When Ninja, the brand that makes some our top-tested air fryers, blenders and other small kitchen appliances, announced their new ice cream maker, I knew I had to get my hands on one. Its original ice cream maker, the Ninja Creami, came out in 2021 and people still ask me all the time if they should buy it. (Spoiler alert: Yes, I think it's a fun machine that makes great ice cream and frozen desserts quickly.)
Since the launch of the Ninja Creami, the brand has introduced several iterations of its viral ice cream maker, including the Ninja Creami Deluxe, which offers more functions than the original, and the Ninja Breeze, a streamlined version that has since been discontinued. Now, the latest addition is the Ninja Swirl by Creami. According to Kaitlyn Hebert, Ninja's SVP of Global Marketing, the Ninja Swirl had the most successful launch in SharkNinja history, with over 96,500 people signing up for the pre-launch waitlist.
What makes the Ninja Swirl by Creami different?
Ninja Swirl by Creami Soft Serve & Ice Cream Machine
Pros
- Unique appliance that makes soft-serve ice cream and frozen desserts
- Frozen yogurt turned out creamy, rich and delicious in our tests
- Easily handles a wide variety recipes and ingredients
Cons
- Processing ice cream is loud
- Takes up a good amount of counter space
- Pricey
The Ninja Swirl by Creami can make soft-serve ice cream and other soft-serve desserts, in addition to the scoopable frozen treats the Ninja Creami can make. There really aren’t many comparable products designed for home use.
Cuisinart offers a soft-serve ice cream maker that my team and I enjoyed testing. It functions like a traditional ice cream maker: You freeze the bowl, add ingredients and let it churn for about 20 to 25 minutes before dispensing.
In contrast, both the Ninja Swirl by Creami and the original Ninja Creami operate more like a Pacojet, a type of ice cream maker commonly used in restaurants. Instead of churning, they allow you to freeze ingredients in smaller containers and blend them on demand for serving.
How does it work?
The Ninja Swirl by Creami functions similarly to the Ninja Creami — you freeze your chosen base in the provided pint containers (the Swirl comes with two) and let it sit in the freezer for 24 hours before processing it in the machine. Bases can vary from traditional ice cream mixtures to plant-based alternatives, fruit, chocolate milk, protein shakes, yogurt and more.
The machine then processes the frozen dessert on the right side and dispenses the soft serve on the left. To process your base, place one of the pint containers into the blending container and secure the lid with the blade. Then attach it to the machine, lock it into place and select "Soft Serve" or "Scoop" on the control panel.
From there, choose from Ice Cream, CreamiFit (meant to be used with protein powder), Lite Ice Cream, Milkshake, Sorbet, Gelato, Frozen Custard, Fruit Whip or Frozen Yogurt. (Many of these are similar to the settings on the Ninja Creami and the Ninja Creami Deluxe, but include some ease-of-use upgrades.)
To "churn" the frozen base, the blade lowers into the cup and spins to break it down, layer by layer, until it can fully mix it. The main difference between these settings is the amount of time they blend for, as well as the speed at which they blend. Harder bases take more time and power to blend, while softer ones require less of both. Once the base processes, you can remove the pint from the blending container and either enjoy it as is or attach the soft-serve attachment.
My experience testing the Ninja Swirl
Since the Ninja Swirl by Creami is a brand-new release, I had it for about a week before publishing this review. During that time, I made four recipes from the included booklet, focusing on those labeled "easy" to get a feel for the machine before trying more advanced options.
Soft serve with store-bought ice cream
I experimented with making soft serve using chocolate Häagen-Dazs, known for its rich and creamy texture. (Since store-bought ice cream is harder to mess up, I used it as a trial base.) I transferred it to the Ninja Swirl by Creami’s pint container and froze it for 24 hours as directed.
When it came time to process, I initially struggled to get the machine working — there are a lot of parts that need to be perfectly aligned before it will even turn on. Fortunately, everything is well-labeled, and the color user guide is detailed and easy to follow, so I was able to figure it out.
As expected, the machine was loud while processing the ice cream, but that’s expected given its powerful motor and blade breaking through frozen ingredients. It’s similar to the sound of a blender crushing frozen fruit.
Once processed, I dispensed the ice cream through the soft-serve attachment, and the results were delicious. The texture was light and creamy, and using the dispenser made it feel like a fun, interactive experience — something that would be especially enjoyable after a meal with family or at a party.
Frozen yogurt with store-bought yogurt
I also made soft-serve frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt is traditionally hard to make at home because of the high water content and low fat ratio. If you try to make it in a traditional ice cream maker or freeze it in popsicle molds, for example, it often gets too icy to eat.
After I froze Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt in the included pint container, processed and dispensed it, I was seriously impressed. The results were rich, creamy, had good structure and melted in my mouth. It rivaled some of the best frozen yogurt I've ever had. These results alone are why I'd recommend the Ninja Swirl by Creami.
Homemade soft serve and ice cream
In addition to trying store-bought ingredients, I made the easy vanilla soft serve recipe from the recipe booklet as well as the vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips. The soft-serve recipe used instant pudding mix as a thickener and stabilizer, while the vanilla ice cream used cream cheese.
My main takeaway? Stick to the directions and plan ahead. During these tests, I learned how important it is to freeze the ingredients for at least 24 hours before using: My bases ended up being too soft to process and turned out spoonable instead of scoopable. The fix was easy though: I just put them back in the freezer and tried again later to get the results I hoped for. I'd also recommend storing the pint containers in the coldest part of your freezer for the best results. If you're trying to plan ahead for a party, you can buy more pints for the Ninja Swirl by Creami so you can have enough on hand. (Ninja claims each pint yields four servings.)
One downside: I could smell the motor working hard when I processed my second pint immediately after the first. It's also worth noting that while you can re-freeze leftovers and process them a second time, you need to make sure the ice cream pint's chute is clean and clear before dispensing the soft serve.
Can you use the same pint containers in the Ninja Swirl and the original Ninja Creami?
No, you can not use the same pint containers; the Ninja Swirl by Creami's are designed to dispense soft serve, while the Ninja Creami's don't have that feature.
Is it easy to clean?
Overall, I thought the Ninja Swirl by Creami was easy to clean. All of the removable parts are top-rack dishwasher-safe — just make sure all the parts are disassembled first. If hand-washing, Ninja recommends using a tool with a handle to clean the paddle, likely to avoid accidentally coming into contact with the sharp blade.
Just take note: When I used the Ninja Swirl by Creami correctly, I didn't have any trouble with dripping or leaking, but when the base was too soft or the pint container's chute was clogged from re-freezing it after use, it dripped out of the container onto the soft serve side of the machine.
The bottom line: Is the Ninja Swirl by Creami worth it?
So far I have really enjoyed using the Ninja Swirl by Creami. I'd say it's worth it for several reasons:
- It's unique and innovative, plus it comes with an 85-page recipe booklet that's filled with step-by-step instructions, recipes, charts and tips that help you understand how it works so you can make your own creations.
- I love that I can use it to make healthier dessert and snack options that are actually satiating. (Yogurt in the middle of the day doesn't do it for me, but frozen yogurt? Yes, please!)
- It's ideal for people with dietary restrictions since you can customize each base exactly as you like.
Performance aside, it's a little big, which makes it hard to store, and it's pretty pricey, so I'd only recommend it if you think you're going to use it a lot. If you already own the Ninja Creami, I don't think it's worth investing in another ice cream maker that's so similar. That said, I'm personally excited to perfect my soft serve dispensing technique and experiment with different bases and recipes.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Appliances Lab where she oversees all testing and content related to cooking, drinking and eating. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2014 and has helped develop them. She has extensively tested the Ninja Creami and many other ice cream makers, as well as many other Ninja products. She's been using the Ninja Swirl by Creami since it came out.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
