This post is not sponsored, the product was not gifted, and all opinions are our own.
Listen up, because we are amped about this. (Just so you’re all aware of our current excitement level!) You know we’re big fans of Ninja Creami ice cream maker in this house. That got us on the Ninja Slushi train…and we’re major fans of that one too—especially for parties.
Once we heard about the new Ninja Swirl, a mash-up of the Creami and a soft serve machine, it was an automatic *add to cart.* We pulled out the machine the other day, and gave it a whirl. And…it was like being dropped into a beach boardwalk in 1980 in the best way. Let me talk you through our thoughts!
Shop The Ninja Swirl
$349 from Amazon | $349 from Target | $349 from Walmart | $349 from Best Buy | $349 from Ninja Kitchen (as of publish date)
Our Review of the Ninja Swirl
The Swirl ice cream maker looks very similar to the Creami, but it’s about twice as big with a physical dispensing handle on the right side. When you’re ready to make your ice cream, you have two settings to choose from: soft serve or scooped treats. Obviously we’re going with soft serve today for maximum fun.
We tried the soft serve on two different recipes. One was dairy-free, and the other had dairy. Similar to the Creami, you have to freeze the canister of your ingredients ahead of time, and then you lock the canister into the machine clockwise on the front and press the “soft serve” button.
First up, we tried a Pineapple Dole Whip-style soft serve. Chris used fresh pineapple chunks, up to the fill line, a splash of unsweetened almond milk, and filled the rest of the canister with pineapple juice. After he popped that in the freezer overnight, we inserted the canister to the front of the Swirl, locked and loaded it in. It clips in with a satisfying click. Then I pressed the “soft serve” button and then “fruit whip” to match the ingredients.
The machine started a countdown for 5 minutes as it rotated the mixture into the right texture. After 5 minutes, I got out my cone and pulled the handle down to dispense the frozen treat. Within 10 seconds, it started dispensing the mixture in that classic star shape. The handle angle determines how fast it comes out, and I didn’t realize that at first. It came out way faster than I anticipated! You can definitely go slower with the handle for more control.
You have to move the cone around to get the proper fill and “look.” The pineapple Dole Whip was a little icy due to the dairy-free ingredients, but it was incredibly light and bursting with those tropical flavors. Julia thought it tasted like a really healthy version of pineapple upside-down cake, if that’s what you’re craving.
The next recipe we tried was one for Chris. He wanted something protein-packed and super easy, so he just mixed up some Fairlife chocolate milk and Clean Simple Eats chocolate brownie protein powder. Since this is meant to a lower calorie/lower sugar treat, I pressed the “soft serve” button and then selected the “CREAMiFIT” setting, which is new to the Swirl.
And… holy moly. This high-protein chocolate ice cream tasted like a better version of a Wendy’s Frosty with more structure. Seriously, it was ludicrously good.
Shop The Ninja Swirl
So after dispensing, you press retract so that the swirl mechanism goes back into the machine and then you can twist and release the canister. You don’t have to dispense it all at once—we made a few cones from each recipe and then put the rest of the canister back into the freezer for another time.
To clean the machine, there is a drip tray that slides out to clean, the paddle, blade, dispense lid, Swirl press, canister, nozzle, and…I’m probably forgetting something. So yeah, it’s kind of a lot. The pieces are dishwasher safe. And once you get used to the assembly, it goes pretty fast. (It’s worth watching the instructional video a time or two to get the hang of it.)
Other than that, there really isn’t much of a learning curve—just getting the hang of how far to pull the handle down and moving your cone or cup at the right angles to get the coveted ice cream tower. Now, all we want to do is practice our swirl skills!
The Ninja Swirl vs. The Ninja CREAMi
I’ve been putting this new gadget through its paces, and right off the bat, there are some major crossovers. Interestingly enough, though, you could totally use this thing like a Creami – blend it up and eat straight out of the container.
Honestly? It’s a little quieter than the Creami, which is a nice bonus, although still not silent – you’re looking at about 5 minutes of blending. And get this, you can actually see the countdown timer! That’s a sweet improvement over the Creami, which didn’t show you the timer. One more bonus I found is that you really don’t have to re-spin the mixtures here like I do with the Creami.
The Creami pints aren’t compatible though…which is a bummer. All of the removable pieces are dishwasher safe, just as before. The Swirl does take up more space on our countertop, but it’s versatile enough that it bumped the Ninja Creami from our appliance garage (along with a juicer we rarely used) and is now in a prime location.
If you’re looking to do both ice cream and soft serve, just get the Swirl. It has everything the Creami has plus a countdown timer.
The Final Verdict on the Ninja Swirl
5 out of 5. Highly recommend.
The Ninja Swirl ice cream maker is just plain fun. It’s the nostalgia of childhood summers right in the comfort of your own home. Since we got it a week ago, Chris has had a soft serve cone every night. So he’s figuring out his technique! We’ve already bought 4 more canisters so we can make a few more flavors at a time. Our girls just love it; they’ve requested mint chocolate chip next!
I love that you can dispense as few as one serving at a time, or as many as 8-10 cones from one canister. Just remove the dispense lid and replace with the storage lid for the freezer. At $349.99 retail, it’s about 75% more expensive than the Creami (which is $199.99 retail), but for the extra features you get, it seems like a better value if you can swing it.
Bonus poll: If you had to choose between the Ninja Swirl and the Ninja Slushi (both $350), which would you choose? Our team was split 60/40 in favor of the Swirl, but if you’re on the fence, check out our review of the Ninja Slushi!