What the machine is
This guide is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SharkNinja.
The NC300 series covers the NC300, NC300B, NC301 and NC299AMZ, plus a number of color and retailer variants listed in SharkNinja’s FAQ. The owner’s guide lists these parts:
- Motor base
- Outer bowl and outer bowl lid
- Creamerizer paddle
- 16 oz CREAMi Pint and pint lid
The NC301 product page lists two 16 oz pints with storage lids in the box. The unit runs at 120 V and 800 watts and is for household use only.
The owner’s guide is clear that this is not a blender. Do not process a solid block of ice, ice cubes or hard loose ingredients. Fruit needs to be crushed to release its juice, or combined with other ingredients, and then frozen.
The 24 hour freeze
The machine does not chill a liquid base. You freeze the base in the pint first, and the paddle shaves and whips the frozen block. The owner’s guide gives the steps in this order:
- Pour the base into the pint, no higher than the MAX FILL line.
- Snap on the lid and freeze for at least 24 hours.
- Take off the lid and set the pint in the outer bowl.
- Fit the outer bowl lid with the paddle, lock the bowl onto the motor base and pick a program.
A base can look frozen well before 24 hours. SharkNinja says it still needs to get colder before it can be processed, so wait out the full time.
Freezer setup
- Temperature: set the freezer between 9°F and -7°F. SharkNinja says the unit is designed to process bases in that range.
- Freezer type: the maker prefers upright freezers. It does not recommend chest freezers because they tend to get extremely cold.
- Keep it level: freeze the pint on a level surface. The owner’s guide says not to process a pint frozen at an angle, or one that was scooped and refrozen unevenly. If that happens, let it melt in the fridge, whisk it and refreeze it level.
How much to fill
There is no minimum fill line. The SharkNinja FAQ recommends filling at least halfway to the MAX FILL line to get a good texture. To make a double batch, double every ingredient and split it between two pints.
The owner’s guide does not give the MAX FILL line in cups. Our own sizing puts the base for one pint at about 14 fl oz (1 3/4 cups), based on the maker’s vanilla recipe, which puts 3/4 cup cream and 1 cup milk in the pint. The Base for one pint button above opens our Base Builder at that size. The calculators run in your browser, and the numbers you type are not sent to our server.
The programs
Each One-Touch Program takes 1 to 2 1/2 minutes. The unit will not run programs back to back. Lower the bowl and check the result before you choose the next step. Here is what the owner’s guide says each program is for:
| Program | What the maker says it is for |
|---|---|
| ICE CREAM | Traditionally indulgent recipes, dairy or dairy-alternative |
| LITE ICE CREAM | Bases low in sugar or fat, or made with sugar substitutes; keto or paleo recipes |
| GELATO (not on all models) | Custard bases for Italian-style ice cream |
| SORBET | Fruit-based recipes with high water and sugar content |
| SMOOTHIE BOWL (not on all models) | Fruit or vegetables frozen with dairy, dairy alternatives or juice |
| MILKSHAKE | Ice cream (store-bought or homemade) with milk and mix-ins; no 24 hour freeze needed |
| MIX-IN | Folding candies, cookies, nuts, cereal or frozen fruit into a processed base |
| RE-SPIN | Smoothing the texture after a preset program |
The 30-recipe guide adds that you can use the MILKSHAKE program to customize store-bought ice cream.
When to use a Ninja CREAMi re-spin
RE-SPIN is for a pint that came out crumbly or powdery instead of creamy. The owner’s guide says this happens when the base is very cold, below -7°F.
The order matters. In the owner’s guide’s own words, “If not adding mix-ins, RE-SPIN can be used on a crumbly or powdery pint to make it more creamy,” and “Do not RE-SPIN before using the MIX-IN program.” So use RE-SPIN only on a pint you are not adding mix-ins to. The guide does not say whether RE-SPIN can follow MIX-IN.
Adding mix-ins
The owner’s guide gives this method:
- Make a hole about 1 1/2 inches wide, all the way to the bottom of the processed pint.
- Add your chopped mix-ins. SharkNinja suggests 1/4 cup, and no more than 1/4 cup in total if you use several kinds.
- Run MIX-IN.
What to expect, according to the owner’s guide:
- Hard mix-ins like chocolate, candy and nuts stay mostly whole.
- Soft mix-ins like cereal, cookies and frozen fruit get broken down.
- Fresh fruit, fudge and caramel sauce water down ice cream and gelato.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread and nut butters do not mix well.
The maker suggests frozen fruit or shell toppings in place of the ones that water down or do not mix.
Fixes for crumbly, powdery or soft pints
These are the only texture fixes the owner’s guide gives.
Crumbly or powdery
- Run RE-SPIN, as long as you are not adding mix-ins.
- A very cold freezer is one cause. Check that it sits between 9°F and -7°F.
- The proportion of fat or sugar in the base may be too low.
Liquid or soft
- Put the pint back in the freezer, freeze it 24 hours and process it right away.
- Try a colder freezer.
- The proportion of fat or sugar may be too high.
Motor overload
- The ingredients may be too dense. The owner’s guide suggests using ingredients with sugar or fat.
- The freezer may be too cold.
- Unplug the unit and let the base sit about 15 minutes.
Other problems
- Outer bowl stuck after processing: wait about 2 minutes. Before the next pint, make sure the cavity on top of the paddle is dry.
- Scratches inside the pint: the owner’s guide says light scratching is normal. To avoid it, mix the base in a separate bowl before pouring it into the pint.
Ninja CREAMi recipes to start from
Vanilla with chocolate chips
The 30-recipe guide’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips makes 4 servings:
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, added with MIX-IN
Prep takes 5 to 10 minutes, the freeze takes 24 hours, and the program runs 1 1/2 minutes. To change the size of this or any recipe, the Scale a recipe button above opens our Recipe Scaler.
The guide also notes that pre-frozen ingredients taste less sweet once frozen and processed. A base that tastes sweet in the bowl is not a problem.
Dairy-free version
The same guide swaps vegan cream cheese for the cream cheese, unsweetened coconut cream for the heavy cream, and unsweetened oat milk for the milk. Whisk the coconut cream on its own first, and use unsweetened substitutes.
Lite version
The guide’s “make it lite” notes use stevia, a stevia and cane sugar blend, or monk fruit sweetener with erythritol. If you use sugar substitutes, run the LITE ICE CREAM program.
Cooked and custard bases
For any cooked base, the 30-recipe guide says to cool it in an ice bath to below 40°F before freezing.
Ninja CREAMi protein ice cream
SharkNinja’s documents do not include a protein ice cream recipe or any texture guidance for one. Protein powder appears in the 30-recipe guide only in smoothie bowls, such as the Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie Bowl, which uses 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder and gives a vegan protein powder swap.
Leftovers
Flatten the top of the pint before you refreeze it. If it is hard after refreezing, process it again on the program you used to make it. SharkNinja says to store leftovers in a pint so they can be processed again.
As one of our own Ninja CREAMi tips, we suggest writing the program name on the lid before it goes back in the freezer, so you know which one to rerun.
FAQ
How long do I have to freeze the base?
At least 24 hours. SharkNinja says the base needs to get colder than it looks before it can be processed. The MILKSHAKE program is the exception, since it starts from ice cream.
Why is my pint crumbly or powdery?
The owner’s guide points to a very cold freezer or too little fat or sugar in the base. Run RE-SPIN if you are not adding mix-ins.
Why is my pint soft or runny?
The owner’s guide says to refreeze it for 24 hours and process right away, try a colder freezer, or check whether the fat or sugar proportion is too high.
Can I use RE-SPIN and MIX-IN on the same pint?
Do not RE-SPIN before MIX-IN. The owner’s guide does not say whether RE-SPIN can follow MIX-IN.
Which program do I use with sugar substitutes?
LITE ICE CREAM. Both the owner’s guide and the 30-recipe guide say so.