If you love Dole Whip and want to make the easiest copycat recipe at home in your Ninja Creami, this recipe is for you! With 3 to 4 simple ingredients, you can have a sweet tropical flavor treat that is the perfect blend of pineapple, coconut, and deliciousness! The texture is like soft-serve ice cream and the perfect tasty treat for a hot summer day! It is a great way to skip the long lines at Disney parks and enjoy a creamy pineapple dole whip in the comfort of your own home!

This copycat Dole Whip recipe makes two Ninja Creami pint containers, so you can either enjoy it on two different occasions or share it with a loved one!

Is it ok to use pineapple in the Ninja Creami?

Yes! However, while some fruit can be frozen in the Ninja Creami without blending it (as long as it is covered with your base liquid), I do not suggest doing this with pineapple. Because pineapple is so fibrous, it can get caught in the blades of your machine and wear out the motor. I have heard of pineapple ruining people’s Ninja Creami machines before. So, I always suggest blending your mixture if you are adding pineapple. If you are looking for recipes with fruit that you don't need to blend first, check out these Ninja Creami smoothie bowls!

Substitutions and Tweaks

Pineapple -The recipe calls for canned pineapple, but you could also use fresh or frozen.
Coconut milk - any kind will do! Creamier coconut milk will give you a creamier consistency. Lite coconut milk will not be as creamy, but it is still delicious! You can also use a different kind of milk altogether, but you won’t have that coconut flavor.
Maple Syrup - You can use your preferred sweetener
Guar gum - Only use if there isn't guar gum in your coconut milk already
If you would like to add protein to this recipe, mix a scoop of vanilla protein powder into the mix before blending.
You could add lime juice or lemon juice to give it a more tart flavor.

How to make Ninja Creami Pineapple Dole Whip

Step 1: Add your ingredients to a blender and blend. You can also divide your ingredients between two pints and blend the ingredients in the containers with an immersion blender.

Step 2: Divide the blended mixture into two Ninja Creami pint containers

Step 3: Freeze on a level surface for 12-24 hours.

Step 4: Process in the Ninja Creami machine on the 'lite ice cream' setting.

Step 5: If it needs to be processed again, scrape down the sides and respin.

Step 6: Add any optional mix-ins you would like and spin using the 'mix-in' option. Or enjoy it on its own!

What kind of pineapple should you use?

There are a few options when choosing pineapple for this recipe. You can use fresh, frozen, or canned. Any of these will work! Just use whatever you have on hand.

Some people will tell you that fresh pineapple chunks are best, but we usually use canned pineapple and it is absolutely delicious! I also like canned because it comes in juice, so we don’t have to add pineapple juice separately.

Canned pineapple also works well if you don’t have a high-speed blender. You can blend it easily with an immersion blender or other less powerful blender, or even a food processor. You might get away without blending if you use crushed pineapple, but I like to be safe and blend either way!

If you want to use fresh pineapple, find one that is ripe. It should smell sweet at the base, and the color should be more golden than green. Healthline has a great article for more tips on picking a good pineapple.

What kind of coconut milk should I use?

There are a few different options for coconut milk in this recipe. You have coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk, or lite coconut milk. The cream will give you the creamiest and most decadent texture, while the lite coconut milk will give you the least creamy texture. The lite coconut milk will allow the pineapple flavor to come out a little more, while the coconut cream can overpower the pineapple a little bit.

We have made this recipe using all of the canned coconut milk options. They are all delicious! So you can use whatever you have on hand. My husband preferred the full-fat coconut milk, while I preferred the lite. However, we both enjoyed them all very much, so you can’t go wrong.

Because I like to keep the fat content down, I prefer to use the lite coconut milk and use that in the recipe card with the nutrition facts. If you choose to use a different kind, just remember that the nutrition facts will be different.

Do I need guar gum in this recipe?

Most canned coconut milk already had guar gum in it, so you likely won't need to worry about adding more. Guar gum works extremely well in ninja creami recipes to help get that creamy texture! It has a similar effect that using pudding mix does. I like it because it is cheaper than pudding mix and doesn’t include added sugar, giving me more control over my recipes. I also like using it because most of my recipes use plant milks, which are lower in fat and naturally less creamy.

There are a lot of mixed feelings on guar gum in the health world. Some people consider it healthy while others find it can upset their stomachs. If you don’t want to use it you don’t have to.

Most canned coconut milk has guar gum in it. However, some don’t. If yours has it, you don’t need to worry about adding more. If it doesn’t, you can add ¼ teaspoon per pint. So if you are blending the whole recipe together to divide between two containers, use ½ teaspoon. If you are separating into the containers from the beginning, add ¼ teaspoon per container.

How do I avoid ice walls in my Ninja Creami?

There are a couple of techniques you can use to avoid getting ice walls or ice chunks in your ninja creami:

You can take the pint out of the freezer and let it sit on your counter for about 10 minutes before spinning.
You can run your pint for a couple of minutes under warm water before spinning.
You can scrape down the sides of your ninja creami between spins with a spatula (or I usually use a chopstick).

I like to use a combination of the second and third methods. Scraping down the sides is my favorite method, but I also like to run it under warm water for a little bit as well because I don’t always need a respin! The combination gives great results!

Top Tips for Using the Ninja Creami

For best results, freeze for 12-24 hours. If you process your pints before they have had sufficient time to freeze, the texture won’t turn out as well.
Don’t be afraid to re-spin if the texture isn’t right after the first spin. For non-dairy recipes, the ‘lite ice cream’ option is usually the best. You do not need to add more liquid. You can add a splash of milk between spins if you are struggling to get the right texture.
If you can, freeze your pint without the lid on. This helps the top to freeze more evenly. Also, make sure to freeze the pint on a level surface.
Scrape down the sides before respinning to break down any ice crystals that may have formed.

Mix-in Ideas

If you want to take this dessert up a notch with some mix-ins, here are some fun ideas to try:

Caramel sauce
Macadamia nuts
Chopped almonds or almond slivers
Chocolate chips or chocolate sauce
Crushed waffle cones
Crushed graham crackers or nilla wafers
Pineapple upside-down cake chunks
Mini marshmallows
White chocolate chips
Toasted coconut
Mango, banana, or strawberry chunks or compote
Granola
Lime or lemon zest

How to Store leftover Ninja Creami Ice Cream

If for some strange reason, you don’t feel like finishing your dole whip, you can save it for later!

All you need to do is smooth it down in the pint, trying to get the top as even as possible, and refreeze! When you are ready to enjoy it again, simply process it the same way in the Ninja Creami as before.

You could also pour the leftovers into a popsicle mold and enjoy them that way!

If you have a Ninja Creami machine, I hope you give this homemade dole whip recipe a try! Just grab a can of pineapple and a can of coconut milk next time you are at the grocery store, and you are good to go! The best part is that it is an easy recipe, with healthy ingredients, and is perfect for a hot day!

If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments how it turned out for you! I would also love to answer any questions you may have. Enjoy your treat!