for a laugh. It turns out that hummus made in the Ninja Creami is a divisive situation — some people love the idea, and think it's total genius. Others think it's crazy and nothing other than chickpea ice cream.
"That’s because the Ninja Creami is a glorified blender," writes one commenter. And while this is true to some extent, our review can vouch for the fact that creating anything other than basic vanilla ice cream in a blender or food processor tends to end up a "chalky or sandy" consistency.
"Why would you want ice cold hummus?" adds a commenter. And they speak the truth: no one wants ice-cold hummus. Refrigerated hummus is as cold as I'll personally go. Yes, you could leave it out at room temperature before serving, but then that begs the question: would it melt?
One viewer commented, "Yeah, and then it’s liquid at room temp and is ice cream consistency when cold". While others also asked the creator the same question — what is the hummus like when it's not ice cold?
So, is it worth the risk to find out for yourself?
Where's the tahini?
There's lots of disagreement about the missing ingredient in this frozen hummus recipe. And that's tahini. Arguably, this is normally the star of the show for any hummus recipe. "I'm from the Middle East and I don't approve of this "hummus" without tahini" claims one commenter.
The creator of this recipe insists, though, that it doesn't need the tahini — this is music to the ears of people who track their macros. Apparently, you can't even taste that this key ingredient is missing.
Others rave about it...
There are people in the comments section who saw this hack as genius. "I have a sesame allergy, so this is perfect!" writes one commenter.
And, as it turns out, while people won't do this with their own machine, they love seeing others take risks. "This is the kind of mad experimentation I love seeing people do with this machine," adds another comment.
Ninja's advice
In the Ninja Creami instruction manual, it says that you should never blend dry ingredients — hence the use of the chickpea water in this recipe. The manual clearly states, in bold writing "This is NOT a blender". It goes on to add that you should never process a solid block of ice, or ice cubes. The same goes for a smoothie or processing hard, loose ingredients. It says that fruit must be crushed ahead of processing.
In the video, creator @fitnessproductfinder does say that this recipe freezes exceptionally hard, so you might have to spin it a good few times. He also runs the frozen tub under the faucet for a few seconds, after removing it from the freezer, before placing it in the outer bowl.
In the video, the Scoop and Lite Ice Cream settings are both used. The Lite Ice Cream setting is designed for, according to the manual, "health-conscious consumers to make ice creams that are low in sugar or fat or use sugar substitutes. Choose when processing keto or paleo recipes". It's definitely the smartest setting to use in the case of this hummus recipe.
Will you be trying this recipe with your Ninja Creami?
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