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About This Recipe
So what is protein fluff? I’m glad you asked! Simply put, it is a homemade frozen treat made from protein powder.
You may see some people call it protein fluff, some people call it protein ice cream. I prefer the term fluff because it isn’t quite the same creamy, dense consistency of ice cream, it’s more fluffy in texture!
Don’t get me wrong, it is still hella yummy! But I just want to make it known that ice cream consistency is not the goal here. 😂
If you are looking for ice cream consistency with a boost of protein, check out my Mint Oreo Protein Ice Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Ice Cream. Those ice cream recipes are out of this world and would fool anyone to thinking they were the real deal (with better macros than Halo Top!!)
This protein fluff is meant to be lighter and lower in calories with a LOT of volume, more like my Jello Yogurt Bowl. So on it’s own, it tastes pretty good, but the real wonders of this delicious protein fluff treat is that it is so low calorie, you can top it with any yummy toppings that sound good!!
Why You’ll Love This Protein Fluff Recipe
- Very low calorie! Lots of room for yummy toppings!
- Packs so much volume! I have a 7-cup food processor that I use to make mine, and by the time I am done blending, my blender is almost filled to the brim.
- Perfect for Netflix or movie night. No one wants dessert to end in 5 minutes either.
- Ready to eat in just 10 minutes or less!
- Can easily be made vegan if needed!
- Protein powder – I use PEScience protein powder. This is always the protein powder I recommend for taste and quality of ingredients. There is no grainy or protein texture and no matter what I am using it for, it always blends so well. If you do use a different kind just make sure you know it is one that blends well and one that you like the taste of (since the protein powder is the main ingredient! For all Pescience products, you can use code “LaurenFitFoodie” to save 10%.
- Jello pudding mix – any flavor will do! Definitely switch it up! Butterscotch, vanilla, white chocolate! For a vegan-friendly option, use Simply Delish instant pudding mix.
- Ice – can’t stress enough… make sure it is FRESH! Ice that is months old will not break up as good and the result will be a more icy-like consistency.
- Almond milk – or other milk of choice,
- Butter extract – I use McCormick‘s. I cannot tell you the difference this addition makes! Butter-flavored explosion. My secret weapon right here! Get creative with other extracts here. Almond, vanilla, hazelnut are all amazing!
- Xanthan gum – just a tiny tiny bit is used to help with thickness. I use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Liquid stevia – I use NOW Better Stevia that I buy off Amazon. I use it multiple times daily to sweeten my coffee, yogurt, everything! Definitely worth the cost because it lasts forever and it doesn’t have any weird after taste.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add ice cubes to food processor or high-power blender.
2. Pulse on the highest power for about 3 seconds 10 to 15 times. You will want all ice cubes to be crushed and in a snow-like consistency.
3. Add in the protein powder, pudding mix, almond milk, sweetener, and butter extract.
4. Blend on the lowest speed for 3-4 minutes. In this time you will see the fluff double and then triple in size.
5. Stop the processor. Using a small spatula or spoon, scrape the remaining ice and ingredients from the sides into the rest of the fluff. Add in the xanthan gum at this time, if desired.
6. Pulse again for 2-3 seconds for about 10 times or until mixture is smooth and everything is mixed in. Add to a bowl and top as desired!
Because it is so low calorie for the amount of volume it packs, there is plenty of room for fun top toppings too! This is where you can get creative depending on your nutrition goals or how extravagant you want to be. The possibilities are truly endless! Some of my favorite go-to toppings are:
- Nut butter – a no brainer!
- Cereal – that crunch topping brings a whole new level to it! I ALWAYS add some form of cereal. I’ll list some of my favorites below.
- Peanut butter powder – if you are trying to keep things lower in fat. I use PBfit. No need to mix with water (although you totally could), but even just the powder sprinkled on top is so good.
- Black cocoa powder – probably the best, most underrated topping. I know it sounds weird. But black cocoa is the cocoa they use to make Oreo’s. So by mixing in some black cocoa powder, you are adding MAJOR cookies and cream vibes through this protein fluff. Another topping I ALWAYS add!
- Sprinkles – rainbow, chocolate, you could do vegan sprinkles if you needed to!
- Fruit – fresh or frozen
- Marshmallow fluff
- Cookies – You must try topping with my Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies at least once!!
- No Bake desserts – some of my favorite no-bake desserts to chop up and put on top are the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squares, No Bake Oreo Protein Balls or one of my edible protein cookie doughs!
- Protein bar chunks – if you needed even more protein to end the day.
Cereal is one of my favorite things to top the Protein Fluff with because it brings the most awesome crunch texture to the fluff. I don’t know about you guys, but when I eat something, I love for it to have different flavors and textures going on than for it to have the same texture and flavor all throughout! Adding cereal actually accomplishes both of these 🙌🏼 Here are some of my favorite cereal toppers:
- Fruity Pebbles – fruity crunchy delicious is too good on this fluff!! I love pairing it with chocolate syrup and sprinkles like in these photos 😋
- Cocoa Pebbles – same as above but CHOCOLATE!! Nuff said.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Golden Grahams – the crunch of these hold up well and bring a delicious cinnamon flavor.
- Oreo O’s – if you live Cookies and Cream, this topping is IT. One of my all time FAVS!
- Lucky Charms – those marshmallow bites are everything
- Rice Krispies – so fun to hear them snap crackle pop while you’re eating the fluff!
- Puffed Rice – especially if in a calorie deficit (AKA currently dieting)
More No Bake Treats To Top Protein Fluff With
- The BEST Healthy Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Squares! – chop these delicious cookie dough squares up and mix them in your protein fluff. The pairing is out of this world!
- No Bake Oreo Protein Balls – my first discovery that no bake desserts were delicious on the fluff was when I added a few of my No Bake Oreo Protein Balls on top. TOTAL OREO VIBES.
- Oreo Cookie Dough Bites (Gluten Free) – this is a combination between the first two! Cookie dough AND Oreo bites all throughout!!
- Skinny Oreo Freeze Cups – Chop these up and put in your fluff and get delicious Oreo + marshmallow flavors in each bite.
- Or any of my protein cookie doughs! Cookie Dough and Protein Fluff (or any ice cream for that matter) were MADE for each other!
Tips For the Best Consistency
Protein fluff still very icy? Let me tell you, this isn’t how it should be! Here are some helpful tips that have helped me evolve my protein fluff from the sad icy fluff the first couple of times I experimented making to the delicious, creamy consistency now.
- Make sure you have a good, high powered blender or food processor. This is probably the most important tip of them all. When I first tried to make, I was using an old blender and no matter what I did, I could not get all the ice to crush. Invest in a good quality blender (or food processor like I did) if you don’t have one already. Trust me, it will be worth it and you will use it more than you think!
- Make sure you are using freshly made ice. Sounds weird, but if you use ice that is super frosty and has been in your ice cube tray for a while, it won’t crush as well.
- Make sure you use a high quality, whey+casein blend protein powder. Regardless of your ice and blender, if you you don’t have use a protein powder that has quality ingredients and blends well, the fluff just won’t turn out. I mean, it is the main ingredient after all!
- Also, oddly enough, I have found chocolate protein powder to not blend as well as other flavors. Not sure the reasoning behind this, but something to consider!
- Make sure the amount of each ingredient used is precise! As with any recipe, there needs to be accuracy in the amounts of each ingredients used to ensure desired consistency. This is especially true for this recipe in regards to the amount of milk and ice.
What kitchen tools do I need to make protein fluff?
You’ll need a good, quality food processor to make protein fluff. Or you can use a high-power blender. The device just needs to be powerful enough to break all the ice up and blend into a creamy consistency. I used to have a crappy one and I could never figure out why my fluff was so icy. Spoiler alert: it was the blender! Whether you use a food processor or blender, it just needs to be large enough to hold the fluff. I am using a 7-cup food processor here.
Can I make this protein fluff vegan?
Yes, to make protein fluff vegan just use a plant-based protein powder and jello pudding mix. To swap out the instant pudding mix, I recommend Simply Delish. An awesome vegan friendly pudding mix that tastes just like the real deal
Why do I need to use fresh ice?
If you use ice that is super frosty and has been in your ice cube tray for a while, it won’t crush as well.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
The BEST Protein Fluff Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup protein powder (30g) see notes above regarding what kinds/flavor to use. For this recipe I used PEScience snickerdoodle
- 2 tsp sugar free jello pudding mix (10g) I used butterscotch
- Ice cubes (300g) about 20 cubes of fresh ice
- 1 tsp butter extract
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp liquid sweetener to taste
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (120g) or milk of choice
- 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum anything more than 1/2 tsp and things will start to get weird
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Instructions
- Add ice cubes to food processor or high-power blender.
- Pulse on the highest power for about 3 seconds 10 to 15 times. You will want all ice cubes to be crushed and in a snow-like consistency.
- Add in the protein powder, pudding mix, almond milk, sweetener, and butter extract.
- Blend on the lowest speed for 3-4 minutes. In this time you will see the fluff double and then triple in size.
- Stop the processor. Using a small spatula or spoon, scrape the remaining ice and ingredients from the sides into the rest of the fluff.
- Add in the xanthan gum at this time, if desired.
- Pulse again for 2-3 seconds for about 10 times or until mixture is smooth and everything is mixed in.
Notes
MFP ENTRY
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
