Halloween is over, the trick or treat bag is still full, and your Ninja Creami is sitting right there.
Good news: leftover Halloween candy makes great mix-ins. Chop it up, fold it into a creamy pint, and you get a candy bar sundae without the sugar crash of eating the whole bag.
Below are 7 easy ways to do it, each with a DIY version and a ready-made mix version so you can see which one is easier.
Ideas: 7 candy mix-ins for a Ninja Creami pint
Base: 2 scoops of CRUSHS mix plus 10 to 12 oz of milk
Candy per pint: about 20g (2 Tbsp), chopped small
Hands-on prep: under 5 minutes before the freeze
Freeze time: 24 hours
Nutrition: 23g protein and 0g added sugar per serving of dry mix
Most DIY protein ice cream starts with protein powder, milk, a sweetener, a thickener, and some flavoring. That is 5 or 6 things to measure before the candy even comes out, and the ratios decide whether you get creamy or chalky.
A ready-made high protein ice cream mix skips that step. The dairy base is already balanced for ice cream texture, so you add milk, freeze, and spin. Here is how the 2 compare for the base alone.
| Compare | DIY base | CRUSHS base |
|---|---|---|
| Base ingredients to measure | 5 to 7 | 2 (mix and milk) |
| Hands-on prep before freezing | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Texture | Can turn icy or chalky if ratios are off | Creamy base, consistent from pint to pint |
| # | Candy type | CRUSHS base |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chocolate bars with caramel and peanuts | Salted Caramel |
| 2 | Peanut butter cups | Chocolate or Vanilla |
| 3 | Chocolate bars with crisped rice or wafers | Chocolate |
| 4 | Caramel chews | Salted Caramel |
| 5 | Chocolate cookie candy and sandwich cookies | Vanilla or Chocolate |
| 6 | Marshmallow candy | Chocolate |
| 7 | Mixed fun-size candy bowl | Chocolate |
Every idea below follows the same flow, so you only need to learn it once.
Chop every candy into small pieces first. The milk you pick also changes the final texture, so check the best milk for your pint before you start. Using a Deluxe Creami? Increase every ingredient by 50%.
This is the easiest win in the candy bowl. Unwrap a few fun-size bars, chop them roughly, and you get chewy caramel, salty peanuts, and chocolate in every bite.
Base: Salted Caramel. Candy: chopped caramel and peanut chocolate bars.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Salted Caramel plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 7 | 4 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: The caramel flavor is already in the base, so the candy does the rest. Chop roughly so you get good chunks in every bite.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a classic for a reason. Quarter the cups, fold them in, and you get creamy peanut butter pockets in a chocolate or vanilla pint.
Base: Chocolate or Vanilla. Candy: chopped peanut butter cups.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Chocolate or Vanilla plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 6 | 3 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: 3 ingredients and 1 spin gets you a peanut butter cup pint.
Crunchy candy bars add texture that smooth ice cream does not have. Break the bar into small pieces and the crisp layers give every spoonful a little crunch.
Base: Chocolate. Candy: chopped crisped rice or wafer chocolate bars.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Chocolate plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 6 | 3 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: A chocolate base plus 1 chopped bar is all it takes. Cut the pieces small so they spread evenly through the pint.
Soft caramel candies turn into little ribbons of caramel when you chop them small. They pair well with a salted caramel base for a double caramel pint.
Base: Salted Caramel. Candy: finely chopped caramel chews.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Salted Caramel plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 6 | 3 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: The base already tastes like caramel, so you only add the chopped candy. Chop the chews small so they do not clump.
Cookies and cream is the crowd-pleaser, and leftover cookie candy works the same way. Crush the cookies and fold them into a vanilla or chocolate pint for classic cookies and cream.
Base: Vanilla or Chocolate. Candy: crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Vanilla or Chocolate plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 7 | 4 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: Crushing the cookies is the only real work. Crush them in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Too fine and they disappear, too big and they are hard to mix in.
Marshmallow treats from the candy bowl are perfect for a rocky road style pint. Pair them with chocolate chips and chopped nuts if you have them.
Base: Chocolate. Candy: chopped marshmallow candy, plus almonds and chocolate chips if you like.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Chocolate plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 8 | 5 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: A classic ice cream shop flavor made at home with a short ingredient list. Chop the marshmallows in half so they mix in better and do not clump.
Cannot decide? Chop a little of everything from the bowl and make a rocky road remix. It is the best way to use up the last few pieces of each kind.
Base: Chocolate. Candy: a mix of chopped chocolate-based candy, about 20g in total.
| DIY vs CRUSHS | DIY version | CRUSHS version |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Protein powder, milk, sweetener, thickener, and flavoring | 2 scoops of CRUSHS Chocolate plus 10 to 12 oz of milk |
| Total ingredients | About 6 | 3 |
| Hands-on prep | 10 to 15 minutes | Under 5 minutes |
| Freeze time | Overnight to 24 hours | 24 hours |
Bottom line: 1 chocolate base, 1 chopped candy mix, and you are done. Keep the total candy to about 20g so the pint stays creamy.
Skip the guesswork. 2 scoops of mix, milk, freeze, and spin. That is all you need for a creamy candy pint with 23g of protein and 0g added sugar per serving of dry mix. Backed by a 60-day satisfaction guarantee.
Shop the high protein ice cream mixYes. Chop the candy small, add it after the first spin, and respin with the Mix-In button.
Soft or crunchy chocolate-based candy works best, such as chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, cookies, and marshmallow candy. Chop everything small first.
About 20g, or 2 Tbsp, of chopped candy per pint keeps the texture creamy.
Freeze it for 24 hours so the pint is solid all the way through before spinning.
Crumbly texture after the first spin is normal. Add 1 to 2 oz of milk and respin to make it creamy.
