Stabilizers and thickeners

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The information provided below is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to change your regular diet. Please consult with your physician before changing your diet.

For most Ninja Creami recipes, you need some sort of stabilizer to thicken the ice cream and reduce the ice crystals. Most recipes that come in the inspiration guide with the machine use cream cheese as the stabilizer. But, you don't have to use cream cheese. There are a bunch of other options.

Thickeners/Stabilizers

Acacia Gum-¼ Teaspoon per pint
Coconut cream-1 to 2 Teaspoons + per pint
Corn Starch-1-2 Tablespoons per pint (boil the mixture before freezing)
Cottage Cheese-2 Tablespoons + per pint
Cream Cheese-1-2 Tablespoons + per pint
Dream Whip-1 to 2 Teaspoons per pint
Guar Gum-¼ Teaspoon per pint
Instant Clear Jel-2 Tablespoons per pint
Instant Pudding Mix-(regular or sugar-free)- 2 Tablespoons per pint
Mayonnaise-1 Tablespoon + per pint
Neufchatel-1 Tablespoon + per pint
None-skip the stabilizers all together (ice cream will be softer)
Sour Cream-2 Tablespoons + per pint
Tara Gum-⅛-¼ Teaspoons per pint
Unflavored Gelatin-½ Tablespoon per pint
Xanthan Gum-¼ to ½ Teaspoon per pint
Yogurt-2 Tablespoons + per pint

Which one you choose can vary. It's really a personal decision. Some people can't stand the taste of cream cheese or the texture of cottage cheese (although you can't tell once the ice cream has been processed), so they go with instant pudding mix. Some don't want the ingredients that are in pudding mix to be in their ice cream, so they go with yogurt or guar gum. Use what you like and what fits best in your diet.

My personal preference is guar gum, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or instant pudding mix.

Guar gum is my preference because it is shelf stable, flavorless, cheap, and you only need a very small amount. It is a little tricky to find in stores though. I order it on Amazon.

Guar Gum Powder

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Which is better: guar gum or xanthan gum?

The consensus is that guar gum is better for ice cream than xanthan gum. Guar gum is usually for cold things while xanthan gum is usually used in recipes that involve heating the xanthan gum.

You can still use xanthan gum in ice cream (many do because it's easier to find than guar gum), but the results may not be quite as good as they would with xanthan gum.
When using any gums in ice cream, you need to make sure that the gum is completely mixed with the other ingredients. Otherwise, you will end up with an inconsistent texture throughout the ice cream. I always pre-blend my Ninja Creami bases in a small bullet style blender before freezing to make sure the stabilizer is fully incorporated.
A little goes a VERY long way. For most 16 ounce recipes, you will only need about 1/4 teaspoon of either guar gum or xanthan gum.
When you use guar gum or xanthan gum, you do not need to add any other stabilizers from the list above. If you do, your ice cream can become very thick and almost gooey.