Fresh ripe papaya with creamy coconut milk, coconut sugar, rum, and vanilla extract for an irresistible, non-dairy Nice CREAMi treat.

Papaya Smoothie
Initially, I was going to make papaya shake the way my grandma used to make it with Haitian vanilla extract that has a hint of rum. But then I remembered I had my Ninja CREAMi homemade ice cream maker.
I've also been testing out so many recipes. And this is one of my favorites besides my blueberry sorbet and peach frozen yogurt. It also holds nostalgic childhood memories of being at her place and watching her make it for me.
Tropical Tasty Treats
If you are into tropical fruit desserts, try Mango Cookies and Cream No-Churn Ice Cream, a Super easy-to-make no-churn ice cream flavored with fresh, ripe, juicy mangos and vanilla and cream cookie pieces with a hint of floral almond flavor, making this ice cream impossible not to finish.
More Frozen Treats
Here are more ways to cool off:
- Easy Peanut Chocolate Caramel Candy Bar No-Churn Ice Cream
- Frozen Watermelon Lemonade
- Strawberry and Banana Shortcake
Jump to:
Haitian Rum
Haitian vanilla extract is unique; not only does it use vanilla bean but rum as well. Try Sonaprod’s 100% Haitian Vanilla Essence. We are known for our rum, especially Rhum Barbancourt, founded in 1862.
Remarkable fact: the distillation process of making this special rum is similar to cognac and made with sugarcane juice instead of molasses. It's also the alcohol used in Haitian Cremas, a creamy strong rum drink typically made with coconut milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise.
Indeed, If you are in Miami at the airport watching arrivals from Haiti, almost every person has that famous yellow box!
“Creole” - Born / From the Colonies
Haiti is definitely one of those tropical places with a rich cuisine history. People tend to think Haitian Creole is broken, French.
However, that's not true; French is the base but with cognates of Spanish, Portuguese, Arawakan (Taino- indigenous people of the Caribbean), and West and Central African (Niger-Congo, Central Tano, and Bantu) languages. This is reflected in colonial cuisine as well.
Additionally, there are French cooking methods used in Haitian Cuisine (tomato-based stews, ragout) with African ingredients (yams, okra, pigeon, peas, plantain, thyme, breadfruit, papaya), Portugal's spice trade (clove, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon) and Taino cooking methods (barbecuing - In Haiti you'll find grilled fresh fish, lobster, or conch).

Ingredients and Instructions
Haitian papaya shake," Jus Papay," is usually made with fresh or frozen papaya chunks, ice, evaporated milk, condensed milk or sugar, salt, and Haitian vanilla extract. I used coconut milk and coconut sugar for this recipe to make it low-glycemic and non-dairy.
To also try to imitate the Haitian vanilla extract flavor, I used vanilla and rum extracts in a 1-to-1 ratio. Also, salt enhances the taste of sweetness and fat since frozen foods tend to dull these components.
See the Nice CREAMi recipe card for quantities.

Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there.
Substitutions
- Vanilla and Rum Extract - I used vanilla and rum extract in this recipe to imitate Haitian Vanilla. If you can get some, please do that instead, like Sonaprod's 100% Haitian Vanilla Essence.
- Coconut Sugar - Coconut sugar is a low-glycemic food item that has a slight taste of toasted coconuts. However, if you wish to replace it, you can replace it with regular white table sugar or brown sugar at the same unit amount in the recipe.
Variations
Milkshake! When using the Ninja CREAMi, the ice cream usually hardens back up the next day, and you'll have to spin it. But instead of having ice cream again, I added some soy milk and bananas to make a shake. It was so good.
I didn't add more coconut milk because I didn't want to go over the serving size of it; you don't want to have too much of it. And soy milk is what I had on hand, but you can use almond milk instead. Both vanilla and non-sweeten are ok.
Equipment
Ninja CREAMi - To develop this recipe, I used the Ninja CREAMi, which comes with several options to make cold treats, from ice cream, lite ice cream, sorbets, milkshakes, gelato and smoothie bowls.
I got this cold treat maker since it reminds me of what I used to use in the professional kitchen, using the same method to make several varieties of small canisters of ice cream and sorbet bases for our dessert station at the W Hotel on South Beach. I guess it's just nostalgia for me.
Storage
The Ninja CREAMi has at least two plastic canisters with lids to store the cold treats in the freezer.
Cooking tip
Prepare beforehand; whatever cold treat base you make with your Ninja CREAMi requires 24 hours of freezing before spinning in the machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you followed the ice cream base recipe correctly. Then, it might be what is being done to the "frozen" ice cream base. Instead of churning like regular ice cream. The machine has a blade that rapidly cuts the frozen solid mixture into thin pieces.
And since it's still very cold, some of those loose pieces haven't melted to be "creamy." So it is suggested to re-spin the ice cream. This option is on the machine. Usually, this option solves the problem. The speed of the blade and time being out at room temperature allow the ice crystals to melt.
To test if your ice cream is ready after being spun, if it crumbles when scooping, re-spin it again.
When making ice cream with the Ninja CREAMi, the traditional techniques are separated compared to a conventional ice cream maker.
For example, instead of an ice cream maker that chills the ice cream base while slowly spinning it, called churning, the Ninja CREAMi has you freeze the ice cream base in the freezer first. Then, spin in the machine.
Sweet Recipes
Looking for other sweet recipes like this? Try these:
- Easy Peanut Chocolate Caramel Candy Bar No-Churn Ice Cream
- Mango Cookies and Cream No-Churn Ice Cream
- Strawberry and Banana Shortcake
- Frozen Watermelon Lemonade
Non-Dairy Recipes
Looking for other non-dairy recipes like this? Try these:
- Healthy Poached Egg Avocado Rainbow Tuna Salad
- Spicy Chicken Vegetable Stew with Harissa Tomato Sauce
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast with Hot Honey Glazed Vegetables
- Sesame Chili Salmon Rice Bowl
Video
Recipe
📖 Recipe

Papaya Coconut Rum Nice CREAMi
Ingredients
- 9 ½ ounces of ripe papaya medium chunks
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup organic coconut sugar
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon rum extract
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- In a small saucepan on low heat, combine the coconut milk, sugar, and salt.
- Frequently stir with a rubber spatula until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cool the coconut mixture to room temperature.
- And papaya chunks into the Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker's pint container.
- Pour the extracts into the coconut milk mixture, stir, and pour over the papaya chunks.
- Cover with the lid and place into the freezer on a flat surface for 24 hours.

Papaya Coconut Rum Nice CREAMi
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Prep Ahead
- Ninja CREAMi recipes usually require 24 hours in the freezer. So prepare your ice cream, sorbet, or nice cream a day in advance.
Haitian Rum
- In this recipe, I used vanilla and rum extract to imitate Haitian rum. But you can purchase real Haitian rum, here.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
173.6Fat
12.22 gSat. Fat
10.75 gCarbs
17.59 gFiber
1.15 gNet carbs
16.45 gSugar
11.81 gProtein
1.46 gSodium
42.04 mgCholesterol
0 mgThese are calculations based on search results of the ingredient's nutritional information.
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Have a Comment or Question?
If you have a question or comment about this recipe, please post it below. You will definitely get a quick response. It also helps our other readers to stay informed. Thanks!
Leave a Reply