What do you do about the bump on the ice cream?

This is one of the most common and controversial troubleshooting issues with the Ninja Creami.

Let me start off by saying that not all bumps are treated equally. This is not a one size fits all answer.

Sometimes after freezing Ninja Creami creations, a mound or hump can develop on the top of the ice cream. Per the instructions from the manufacturer, the top needs to be level in order to safely process the ice cream in the machine.

So, the question is, how big of a bump is okay, and what do you do if it needs to be removed or flattened?

If the ice cream has a large/tall mound of icy ice cream growing out of the middle, you need to remove it before processing the ice cream.
If the ice cream developed a small, fairly flat bump in the middle of the top of the ice cream during the freezing process, you do not NEED to remove it before processing. However, many choose to remove it just to be safe.
If the ice cream has been frozen at an angle and the top is not level, do not process it. It needs to be thawed and refrozen on a level surface.

How to resolve the issue...

There are several ways to remove the bumps on the ice cream. None are better than others, it's just a matter of preference.

Many freeze the ice cream with the lid off for a couple of hours, or for the entire freezing time. Sometimes this reduces the chances of the bump from forming, sometimes it doesn't.
So put small silicone disks (coasters or wine glass covers) or parchment paper on top of the mixture while freezing- this sometimes reduces the likelihood of the bump forming.
If the bump needs to be removed, here's some methods to use to remove it:
- Run a spoon under warm water and then use the warm spoon to melt the bump down.
- Fill a Ziplock bag with warm water and place the Ziplock bag on top of the bump for a few minutes until it's soft enough to scrape down.
- Microwave the container of ice cream for about 10 seconds (doing so will melt all of the ice cream though).
- Gently scrape the bump down with a vegetable peeler.
Higher fat and sugar recipes are less likely to develop the bump. This is more common with low fat and low sugar recipes.